First Nations Version
Page 47
21“This was the reason that these Tribal Members took hold of me at the sacred lodge and tried to kill me. 22Up to this day, with the help of the Great Spirit, I have told the truth to both small and great. I have said only what was foretold by the ancient prophets and by Drawn from the Water (Moses). 23I said that the Chosen One must suffer, and then, being the first to rise from the dead, he would be the light bearer, shining both on our people and on the Outside Nations.”
24Right then, as Small Man (Paul) was still speaking, Festival (Festus) interrupted. “Small Man (Paul),” he shouted, “you are sick in the head! Your much learning is twisting your mind!”
25“O most noble Festival (Festus),” Small Man (Paul) replied, “what I am saying is clear and understandable. 26Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa) understands these things, so I am speaking boldly to him and holding nothing back. I am convinced that he is aware of all that I speak of, for none of these things happened in a cave.”
Small Man (Paul) then turned and faced Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa).
27“Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa),” he boldly asked, “do you believe in what the prophets have spoken? I know that you do!”
28“Do you think that in such a short time I could be talked into becoming a follower of the Chosen One?” he replied.
29“I pray to the Great Spirit that, whether in a short time or long, all who hear me today would become as I am—except for these chains.”
30After hearing these words Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa) stood to his feet. The governor and Bringer of Victory (Bernice) and all the others stood up with him.
31They left the room, and after talking together they said, “This man has done nothing that deserves prison or death.”
32Then Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa) said to the governor, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar).”
VOYAGE OF TROUBLE
1They decided to send Small Man (Paul) by a great canoe to Land of Young Bulls (Italy).
Village of Iron (Rome) was the head village of the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar) in the territory of Land of Young Bulls (Italy).
So Small Man (Paul), along with some other prisoners, was turned over to a head soldier of the Royal Guard, named Soft Haired Man (Julius). 2At Harbor of Death (Adramyttium) we climbed aboard a canoe that was going our way, making stops at harbors along the shoreline of Land of the Rising Sun (Asia). So we launched out into the great waters. A man named Good Chief (Aristarchus) from False Victory (Thessalonica), in the territory of the Land of Tall People (Macedonia), also journeyed with us.
3On the following day we came ashore at Hunting Grounds (Sidon). There Soft Haired Man (Julius) was kind to Small Man (Paul) and permitted him to go to his friends so they could care for him.
4From there we launched out again into the great waters but remained close to the shoreline of the Island of Flowers (Cyprus), for the winds were strong against us. 5From there we crossed the open waters near Turns Over (Cilicia) and Many Tribes (Pamphylia), and then came to land at Weeping Waters (Myra) in the territory of Land of Wolves (Lycia).
6At Weeping Waters (Myra) the head soldier found a great wooden sea canoe on its way from Man Fighter (Alexandria) to Land of Young Bulls (Italy) that would give us passage, so we climbed aboard. 7For a number of days we traveled along slowly until with difficulty we came near Old Village (Cnidus). The wind was against us and began to force us off course, so we remained close to the shoreline of Flesh Eater Island (Crete) near Village of Garments (Salmone). 8From there we struggled along the shoreline until we came to a place called Good Harbor, near Shaggy Village (Lasea).
9The journey was no longer safe. Too much time had passed, for the Festival of Release from Wrongdoings66 had already passed. So Small Man (Paul) gave them his advice.
10“Fellow travelers,” he said to them, “I can see that this journey ahead of us will end in injury and loss, not only of the canoe and its goods, but also of our lives.”
11But the head soldier was more convinced by the headman of the canoe than by the words of Small Man (Paul). 12And because the harbor was not a good place to stay the winter, a greater number of people decided it was best to launch out into the great waters and try to reach Palm Tree (Phoenix). This was a harbor on the shore of Flesh Eater Island (Crete), facing both to the southwest and to the northwest.
13But then, when a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they could reach their journey’s end. So they prepared their canoe and launched out into the great waters again. They stayed close to the shoreline of Flesh Eater Island (Crete) for safety, 14but it was not long before a violent wind roared down from the island—a wind they call the Northeaster.
15The canoe was caught in the wind, and when we could make no headway against it, we gave up trying and let it force us along. 16Then, when we came under some cliffs, we were finally able to get the canoe under control. 17We roped the life raft we were towing behind us to the side of the canoe, and then tied the ropes around the canoe to hold it together. Then, fearing we would be caught in the shallow sandbars, we lowered our anchor rock and let the canoe be dragged along by the fierce winds.
18But the next day, after being pounded by the storm, they began to throw the goods overboard. 19Then, on the third day, with their bare hands they threw the benches and whatever else they could find into the water. 20For many days the storm continued to rage, the sun did not shine, nor could the stars be seen at night. All hope of being rescued was gone.
VISITED BY A SPIRIT-MESSENGER
21After they had gone for many days without food, Small Man (Paul) stood up among them.
