Add parallel Print Page Options

Por Sauli e kishte miratuar vrasjen e tij. Në atë kohë u bë një përndjekje e madhe kundër kishës që ishte në Jeruzalem; dhe të gjithë u shpërndanë nëpër krahinat e Judesë dhe të Samarisë, me përjashtim të apostujve.

Disa njerëz të përshpirtshëm e varrosën Stefanin dhe bënë gjëmë të madhe për të.

Por Sauli po shkatërronte kishën: hynte shtëpi më shtëpi, merrte me vete burra dhe gra dhe i fuste në burg.

Ata, pra, që ishin shpërndarë shkonin rreth e përqark, duke shpallur fjalën.

Dhe Filipi zbriti në qytetin e Samarisë dhe u predikoi atyre Krishtin.

Dhe turmat, me një mendje të vetme, dëgjonin me vëmendje gjërat që thoshte Filipi, duke dëgjuar dhe duke parë mrekullitë që ai bënte.

Frymëra të ndyra, pra, dilnin nga shumë të idemonizuar, duke bërtitur me zë të lartë; dhe shumë të paralizuar e të çalë shëroheshin.

Dhe në atë qytet u bë gëzim i madh.

Prej kohësh në atë qytet ishte një njeri që quhej Simon, i cili merrej me magji dhe i bënte të çuditeshin njerëzit e Samarisë, gjoja sikur ishte njeri i madh.

10 Dhe të gjithë, nga më i madhi te më i vogli, ia vinin veshin, duke thënë: “Ky është fuqia e madhe e Perëndisë.”

11 Dhe e dëgjonin, sepse prej një kohe të gjatë ai i kishte mahnitur me mjeshtrinë e tij prej magjistari.

12 Por, kur i besuan Filipit, që shpalli lajmin e mirë të gjërave të mbretërisë së Perëndisë dhe emrin e Jezu Krishtit, burra dhe gra u pagëzuan.

13 Besoi edhe Simoni dhe, mbasi u pagëzua, rrinte vazhdimisht me Filipin; dhe, duke parë veprat e fuqishme dhe shenjat që ishin bërë, mbeti i çuditur.

14 Por kur apostujt dëgjuan në Jeruzalem se Samaria kishte pranuar fjalën e Perëndisë, i dërguan atyre Pjetrin dhe Gjonin.

15 Kur këta arritën, u lutën për ta, që të merrnin Frymën e Shenjtë,

16 sepse ende nuk kishte zbritur mbi asnjë prej tyre, por ata vetëm ishin pagëzuar në emër të Zotit Jezus.

17 Atëherë vunë duart mbi ta dhe ata morën Frymën e Shenjtë.

18 Dhe Simoni, kur pa se me vënien e duarve të apostujve jepej Fryma e Shenjtë, u ofroi atyre para,

19 duke thënë: “Ma jepni edhe mua këtë pushtet, që ai të cilit do t’i vë duart, të marrë Frymën e Shenjtë.”

20 Por Pjetri i tha: “Le të humbasë paraja jote dhe ti bashkë me të, sepse ti mendove se mund ta blesh me para dhuratën e Perëndisë.

21 Ti nuk ke as pjesë as short në këtë gjë, sepse zemra jote nuk është e drejtë përpara Perëndisë.

22 Pendohu, pra, për këtë ligësi që ke dhe lutju Perëndisë që, po të jetë e mundur, të të falet mendimi i zemrës sate.

23 Sepse unë të shoh se je në vrerin e hidhësisë dhe në prangat e paudhësisë.”

24 Dhe Simoni, duke u përgjigjur, tha: “Lutjuni ju Zotit për mua, që të mos më ndodhë asgjë nga ato që thatë.”

25 Ata, pra, pasi dhanë dëshmi dhe predikuan fjalën e Zotit, u kthyen në Jeruzalem, mbasi ungjillzuan shumë fshatra të Samaritanëve.

26 Dhe një engjëll i Zotit i foli Filipit, duke i thënë: “Çohu dhe shko drejt jugut, në rrugën që nga Jeruzalemi zbret në Gaza; ajo është e shkretë.”

27 Ai u ngrit dhe u nis; dhe ja, një njeri Etiopas, eunuk, një zyrtar i lartë i Kandaces, mbretëreshës së Etiopisë, përgjegjës i të gjitha thesareve të saj, i cili kishte ardhur në Jeruzalem për të adhuruar.

28 Tani ai po kthehej dhe, i ulur në karrocën e vet, lexonte profetin Isaia.

29 Dhe Fryma i tha Filipit: “Afrohu dhe arrije atë karrocë!.”

30 Filipi iu turr afër dhe, duke dëgjuar se po lexonte profetin Isaia, i tha: “A e kupton atë që lexon?.”

31 Ai tha: “E si do të mundja, po s’pata një që të më udhëzojë?.” Pastaj iu lut Filipit të hipë dhe të ulet pranë tij.

32 Por pjesa e Shkrimit që ai po lexonte ishte kjo: “Atë e çuan si delja në thertore; dhe ashtu si qengji është memec përpara qethtarit, kështu ai nuk e hapi gojën e vet.

33 Në përuljen e tij iu mohua çfarëdolloj drejtësie; po kush do të mund ta përshkruajë brezin e tij? Sepse jeta e tij u hoq nga toka.”

34 Dhe eunuku iu kthye Filipit dhe tha: “Të lutem, për kë e thotë profeti këtë? Për veten e vet apo për ndonjë tjetër?.”

35 Atëherë e mori fjalën Filipi dhe, duke filluar nga ky Shkrim, i shpalli Jezusin.

36 Dhe, ndërsa po vazhdonin rrugën, arritën në një vend me ujë. Dhe eunuku tha: “Ja uji! Çfarë më pengon të pagëzohem?.”

37 Dhe Filipi tha: “Nëse ti beson me gjithë zemër, mund ta bësh.” Dhe ai u përgjigj duke thënë: “Unë besoj se Jezu Krishti është Biri i Perëndisë.”

38 Urdhëroi atëherë të ndalet karroca, dhe të dy, Filipi dhe eunuku, zbritën në ujë dhe ai e pagëzoi.

39 Kur dolën nga uji, Fryma e Zotit e rrëmbeu Filipin dhe eunuku nuk e pa më; por e vazhdoi rrugën e tij me plot gëzim.

40 Por Filipi u gjet në Azot; dhe, duke vazhduar, ungjillëzoi të gjitha qytetet, derisa arriti në Cezare.

And Saul(A) approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered(B) throughout Judea and Samaria.(C) Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul(D) began to destroy the church.(E) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

Those who had been scattered(F) preached the word wherever they went.(G) Philip(H) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many,(I) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.(J) So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery(K) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(L) 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”(M) 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God(N) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,(O) both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles(P) he saw.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria(Q) had accepted the word of God,(R) they sent Peter and John(S) to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,(T) 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them;(U) they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(V) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,(W) and they received the Holy Spirit.(X)

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!(Y) 21 You have no part or share(Z) in this ministry, because your heart is not right(AA) before God. 22 Repent(AB) of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me(AC) so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord(AD) and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.(AE)

Philip and the Ethiopian

26 Now an angel(AF) of the Lord said to Philip,(AG) “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a](AH) eunuch,(AI) an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,(AJ) 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told(AK) Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”[b](AL)

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began(AM) with that very passage of Scripture(AN) and told him the good news(AO) about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”(AP) [37] [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,(AQ) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns(AR) until he reached Caesarea.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 8:27 That is, from the southern Nile region
  2. Acts 8:33 Isaiah 53:7,8 (see Septuagint)
  3. Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

And there was great joy in that city.

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.