First Nations Version
Page 42
7Out of nowhere a spirit-messenger from Creator appeared, and a light shone all around them. The spirit-messenger nudged Stands on the Rock (Peter) in his side to wake him up.
“Get up quickly!” the messenger instructed him, and right then the chains fell from his hands. 8“Tighten your sash and put on your moccasins,” he added. He did so, and the messenger said, “Now put on your outer garment and follow me.”
9Stands on the Rock (Peter) went out with the spirit-messenger, but he thought he was having a vision and did not know it was really happening. 10They had passed by the first guard, then the second, when they came to the iron gate that leads into the village. The gate opened by itself, they walked down a village path, and right then the messenger left him.
He rubbed his eyes and looked around and finally realized that he was not in a vision. This was really happening!
11After his thoughts cleared up, he said to himself, “Now I know for sure that Creator has sent his spirit- messenger to rescue me from the hand of Looks Brave (Herod) and from all that the Tribal Members thought would happen to me.”
AT THE HOUSE OF SOBER TEARS
12So Stands on the Rock (Peter) went to the home of Sober Tears (Mary), the mother of Walks in Kindness (John), who is also named War Club (Mark). Many of the sacred family had gathered there praying for him.
13He knocked at the gate outside the door, and a servant girl named Rose Bush (Rhoda) went to answer. 14When she recognized the voice of Stands on the Rock (Peter), she ran back inside without opening the gate and told everyone it was Stands on the Rock (Peter) who was at the gate.
15“You have lost your mind!” they said to her, but she assured them that it was he.
“It must be his spirit-messenger,” they kept saying to each other.
16Meanwhile Stands on the Rock (Peter) was still knocking at the gate. When they opened the door and saw him at the gate, they could not believe their eyes. 17Stands on the Rock (Peter) motioned to them with his hand to be silent. He then told them how Creator had rescued him from the prison.
“Tell He Leads the Way (James) and the others what has happened,” he said to them. He then left to go to another place.
18The next morning the soldiers who were guarding Stands on the Rock (Peter) were in a big uproar, for he was gone! 19Looks Brave (Herod) came and searched for him also. When he could not find him, he questioned the guards and then ordered them to be put to death. He then traveled down from the Land of Promise (Judea) to Chief Village (Caesarea) and stayed there.
EATEN BY WORMS
20Looks Brave (Herod) was angry with the people of Rock Land (Tyre) and Hunting Grounds (Sidon), so they sent some messengers to him to make peace, for their people depended on the food that came from the land Looks Brave (Herod) ruled over. The messengers won the favor of Budding Branch (Blastus), the most trusted servant of Looks Brave (Herod).
21After that Looks Brave (Herod) chose a day to make his decision about this matter. He put on his chiefly regalia and sat down on the Seat of Deciding to speak to the people using many words.
22The crowd began to shout, “This is not the voice of a man, but of a great spirit!”
23Because Looks Brave (Herod) did not give the honor over to the Great Spirit, a spirit-messenger from Creator struck him down. He was then eaten by worms and crossed over to death.
24Meanwhile, Creator’s message continued to grow strong among the people and to spread far and wide. 25Their task was now complete, so Son of Comfort (Barnabas) and Man Who Questions (Saul) returned from Village of Peace (Jerusalem) to Stands Against (Antioch), taking with them Walks in Kindness (John) who was also named War Club (Mark).
PROPHETS AND TEACHERS
1There were prophets and teachers among the sacred family that gathered in Stands Against (Antioch). There was Son of Comfort (Barnabas), Creator Hears (Simeon) who was also called Black Man (Niger), also Bright Light (Lucius) from Land of Power (Cyrene), Man of Comfort (Manaen) who was taken into the family of Chief Looks Brave (Herod),35 and Man Who Questions (Saul).
2They were performing their ceremonies to Creator and going without food when the Holy Spirit spoke to them, “Set apart Son of Comfort (Barnabas) and Man Who Questions (Saul), so they can do what I have chosen them to do.”