“Fellow travelers,” he said to them, “if you would have listened to me and not set out from Flesh Eater Island (Crete), you would not have suffered this injury and loss. 22But I say to you now, do not lose your courage. For even though our canoe will be lost, not one of us will lose our lives. 23Last night a spirit-messenger from the Great Spirit, the one I belong to and serve, stood by my side.
24“‘Do not fear,’ he said to me, ‘for you must stand before the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar). Behold! The Giver of Life has gifted you with the lives of all who journey with you!’”
The men just stared at Small Man (Paul) with wondering eyes and said nothing. So he once again spoke courage into their hearts.
25“Be strong of heart,” Small Man (Paul) said to them, “for I have faith that the Great Spirit will do everything he told me. 26But we will have to find an island to land on.”
THEY COME NEAR LAND
27It had now been fourteen nights that we had been driven about by the wind and waves of the Sea with No Wood (Adriatic Sea). In the middle of the night, the men who guided the canoe could feel that we were near land. 28They began to test the depth of the water and found it was as deep as a tall tree.67 Then a short distance later they tested it again and found that it was not as deep.68
29Since they knew the shoreline was rocky, they were afraid we might run into a large rock under the water, so they dropped four anchor rocks from the back of the canoe and prayed for the sun to rise.
SOME OF THE MEN TRY TO ESCAPE
30But then, some of the men, trying to escape, untied the life raft and lowered it into the water, pretending they were putting out more anchor rocks.
Small Man (Paul) saw what they were doing and went to the head soldier.
31“If these men leave the canoe,” he said to him and the other soldiers, “you will not be saved and all will be lost.”
32So the soldiers cut the leather straps from the life raft and let it drift away.
HE ENCOURAGES THE MEN
33Just before the sun began to rise, Small Man (Paul) urged everyone to eat something.
“For fourteen days now you have been constantly worrying and have not eaten any food,” he said to them. 34“Please eat something now. You will need it to survive. Do not fear! No one will die or be harmed. Not even one hair from your heads will be lost.”
35After he said this, he took a piece of frybread and, giving thanks to the Great Spirit in front of them all, he broke it and began to eat. 36This gave the men courage, so they also began to eat.
37All in all there were two hundred seventy-six persons in this great wooden canoe. 38When they finished eating, they tossed the rest of the grain over the side to lighten the canoe.
SUNRISE AND A ROUGH LANDING
39When daylight came, they did not recognize the shoreline, but they could see a bay with a beach. They decided to try to run the canoe up into the sandy beach, if possible. 40So they cut the ropes to the anchor rocks and left them in the water. At the same time they untied the ropes holding the rudders in place. Then they set the men to the paddles, and they paddled with all their might69 heading toward the beach.
41But on the way the canoe struck a sandbar and stayed there, stuck in the sand. The front of the canoe began to break from the force of the waves. 42The soldiers made a plan to kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming away. 43But the head soldier, wanting to spare the life of Small Man (Paul), stopped them. He ordered the ones who could swim to jump overboard and swim to land. 44The rest he sent floating on wooden poles and pieces of the canoe. In this way all who were aboard made it safely to the land.
A WARM WELCOME
1After everyone was safe on the shore, we found out that this land was called Island of Honey (Malta). 2The indigenous people there showed great kindness to us. It was raining and cold, so they built us a warm fire and welcomed us all.
SNAKE BITE
3Small Man (Paul) gathered a bundle of sticks and threw them on the fire, but the heat forced out a poisonous snake that bit into his hand and would not let go.
4When the local natives saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said, “This man must be a murderer. Even though he escaped from the great waters, the spirit who rights wrongs will not let him live.”
5Then Small Man (Paul) shook the snake from his hand into the fire, and nothing bad happened to him. 6The local people were sure that he would swell up or fall down dead. They waited a long time, but when they saw that nothing bad had come to him, they changed their minds and said he must be a powerful spirit.
SMALL MAN HEALS THE SICK
7There was a piece of land belonging to From the People (Publius), the chief of the island. He welcomed us into his home for three days and took care of all our needs. 8At that time the father of From the People (Publius) was sick in bed with a high fever and a bloody stool. Small Man (Paul) went to see him and, after praying, laid his hands on the man and healed him.
9After that, the rest of the island natives who were sick came to Small Man (Paul), and they were also healed. 10The people honored us with many gifts, and when we were leaving, they loaded our canoe with all that we needed.
ARRIVAL AT VILLAGE OF IRON
11Three months later we again launched out into the great waters in another very large wooden canoe. This canoe was made by the people from Man Fighter (Alexandria). The front of the canoe was carved into the images of two powerful lookalike spirits, Bright Star (Castor) and Much Sweet (Pollux).
