The chat will start when you send the first message.
1Man Who Questions (Saul) stood in agreement with the death of Many Feathers (Stephen) , and on that same day a great persecution of the sacred family in Village of Peace (Jerusalem) began. All except for the message bearers were scattered about in the territories of the Land of Promise (Judea) and High Place (Samaria) .
2With loud cries and many tears, some good-hearted men buried Many Feathers (Stephen) .
3But Man Who Questions (Saul) was bringing great harm to the sacred family. Going from house to house, he dragged both men and women away to put them in prison.
4Everywhere the ones who had been scattered went, they told others the story about Creator Sets Free (Jesus) .
5Lover of Horses (Philip) went to a village in High Place (Samaria) and began to tell them about the Chosen One.
6When the people heard him and saw the powerful signs that he did, they all agreed to listen to what Lover of Horses (Philip) had to say.
7The evil spirits shrieked out loud as he forced them out, and many who could not walk or move about were healed.
8This filled the hearts of the people of that village with great joy!
9In that same village there was a man named Man Who Hears (Simon) , who had practiced bad medicine and had made himself out to be someone great.[#8:9 Lit. magic or sorcery]
10He had a reputation among the people, both small and great, that he was the power of the Great Spirit.
11His reputation came from the bad medicine he amazed them with.
12But when Lover of Horses (Philip) told them about Creator’s good road and the name and reputation of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, both men and women put their trust in him and participated in the purification ceremony.[#8:12, 16 Baptism]
13Even Man Who Hears (Simon) believed and participated in the ceremony. After the ceremony he stayed close to Lover of Horses (Philip) , for he was amazed at the powerful signs and miracles he saw.
14The message bearers in Village of Peace (Jerusalem) heard that the people in High Place (Samaria) had welcomed Creator’s message. So they sent Stands on the Rock (Peter) and He Shows Goodwill (John) to them.
15The two went there and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit,
16for they had only participated in the purification ceremony in the name our Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) , and the Spirit had not yet come down on them.
17When Stands on the Rock (Peter) and He Shows Goodwill (John) placed their hands on them and prayed , they received the Holy Spirit.
18But Man Who Hears (Simon) , when he saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the hands of the message bearers, offered them money to get this power.
19“Give me also this power,” he said to them, “so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20“Both you and your money are on a path to a bad end,” Stands on the Rock (Peter) warned him, “because you thought Creator’s gift could be bought with money!
21This message has found no home in you, for your heart is not straight before the Great Spirit.
22Turn away from these evil thoughts and pray that, if possible, Creator will forgive you for this wrong way of thinking.
23For I see that a bitter root has poisoned you and an evil power has captured your thinking.”
24“Pray to Creator for me!” Man Who Hears (Simon) said with a trembling voice , “so that nothing you have said will happen to me.”
25So Stands on the Rock (Peter) and He Shows Goodwill (John) continued to speak Creator’s words of truth and then returned to Village of Peace (Jerusalem) . On the way they told the good story about Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to many more people in the villages of High Place (Samaria) .
26A spirit-messenger from Creator came and spoke to Lover of Horses (Philip) .
“Rise up,” the spirit-messenger told him, “and go south on the road that will take you from Village of Peace (Jerusalem) to Strong Place (Gaza) .”
This road goes through the desert wilderness.
27-28So Lover of Horses (Philip) followed the guidance of the spirit-messenger. He got up and began to go toward the south.
While on the road, he came across a man from Eyes of Fire (Ethiopia) . He had great authority because he was a trusted official of the female chief of Eyes of Fire (Ethiopia) and managed all her wealth and possessions. This man had traveled to Village of Peace (Jerusalem) to participate in the lodge ceremonies and was returning home.
As this man was traveling, he was sitting in a fancy horse-drawn covered wagon and reading from the Sacred Teachings of the prophet Creator Will Help Us (Isaiah) .
29The Spirit of Creator said to Lover of Horses (Philip) , “Go and walk next to this covered wagon.”
30So Lover of Horses (Philip) ran to where the man was and overheard him reading from the prophecies of Creator Will Help Us (Isaiah) .
“Do you understand what you are reading?” Lover of Horses (Philip) asked him.
31“How can I,” the man answered, “unless someone guides me?”
So he welcomed Lover of Horses (Philip) to sit with him.
32The man was reading these words from the Sacred Teachings: “Like a sheep led to the slaughter or like a lamb being sheared, he was silent and did not open his mouth.
33He was shamed and denied a fair trial. No one even imagined he had a future, for he was cut down in the prime of his life.”[#8:33 Isaiah 53:7-8]
34“I ask you,” the man said to Lover of Horses (Philip) , “is the prophet speaking about himself or someone else?”
35Then Lover of Horses (Philip) took a deep breath , opened his mouth, and began from that prophecy to tell him the good story about Creator Sets Free (Jesus) .[#8:35 Lit. Scripture]
36As they traveled the road, they came to a watering hole.
“Look!” the man said, “There is much water here. Why should I not participate in the purification ceremony?”
37“If from your heart you truly believe,” Lover of Horses (Philip) answered, “you may.”
“I believe that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) is the Son of the Great Spirit,” the man replied.
38He instructed them to stop the carriage, and they both waded out into the water, and Lover of Horses (Philip) performed the purification ceremony for him.
39When they came up from the water, Creator’s Spirit snatched Lover of Horses (Philip) away from the man’s sight. So he continued on his journey with a glad heart.
40He found himself in Strong Fort (Azotus) , and as he walked throughout the territory, he told everyone the good story until he arrived at Chief Village (Caesarea) .