NEW MESSAGE BEARERS SENT OUT
3So after they continued to go without food and pray, they laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. 4Then Son of Comfort (Barnabas) and Man Who Questions (Saul) followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit and journeyed to Crashing Waves (Seleucia). From there they canoed to Island of Flowers (Cyprus).
5When they came to Village of Salt (Salamis), they went to the local tribal gathering house. There, with the help of Walks in Kindness (John), they began to share Creator’s message with them.
CONFLICT WITH A FALSE PROPHET
6They traveled the whole island as far as Foaming Water (Paphos). There they met a man named Son of He Sets Free (Bar-Jesus), a Tribal Member and false prophet who practiced bad medicine. 7He was with the local official of the People of Iron (Romans), whose name was Small One Who Serves (Sergius Paulus), a man of understanding, who had sent for Son of Comfort (Barnabas) and Man Who Questions (Saul) because he wanted to hear Creator’s message.
8But the bad medicine man, who was also called Wise One (Elymas) in the local language, opposed them and tried to turn the official from believing their message. 9Then Man Who Questions (Saul), with the power of the Holy Spirit, looked straight into his eyes.
10“You son of the evil trickster!” he spoke sharply to Wise One (Elymas). “You who speak with a forked tongue! You are the enemy of all that is good and right. When will you ever stop making Creator’s straight paths crooked? 11Keep your eyes open while you can. Creator’s hand is against you, and for a while your eyes will not see, even the light of the sun.”
As soon as Man Who Questions (Saul) finished speaking, a mist of darkness came upon the man, and he stumbled about looking for someone to take him by the hand. 12When the official saw what happened, he believed and was struck with wonder at the lesson Creator had given.
THEY CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY
13At Foaming Water (Paphos) Small Man (Paul)36 and the ones who were with him set out in their canoes and journeyed to Earth Village (Perga) in the territory of Many Tribes (Pamphylia). From there Walks in Kindness (John) left them and returned to Village of Peace (Jerusalem).
SMALL MAN TELLS THE GOOD STORY
14But Small Man (Paul) and the others continued on and went to another village, named Stands Against (Antioch) in the territory of Tree Sap (Pisidia). On the next Day of Resting they went into the local tribal gathering house and sat down. 15After the people read out loud from the Law and the Prophets, the headmen of the gathering house sent a message to them.
“Fellow Tribal Members,” the message said, “If there is anything you want to say to encourage the people, please speak up.”
16So Small Man (Paul) stood up, motioned with his hands, and said, “Men from the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) and all who have deep respect for the Great Spirit, listen to me now! 17The Great Spirit of our people chose to make our ancestors into a great nation when they were still slaves in Black Land (Egypt). He then lifted them up with his strong arm and led them out into the desert wilderness. 18There he put up with their ways for forty winters. 19He then defeated seven nations in the territory of Lowland (Canaan) and gave their land to the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) for the generations that would follow. 20All this took about four hundred and fifty winters in all.
“After that he gave them spiritual leaders37 until the days of the prophet Creator Hears Him (Samuel). 21When they asked for an earthly chief, Creator gave them Man Who Questions (Saul) the son of Sets His Trap (Kish) from the tribe of Son of My Right Hand (Benjamin), who was their chief for forty winters.
22“After removing him as chief, Creator chose Much Loved One (David) to be the chief of our ancestors. This is what he sai
d about him: ‘I have found one who makes my heart glad, who will do all that I ask of him. He is Much Loved One (David) son of Original Man (Jesse).’
23“Creator has kept his promise to the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) and has raised up a descendant of Much Loved One (David) to be the one to set his people free from their bad hearts and wrongdoings. This descendant is Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
24“Before Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came to us, the Great Spirit first sent He Shows Goodwill (John), who announced a purification ceremony38 to return our tribes to the right way of thinking and walking. 25When the work of He Shows Goodwill (John) was coming to an end, he said many times, ‘Do you think I am the Chosen One? I am not. I am not worthy to untie the moccasins of the one who is coming after I am done.’