12We came to land at Smelly Swamp (Syracuse) and lodged there for three days. 13From there we launched out and came to Royal Place (Rhegium). The next day, with the help of a south wind, we arrived at Deep Water Hole (Puteoli). 14It was there that we found some sacred family members, who welcomed us to stay with them for seven days.
After that we left again toward Village of Iron (Rome). 15The sacred family members who lived there, when they heard we were coming, came to greet us from as far away as the Great Trading Post (Appius Market) and the Three Lodging Houses along the Great Trail (Appian Way). When Small Man (Paul) saw them, he gave thanks to the Great Spirit, and his heart was strengthened. 16Then, upon our arrival to Village of Iron (Rome), Small Man (Paul) was permitted to live by himself with a soldier to guard him.
HE MEETS THE LOCAL COUNCIL
17Three days later Small Man (Paul) asked to meet with the local tribal leaders. When they had gathered together, he told them the story of what had happened to him.
He stood there in chains under the guard of a soldier of the People of Iron (Romans). Yet he spoke with dignity as he faced the leaders of his own people.
“Fellow Tribal Members,” he said to them, “I have done nothing against our people or the traditions of our ancestors, but even so I was arrested in Village of Peace (Jerusalem) and handed over to the People of Iron (Romans). 18They questioned me and were about to release me, since I had done nothing deserving death. 19But when our tribal leaders refused to agree, I had no choice but to appeal to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar), not that I have any accusation to bring against my own people.
20“It is for this very reason that I have asked to see and speak with you, for I wear these chains because I have the same hope held by all the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).”
Small Man (Paul) then stopped speaking, looked calmly into their faces, and waited for them to reply.
21“No one from the Land of Promise (Judea) has come with a bad report,” they said to him, “nor have we received any written message about you from them. 22But we want to hear how you see this new Way that some are following. We know that people everywhere speak against this Way.”
SENT TO THE OUTSIDE NATIONS
23They made plans to meet again with Small Man (Paul) on another day. When that day came, they arrived in large numbers at the place where he was lodging. From sunrise to sunset, using the law of Drawn from the Water (Moses) and the teachings of the prophets, he spoke many words to clearly show them the truth about Creator’s good road and about Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
24Some were convinced by his words, but others refused to believe. 25So they disagreed with each other and began to leave after Small Man (Paul) said these last words to them, “The Holy Spirit was right when he spoke these words through the prophet Creator Will Help Us (Isaiah):
26“‘Go and tell this people, “You will hear but not understand, you will see but not know what you are seeing, 27because the heart of this people has become like stone. Their ears have grown dull and they have closed their eyes. If only they would open their ears and eyes, then their hearts would understand, and they would return to me and be healed.70”’”
FINAL WORDS
A look of sorrow came over the face of Small Man (Paul) as he watched his own people turn and walk away.
28“So let it be known to you,” he said to them, “that this message about the Great Spirit’s plan to rescue and make whole has been sent to the Outside Nations. And they will listen!”
29Hearing this, the Tribal Members argued fiercely with one another as they walked away.71
30Small Man (Paul) continued to live in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to him. 31With great boldness he spoke openly about Creator’s good road and kept teaching others about our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One.
Aho! May it be so!
SMALL MAN TO THE SACRED FAMILY IN VILLAGE OF IRON
ROMANS
GREETINGS AND BLESSINGS
1From Small Man (Paul), a servant of the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
The Great Spirit has called me to be a message bearer, one who has been set apart to tell his good story. 2The Sacred Teachings tell us about this good story that was promised by the prophets from long ago, who spoke from the Great Spirit.
3This is the good story about Creator’s own Son. In his human body he was descended from Chief Much Loved One (David), 4and in a powerful way he was shown to be the Son of the Great Spirit when his human body was raised from the dead by the Spirit of all that is sacred.
5It is because of the gift of his great kindness that we have been chosen to be his message bearers. We are telling his good story to all Nations so they can put their trust in Creator, follow him in all his ways, and bring honor to his name. 6This sacred task is also yours, because you
have been called to belong to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One.
7I write this message to the ones who live in Village of Iron (Rome). You are all deeply loved by the Great Spirit and are called to be his holy ones. I send to you great kindness and peace from our Father the Creator and from our Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One.
8First of all, I thank the Great Spirit, along with Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, for all of you, because all over the world people are hearing about your trust in his good story.
PRAYERS AND DESIRES
9-10The Great Spirit, whom I serve from my spirit by telling others the good story about his Son, knows how much I pray for you. I never stop bringing your name before Creator when I send my voice to him, asking whether this is the time that he will finally open the way for me to come and be with you.
11I am longing to see you face to face, so I can pass on to you some spiritual gift that will give you strength, 12so that we can strengthen our trust in him and together become firmly rooted in the good story.
13I want you to know, my sacred family members, how often I have tried to come to you, but many things have held me back. I have desired to share in some of the spiritual fruit Creator has grown from you, in the same way I have from others who are of the Outside Nations.