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.
Saul approved of his being put to death. On that very day a great persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and its members, with the exception of the apostles, were all scattered over the districts of Judea and Samaria.
2 But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.
Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for 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 began to devastate the church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
4 Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.
Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the good news.
5 Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
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.
The people, one and all, listened attentively to what Philip told them, when they heard of, and saw, the miracles which he was working.
7 For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.
For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them; and many who were paralyzed or lame were cured,
8 And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.
so that there was great rejoicing throughout 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.
There was staying in the city a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic there and mystifying the Samaritan people, giving himself out to be some great being.
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.”
Everyone, high and low, paid attention to him. ‘This man,’ they used to say, ‘must be that power of God which people call “The Great Power.”’
11 And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.
And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
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.
However, when they came to believe Philip, as he told them the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, 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.
Even Simon believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip, and was in his turn mystified at seeing signs and great miracles constantly occurring.
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.
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s message, 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.
and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans 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.
(As yet the Spirit had not descended on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).
17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter and John placed their 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,
When Simon saw that it was through the placing of the apostles’ hands on them that the Spirit was given, he brought them a sum of money and said,
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:
“Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands on anyone, 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.
“A curse on you and on your silver,” Peter exclaimed, “for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with money!
21 There is no part or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God.
You have no share or part in our message, for your heart is not right with God.
22 And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you.
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
23 For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
for I see that you have fallen into the bitterness of envy and the fetters of sin.”
24 Then Simon responded by saying, “Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
“Pray to the Lord for me, all of you,” Simon answered, “so that none of the things you have spoken of may happen to 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.
Peter and John, having borne their testimony and delivered the Lord’s message, returned to Jerusalem, telling the good news, as they went, in many Samaritan villages.
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.”
Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip, “Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (It is now deserted).
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.
So Philip set out on a journey; and on his way he came on an official of high rank, in the service of Candace, Queen of the Abyssinians. He was her treasurer, and had been to Jerusalem to worship,
28 And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.
and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”
The Spirit said to Philip, “Go up to the carriage over there and keep close to it.”
30 And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”
So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you are reading?” he asked.
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.
“How can I,” the other answered, “unless someone will explain it to me?” and he invited Philip to get up and sit by his side.
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.
The passage of scripture which he was reading was this – ‘Like a sheep, he was led away to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in the hands of its shearer, so he refrains from opening his lips.
33 He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”
He was humiliated and justice was denied him. Who will tell the story of his generation? For his life is cut off from 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?”
“Now,” said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, “tell me, of whom is the prophet speaking? Of himself, or of someone else?”
35 Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the good news about 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?”
Presently, as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the Treasurer exclaimed, “Look! Here is water; what is to prevent my being baptized?”
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.”
38 And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.
So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water – both Philip and the Treasurer – and Philip baptized 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.
But, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the Treasurer saw no more of him; for he continued his journey with a joyful heart.
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 Ashdod, and, as he went on his way, he told the good news in all the towns through which he passed, until he came to Caesarea.
