Acts 8
1 And Saul was consenting to his murder. Now in those days, there occurred a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem. And they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.
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 But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.
And devout men arranged to bury Stephen, and they made great lamentation over him.
3 Then Saul was laying waste to the Church by entering throughout the houses, and dragging away men and women, and committing them to prison.
But Saul was ravaging the church, entering from house to house. Dragging both men and women, he gave them over to prison.
4 Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.
Indeed therefore those who were scattered abroad passed through proclaiming the good news, the word.
5 Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.
And Philip, who went down to a city of Samaria, proclaimed the Christ to them.
6 And the crowd was listening intently and with one accord to those things which were being said by Philip, and they were watching the signs which he was accomplishing.
And the multitudes unanimously heeded the things that were spoken by Philip during their listening and seeing the signs that he did.
7 For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.
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 many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.
And there became great joy in that city.
9 Therefore, there was great gladness in that city. Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, claiming himself to be someone great.
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 And to all those who would listen, from the least even to the greatest, he was saying: “Here is the power of God, which is called great.”
to whom they gave heed, from small to great, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.
And they heeded him, because he fascinated them for a considerable time with the sorceries.
12 Yet truly, once they had believed Philip, who was evangelizing the kingdom of God, both men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
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 Then Simon himself also believed and, when he had been baptized, he adhered to Philip. And now, seeing also the greatest signs and miracles being wrought, he was amazed and stupefied.
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 who were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria has received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
15 And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
who, when they came down, prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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 their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 But when Simon had seen that, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
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 this power to me also, so that on whomever I will lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him:
saying, Give me also this power, so that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
20 “Let your money be with you in perdition, for you have supposed that a gift of God might be possessed by money.
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 or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God.
There is no part nor lot for thee in this matter, for thy heart is not straight in the sight of God.
22 And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you.
Repent therefore from this thine evil, and beg God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart will be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
For I perceive that thou are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of unrighteousness.
24 Then Simon responded by saying, “Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
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 And indeed, after testifying and speaking the Word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and they evangelized the many regions of the Samaritans.
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 Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Rise up and go toward the south, to the way which descends from Jerusalem into Gaza, where there is a desert.”
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 rising up, he went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, powerful under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, had arrived in Jerusalem to worship.
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 while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.
And he was returning, and sitting in his chariot, and reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”
And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and be joined to this chariot.
30 And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”
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, “But how can I, unless someone will have revealed it to me?” And he asked Philip to climb up and sit with him.
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 place in Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter. And like a lamb silent before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth.
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 He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”
In his lowly condition his justice was taken away. And who will describe his generation, because his life was taken from the earth?
34 Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?”
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 Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
And Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this scripture, he preached the good news to him-the man Jesus.
36 And while they were going along the way, they arrived at a certain water source. And the eunuch said: “There is water. What would prevent me from being baptized?”
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 Then Philip said, “If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted.” And he responded by saying, “I believe the Son of God to be Jesus the Christ.”
[This verse in not in the majority of the Greek manuscripts.]
38 And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.
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 had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore. Then he went on his way, rejoicing.
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 Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.
But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through all the cities he preached the good news until he came to Caesarea.
