Acts 8
1 And Saul was consenting to his being killed. And on that day there arose a great persecution against the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and all were scattered into the countries of Judaea and Samaria except the apostles.
With these words he fell asleep. And Saul fully approved of his murder. On this very day there broke out a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostle were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
2 And pious men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
Devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentations over him.
3 But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into the houses one after another, and dragging off both men and women delivered them up to prison.
But Saul was laying waste the church. He was wont to enter into every house, and to drag off men and women, and to commit them to prison.
4 Those then that had been scattered went through [the countries] announcing the glad tidings of the word.
So those who were scattered abroad were going everywhere preaching the word.
5 And Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached the Christ to them;
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and began to preach Christ there.
6 and the crowds with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard [him] and saw the signs which he wrought.
The crowd with one accord were giving heed to what he said, when they heard and saw the signs that he did.
7 For from many who had unclean spirits they went out, crying with a loud voice; and many that were paralysed and lame were healed.
For with a loud cry unclean spirits would come out of many possessed by them, and many that were palsied and lame were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
There began to be great joy in that city.
9 But a certain man, by name Simon, had been before in the city, using magic arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that himself was some great one.
Now for some time a man named Simon had been practising sorcery in that city, and had amazed the people of Samaria. He gave himself out to be some great person.
10 To whom they had all given heed, from small to great, saying, This is the power of God which is called great.
Many from all classes would give heed to him, declaring, "This man is the Power of God, known as the Great Power."
11 And they gave heed to him, because that for a long time he had astonished them by his magic arts.
They were giving heed to him because, for a long time, he had amazed them with his sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip announcing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women.
But when they believed Philip, who was preaching glad tidings about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.
13 And Simon also himself believed; and, having been baptised, continued constantly with Philip; and, beholding the signs and great works of power which took place, was astonished.
And Simon himself also believed, and after his baptism he remained with Philip, and was full of amazement as he beheld the signs and striking miracles which were performed.
14 And the apostles who were in Jerusalem, having heard that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John;
The apostle at Jerusalem, when they heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, sent to them Peter and John.
15 who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive [the] Holy Spirit;
Who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for he was not yet fallen upon any of them, only they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus.
For he had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received [the] Holy Spirit.
Then the apostles laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 But Simon, having seen that by the laying on of the hands of the apostles the [Holy] Spirit was given, offered them money,
But when Simon perceived that, by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, the Spirit was given, he offered them money saying,
19 saying, Give to me also this power, in order that on whomsoever I may lay hands he may receive [the] Holy Spirit.
"Give me, too, this power, so that on whomever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit."
20 And Peter said to him, Thy money go with thee to destruction, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be obtained by money.
But Peter said to him. "Your money perish with you, because you have supposed that with money you can obtain God’s free gift!"
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God.
"You have no part or lot in this matter." Your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and supplicate the Lord, if indeed the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee;
Repent then of this your wickedness, and beseech the Lord to forgive you this purpose of your heart.
23 for I see thee to be in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness.
"For I perceive that you still stand in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness."
24 And Simon answering said, Supplicate ye for me to the Lord, so that nothing may come upon me of the things of which ye have spoken.
And Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me, both of you, that nothing which you have said may happen to me."
25 They therefore, having testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and announced the glad tidings to many villages of the Samaritans.
So the apostles, after bearing solemn witness, and declaring the message of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, evangelizing many Samaritan villages as they went.
26 But [the] angel of [the] Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Rise up and go southward on the way which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: the same is desert.
And an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go on your way south, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert way."
27 And he rose up and went. And lo, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a man in power under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem,
So he arose and went. And behold an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, who was a high official (a chief treasurer) of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, who had come to Jerusalem to worship
28 was returning and sitting in his chariot: and he was reading the prophet Esaias.
Was now on his way home, and was reading the Prophet Isaiah as he sat in his chariot.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot.
And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join that chariot."
30 And Philip, running up, heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou then know what thou art reading of?
So Philip ran up, and heard him reading Isaiah the Prophet, and said to him. "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31 And he said, How should I then be able unless some one guide me? And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him.
The eunuch answered, "Why, how can I unless someone shall show me the way?" And he begged Philip to get up and sit with him.
32 And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him that shears him, thus he opens not his mouth.
Now the portion of Scripture which he was reading was as follows. He was led a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, So he opened not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation his judgment has been taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will declare his posterity? For his life is cut off from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answering Philip said, I pray thee, concerning whom does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other?
"Pray," asked the eunuch of Philip, "of whom is the prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?"
35 And Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from that scripture, announced the glad tidings of Jesus to him.
Then Philip opened his lips, and beginning from that same scripture, he preached the gospel of Jesus to him.
36 And as they went along the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch says, Behold water; what hinders my being baptised?
And as they were going on their way they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said. "See, here is water! What hinders my being baptized?"
And Philip said, "If you believe with your whole heart, you may." The eunuch answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
38 And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they went down both to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him.
And he ordered the chariot to stop; and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 But when they came up out of the water [the] Spirit of [the] Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing.
And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.
40 And Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he announced the glad tidings to all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Philip found himself at Ashdod. Then visiting town after town, he kept preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.