26“My fellow members of the sacred family, descendants of Father of Many Nations (Abraham), and all who have deep respect for the Great Spirit, it is to all of us that this message has been given. This is a message that will set us free and make us whole.
27-28“It was the people who live in Village of Peace (Jerusalem), and their leaders, who had him put to death because they did not recognize him. Even though they failed to understand the words of the prophets, which are read out loud on every Day of Resting, they fulfilled these words when they had Spear of the Great Waters (Pilate) put him to death—even though he had done nothing wrong.
29“Then, when they did all that was foretold about him, they lowered him from the tree and laid him in a burial cave. 30But the Great Spirit brought him back to life, 31and for many days he was seen by the ones who had walked the road with him from Circle of Nations (Galilee) to Village of Peace (Jerusalem). They are now his truth tellers to the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).
THE PROMISE HAS COME TRUE
32“Today, we are here to tell you this good story that completes the promise that was made to our ancestors. 33The Giver of Life has made his promise come true for us, their descendants, by raising up Creator Sets Free (Jesus), just as it says in the second Sacred Song (psalm), ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’39
34“To show that he would raise up Creator Sets Free (Jesus) from the dead, to never die again, he said, ‘I will gift you with the sacred promises spoken to Much Loved One (David).’40
35“And, here is another verse from the book of Sacred Songs (Psalms), where it says, ‘You will not let the body of your Holy One return to the ground.’41
36“It is clear that Much Loved One (David), after he served Creator’s purpose for the people of his own day, crossed over into the death-sleep, was buried with his ancestors, and his body returned to the ground. 37But the body of the one that Creator raised up did not return to the ground.
FINAL WORDS
38-39“My fellow Tribal Members, I want you to know that it is through Creator Sets Free (Jesus) that we are released from our bad hearts and broken ways. Whoever trusts in him is set free and put into good standing with Creator. This is something the law given by Drawn from the Water (Moses) could never do.
40“So then,” Small Man (Paul) said as he finished his talk, “make sure that another thing the prophets foretold does not happen to you, for they said, 41‘Watch out, you who laugh and scorn! You will die in your amazement, for I am doing something you will not believe even when you are told that it has happened!’42”
THE PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR MORE
42As they were leaving, the people begged them to stay and talk with them again on the next Day of Resting. 43After the meeting at the gathering house ended, many of the Tribal Members and others who had been ceremonially taken into the tribe followed after Small Man (Paul) and Son of Comfort (Barnabas), who urged them to keep walking in Creator’s gift of great kindness.
A LIGHT TO THE OUTSIDE NATIONS
44Seven days later, on the following Day of Resting, almost the whole village gathered together to hear Creator’s word. 45But the local Tribal Members became jealous when they saw how large the crowd was. They spoke lies against Small Man (Paul) and argued against everything he said. But both Small Man (Paul) and Son of Comfort (Barnabas) stood up to them.
46“It was of great importance,” they said with strong hearts, “that we would bring Creator’s message first to you who are our Tribal Members. But now that you have shown no respect for this message and decided that you are not worthy of the life of the world to come, we will turn to the people from the Outside Nations.
47“For this is what the Great Spirit instructed us to do when he said, ‘I have chosen you to be a light to all nations, so that all who live upon the earth may know Creator’s power to rescue and make them whole.’”43
48When the ones who were from other nations heard this, it made their hearts glad, and they honored Creator’s message. And all who had been chosen from long ago for the life of the world to come that never fades away, put their trust in the message.
49So Creator’s message spread throughout the whole territory. 50But the Tribal Members stirred up the spiritual leaders, both the women and men, against Small Man (Paul) and Son of Comfort (Barnabas) and forced them out of that area. 51So they shook the dust from their moccasins, as a sign against them, and went from there to Spirit Village (Iconium).
