< Acts 8 >
1 And Saul was approving the killing of him. And on that day there developed a great persecution against the church at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men arranged to bury Stephen, and they made great lamentation over him.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church, entering from house to house. Dragging both men and women, he gave them over to prison.
4 Indeed therefore those who were scattered abroad passed through proclaiming the good news, the word.
5 And Philip, who went down to a city of Samaria, proclaimed the Christ to them.
6 And the multitudes unanimously heeded the things that were spoken by Philip during their listening and seeing the signs that he did.
7 For of many of those who had unclean spirits, they came out, crying in a great voice. And many who were paralyzed, and who were lame, were healed.
8 And there became great joy in that city.
9 But a certain man in the city, Simon by name, was formerly practicing sorcery, and fascinating the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be some great man,
10 to whom they gave heed, from small to great, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And they heeded him, because he fascinated them for a considerable time with the sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching good news, the things about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed, both men and women.
13 And Simon himself also believed. And after being immersed, he was continuing with Philip. And seeing miracles and signs occurring, he was astonished.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria has received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
15 who, when they came down, prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for it was not yet fallen upon any of them. They were only immersed in the name of the Christ Jesus.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he brought money to them,
19 saying, Give me also this power, so that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
20 But Peter said to him, Thy silver with thee, may it be for destruction, because thou thought to obtain the gift of God by money.
21 There is no part nor lot for thee in this matter, for thy heart is not straight in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore from this thine evil, and beg God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart will be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of unrighteousness.
24 And having answered, Simon said, Beg ye to the Lord for me, so that none of which things ye have spoken may come upon me.
25 Indeed therefore, having solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and preached the good news in many villages of the Samaritans.
26 And an agent of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desolate region.
27 And after rising, he went. And behold a man, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a high official of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28 And he was returning, and sitting in his chariot, and reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and be joined to this chariot.
30 And after running near, Philip heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. And he said, Do thou also really understand the things that thou read?
31 And he said, For how can I unless some man may guide me? And he encouraged Philip, after coming up, to sit with him.
32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb, mute before shearing him, thus he opened not his mouth.
33 In his lowly condition his justice was taken away. And who will describe his generation, because his life was taken from the earth?
34 And having answered, the eunuch said to Philip, I ask thee, about whom does the prophet say this, about himself, or about some other man?
35 And Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this scripture, he preached the good news to him-the man Jesus.
36 And as they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch says, Look, water! What prevents me to be immersed?
37 [This verse in not in the majority of the Greek manuscripts.]
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed him.
39 And when they came up out of the water, Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through all the cities he preached the good news until he came to Caesarea.
