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and his groaning I have heard, and I have descended that I may deliver them. And now come, I will send thee

into Mitsreen.

This Musha whom they denied, when they said, Who appointed thee over us a prince and a judge? this, sent Aloha unto them a prince and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him at the bush. This brought them out, when he had wrought signs and wonders and mighty deeds in the land of Mitsreen, and at the Sea of Suph, and in the desert forty years.

XVIII.

THIS is that Musha, who said to the sons of Israel, A Prophet will Aloha the Lord raise up unto you from your brethren, like me; him shall you hear. This is he who was with the congregation in the desert, with the angel himself who spake with him and with our fathers at the mountain of Sinai; and he it was who received the words of life to give (them) to us. And our fathers willed not to give heed to him, but left him, and in their hearts turned back to Mitsreen, saying to Aharun, Make us alohee that may go before us, because this Musha, who brought us forth from the land of Mitsreen, we know not what is become of him. And he made them the calf in those days, and they sacrificed sacrifices to idols, and were delighted with the work of their hands. And Aloha turned, and delivered them up to be worshippers of the hosts of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, Forty years in the desert

Victims or sacrifices did you offer to me,
Sons of Israel?

But you took up the tabernacle of Malkum,
And the star of the god of Raphan,

Images you have made to worship them;
I will remove you beyond Babel.

XIX.

BEHOLD, the tabernacle of testimony of our fathers was in the desert, as He who spake with Musha had commanded to make it after the pattern which he had seen. And this tabernacle also our fathers bringing brought in with Jeshu to the land which Aloha had given to them, an inheritance from those peoples whom he had expelled from before them, and it was carried until the days of David; who found favour before Aloha, and asked to find a tabernacle for the God of Jakub. But Shelemun builded the house. But the Most High dwelleth not in the work of hands, as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne,

And earth the footstool beneath my feet:

What house will you build me? saith the Lord :
Or what is the place of my rest?

Hath not my hand made all these?

O, hardened of neck and uncircumcised in your hearts and in your hearing, you at all times against the Spirit of Holiness stand up; as your fathers, so you also. For which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted and slain? they who before announced the coming of the Righteous; him whom you delivered up and slew. And you have received the law by the precept of angels, and have not kept it.

XX.

AND when they heard these they were filled with wrath in themselves, and they gnashed their teeth upon him. And he, being full of faith and of the Spirit of Holiness, looked up to heaven, and saw the glory of Aloha, and Jeshu standing at the right hand of Aloha. And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of Aloha. And they

cried with a high voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him, all of them, and seizing they brought him out of the city and stoned him. And they who witnessed against him laid their garments before the feet of a certain young man named Shaol. And they stoned Estephanos, (he) praying and saying, Our Lord Jeshu, receive my spirit. And kneeling down, he cried with a high voice, and said, Our Lord, let not this sin arise against them. And when this he had said, he slept. But Shaol willed to take part in his killing. And there was made in those days a great persecution against the church that was in Urishlem; and they were all dispersed in the country of Jihud and also among the Shomroyee, excepting only the apostles. And faithful men laid Estephanos in his tomb, and mourned over him greatly.

XXI.

BUT Shaol persecuted the church of Aloha, going to the houses, and drawing men and women delivered them to the house of the bound. And they who were dispersed went about and preached the word of Aloha. But Philipos descended to a city of the Shomroyee, and preached concerning the Meshiha. And when they

heard his word, the men who were there attended to him, and were persuaded of all that he said: for they saw the signs that he wrought. For many whom unclean spirits possessed cried with a high voice, and they came out from them; and others, palsied and lame, were healed: and great joy was in that city.

But a certain man was there whose name was Simon, who had dwelt in that city much time, and with his sorceries had deceived the people of the Shomroyee, magnifying himself, and saying, I am the Great.5 And

5 Ano 'no Rabo.

all inclined to him, great and small, and said, This is the great Power of Aloha. And they were persuaded by him, because that much time by his sorceries he had astonished them. But when they believed Philipos, who evangelized the kingdom of Aloha in the name of our Lord Jeshu Meshiha, they were baptized, men and women. And Simon also himself believed, and was baptized, and adhered to Philipos. And when he saw the signs and great works which were done by his hands, he wondered and was astonished.

XXII.

AND when the apostles who were at Urishlem heard that the people of the Shomroyee had received the word of Aloha, they sent to them Kipha and Juhanon. And they went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Spirit of Holiness: for he was not upon one of them yet; but they were only baptized in the name of our Lord Jeshu. Then they laid upon them the hand, and they received the Spirit of Holiness.

And when Simon saw that by the hand-laying of the apostles the Spirit of Holiness was given, he offered to them silver, saying, Give also to me this power, that he on whom I shall lay the hand may receive the Spirit of Holiness. Shemun Kipha said to him, Thy silver go with thee into perdition, because thou thoughtest that the gift of Aloha with the possessions of the world might be obtained. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this faith, because thine heart hath not been right before Aloha. Nevertheless, repent of this thy wickedness, and pray of Aloha, that the guile of thy heart may haply be forgiven thee; for in bitter gall and in the bonds of iniquity I see that thou art. Simon answered and said, Pray you on my behalf, of Aloha, that not any of these things which you have spoken may come upon me.

But Shemun and Juhanon, when they had testified and taught the word of Aloha, returned to Urishlem, and evangelized in many villages of the Shomroyee.

XXIII.

AND the angel of the Lord spake with Philipos, and said to him, Arise, go to the south, in the desert way which goeth down from Urishlem to Gaza. And arising he went. And there met him a certain eunuch 6 who had come from Cush, an officer of Kandak, queen of the Cushoyee; and he was officer over all her treasure. And he had been to worship at Urishlem; and while returning that he might go, he sat in the chariot and read in Eshaia the prophet.

And the Spirit of Holiness said to Philipos, Approach, and join the chariot. And being near, he heard that he read in Eshaia the prophet; and he said to him, Understandest thou what thou readest?

And he said, How can I understand, unless one teach me? And he prayed of him, of Philipos, to ascend and sit with him.

But the section (phosuka) of the scripture in which he was reading is this:

As a lamb to the slaughter was he led ;

And as a sheep before the shearer is silent,
So opened not he his mouth in his humiliation.
From oppression and from judgment was he led;
And his age who shall recount?

For his life is taken from the earth.

That eunuch said unto Philipos, I pray thee, of whom speaketh this the prophet? of himself, or of another man?

Then Philipos opened his mouth and began, from that very scripture, preaching to him concerning our Lord Jeshu.

6 Mahaimna, 66 a faithful or confidential one."

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