52The followers of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
CONFLICT IN SPIRIT VILLAGE
1The same thing happened at Spirit Village (Iconium). Small Man (Paul) and Son of Comfort (Barnabas) went to the local tribal gathering house and spoke with such powerful words that many Tribal Members and Wisdom Seekers (Greeks) put their trust in Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
2But the Tribal Members who did not believe poisoned the minds of the people from Outside Nations and turned them against their new family members. 3So the message bearers, Small Man (Paul) and Son of Comfort (Barnabas), remained there a long time and spoke with boldness about our Honored Chief. Through their hands Creator did many wonderful and powerful signs, confirming the message of the gift of his great kindness.
4But the people of Spirit Village (Iconium) were split apart. Some stood with the Tribal Members and some with the message bearers. 5-6But when the message bearers heard that some of the Tribal Members and Outsiders, along with their rulers, were planning to harm them and even stone them to death, they fled for safety. They went to the villages of She Wolf (Lycaonia), Set Free (Lystra), Hide Tanner (Derbe), and their surrounding territories. 7And everywhere they went they told the good story.
A POWERFUL HEALING
8Now in the village of Set Free (Lystra) sat a man who was born with bad feet and unable to walk. 9He sat listening as Small Man (Paul) was speaking. Small Man (Paul) looked closely at the man and saw that he had faith to be healed.
10“Stand up on your feet!” he said with a loud voice.
The man jumped to his feet and began walking.
11When the crowd of people saw what Small Man (Paul) had done, they all began to shout in their local language, “Powerful spirits44 have come down to us in the form of human beings!”
12Son of Comfort (Barnabas) they called Skyfather (Zeus), and Small Man (Paul) they called High Messenger (Hermes) because he was the chief speaker. 13The sacred lodge of Skyfather (Zeus) was at the village gate, and the holy man of the lodge, along with the people, brought out cattle wearing ceremonial wreaths to make an offering to Small Man (Paul) and Son of Comfort (Barnabas).
14When the two message bearers heard what was happening, in humble desperation they tore their clothes and rushed out to the center of the crowd.
15“Friends!” they shouted. “Why are you doing this? We are only weak two-leggeds like yourselves. We came to tell you the good story so you would turn away from these empty ways and turn to the Great Spirit, who is the maker of the sky, the earth, the great waters, and everything in them. 16In past generations he permitted all nations to walk in their own ways, 17yet in his goodness he gave each of us signs of his existence. He gave us rain from the s
ky above and seasons of harvest to feed us and make our hearts glad.”
18Even these words barely kept the people from sacrificing an offering to them. 19But some Tribal Members from Stands Against (Antioch) and Spirit Village (Iconium) came and caused people to listen to their lies and turned them against Small Man (Paul). They threw stones at him and dragged him outside the village, thinking he was dead. 20But when some followers gathered around him, he got up and returned to the village. The next day he and Son of Comfort (Barnabas) left to go to the village of Hide Tanner (Derbe).
THEY FINISH THEIR JOURNEY
21After telling the good story in that village and making many new followers, they made their way back through the village of Set Free (Lystra), then on to Spirit Village (Iconium), and back to Stands Against (Antioch), where they began their journeys.
22On the way they strengthened the hearts of the new followers, telling them to stand tall as they walked this path of trusting.
“Following Creator’s good road to the end,” they counseled them, “is a difficult path with many hardships.”
23They chose elders to watch over every sacred family gathering. After praying and going without food, they dedicated them to our Honored Chief in whom they had put their trust.
24On their journey they walked back through the territory of Tree Sap (Pisidia) and Many Tribes (Pamphylia). 25There in Earth Village (Perga) they told the good story to the people before traveling on to the village of Grows More (Attalia). 26From there they traveled by water to Stands Against (Antioch), where, by Creator’s great kindness, they had been sent out on this journey that was now complete.