< Acts 8 >

1 And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
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.
2 God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
And faithful men laid Estephanos in his tomb, and mourned over him greatly.
3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
BUT Shaol persecuted the church of Aloha, going to the houses, and drawing men and women delivered them to the house of the bound.
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
And they who were dispersed went about and preached the word of Aloha.
5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.
But Philipos descended to a city of the Shomroyee, and preached concerning the Meshiha.
6 The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.
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.
7 With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
For many whom unclean spirits possessed cried with a high voice, and they came out from them; and others, palsied and lame, were healed:
8 So there was great joy in that city.
and great joy was in that city.
9 Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,
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.
10 and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”
And all inclined to him, great and small, and said, This is the great Power of Aloha.
11 They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.
And they were persuaded by him, because that much time by his sorceries he had astonished them.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
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.
13 Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.
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.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
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.
15 On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
And they went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Spirit of Holiness:
16 For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
for he was not upon one of them yet; but they were only baptized in the name of our Lord Jeshu.
17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Then they laid upon them the hand, and they received the Spirit of Holiness.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.
And when Simon saw that by the hand-laying of the apostles the Spirit of Holiness was given, he offered to them silver,
19 “Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
saying, Give also to me this power, that he on whom I shall lay the hand may receive the Spirit of Holiness.
20 But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
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 he obtained.
21 You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this faith, because thine heart hath not been right before Aloha.
22 Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.
Nevertheless, repent of this thy wickedness, and pray of Aloha, that the guile of thy heart may haply be forgiven thee;
23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”
for in bitter gall and in the bonds of iniquity I see that thou art.
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
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.
25 And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.
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.
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
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.
27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
And arising he went. And there met him a certain eunuch 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;
28 and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.
and while returning that he might go, he sat in the chariot and read in Eshaia the prophet.
29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”
And the Spirit of Holiness said to Philipos, Approach, and join the chariot.
30 So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
And being near, he heard that he read in Eshaia the prophet; and he said to him, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
And he said, How can I understand, unless one teach me? And he prayed of him, of Philipos, to ascend and sit with him.
32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
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.
33 In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”
From oppression and from judgment was he led; And his age who shall recount? For his life is taken from the earth.
34 “Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”
That eunuch said Unto Philipos, I pray thee, of whom speaketh this the prophet? of himself, or of another man?
35 Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Then Philipos opened his mouth and began, from that very scripture, preaching to him concerning our Lord Jeshu.
36 As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”
And as they went in the way they came to a certain place which had water in it, and that eunuch said, Behold the water; what is the hinderance that I should be baptized?
38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
And he commanded that the chariot should stand; and they descended both of them to the water, and Philipos baptized that eunuch.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord rapt away Philipos, and the eunuch again saw him not; but he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
But Philipos was found at Azotos, and from thence he itinerated and evangelized in all the cities until he came to Cesarea.

< Acts 8 >