Acts 8
1 And Saul was assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution on the Assembly in Jerusalem, all were also scattered abroad in the regions of Judea 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 devout men carried Stephen away, and made great lamentation over him;
Devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentations over him.
3 and Saul was making havoc of the Assembly, entering into every house, and dragging away men and women, giving 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 they then indeed, having been scattered, went abroad proclaiming good news—the word.
So those who were scattered abroad were going everywhere preaching the word.
5 And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching the Christ to them;
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and began to preach Christ there.
6 the multitudes were also giving heed to the things spoken by Philip, with one accord, in their hearing and seeing the signs that he was doing,
The crowd with one accord were giving heed to what he said, when they heard and saw the signs that he did.
7 for unclean spirits came forth from many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who have been paralytic 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 And a certain man, by name Simon, was previously in the city using magic, and amazing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be a certain 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 were all giving heed, from small to great, saying, “This one is the great power of God”;
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 were giving heed to him, because of his having amazed them for a long time with deeds of magic.
They were giving heed to him because, for a long time, he had amazed them with his sorceries.
12 And when they believed Philip, proclaiming good news, the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed—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 himself also believed, and having been immersed, he was continuing with Philip, beholding also signs and mighty acts being done, he was amazed.
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 in Jerusalem having heard that Samaria has received the word of God, sent Peter and John to them,
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 concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit—
Who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for as yet He was fallen on none of them, and only they have been immersed—into 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 were laying hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Then the apostles laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 And Simon, having beheld that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles the Holy Spirit is given, brought money before them,
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 also to me this authority, that on whomsoever I may lay the 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, “Your silver with you—may it be to destruction! Because you thought to possess the gift of God through 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 you have neither part nor lot in this thing, for your heart is not right before God;
"You have no part or lot in this matter." Your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 convert, therefore, from this your wickedness, and implore God, if then the purpose of your heart may be forgiven you,
Repent then of this your wickedness, and beseech the Lord to forgive you this purpose of your heart.
23 for in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness, I perceive you being.”
"For I perceive that you still stand in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness."
24 And Simon answering, said, “Implore for me to the LORD, that nothing may come on me of the things you 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 indeed, therefore, having testified fully, and spoken the word of the LORD, turned back to Jerusalem; they also proclaimed good news in 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 And a messenger of the LORD spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is desolate.)
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 having arisen, he went on, and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of rank, of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship;
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 he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
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, “Go near, and be joined to this chariot”;
And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join that chariot."
30 and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, “Do you then know what you read?”
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, “Why, how am I able, if someone may not guide me?” He called Philip also, having come up, to 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 Writing that he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter, And as a lamb before his shearer is silent, So He does not open 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 was taken away, And His generation—who will declare? Because 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 beg you, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself, or about some other one?”
"Pray," asked the eunuch of Philip, "of whom is the prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?"
35 And Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him—Jesus.
Then Philip opened his lips, and beginning from that same scripture, he preached the gospel of Jesus to him.
36 And as they were going on the way, they came on some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, water; what hinders me to be immersed?”
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?"
37 [[And Philip said, “If you believe out of all the heart, it is lawful”; and he answering said, “I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God”; ]]
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 stand still, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed 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 and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the LORD snatched up Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he was going 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 was proclaiming good news to all the cities, until his coming 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.
