< Acts 8 >
1 And Saul was consenting to his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and all were scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 But Saul ravaged the church, entering house after house, and dragging both men and women, committed them to prison.
4 Now those that had been scattered abroad went through the country preaching the word.
5 And Philip went down to a city of Samaria, and preached to them the Christ.
6 And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he wrought.
7 For from many that had unclean spirits came they out crying with a loud voice; and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were cured.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But before their arrival a certain man, named Simon, was in the city, a man practising sorcery, and amazing the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was some great person;
10 to whom they gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the Power of God, which is called Great.
11 And to him they gave heed, because they had for a long time been amazed by his sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip, publishing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 And Simon himself also believed, and having been baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed when he beheld the miracles and signs which were wrought.
14 And the apostles at Jerusalem, hearing that Samaria had received 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.
16 For it had not yet fallen upon any of them; but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 But Simon, seeing that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, offered them money,
19 saying, Give me also this power, that on whomever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
20 But Peter said to him, Thy money perish with thee! because thou didst think to obtain the gift of God with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if haply the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24 And Simon answering said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of the things which ye have spoken may come upon me.
25 They then, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, were returning to Jerusalem, and publishing the glad tidings in many villages of the Samaritans.
26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert way.
27 And he arose and went; and lo! a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a high officer of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28 was returning and sitting in his chariot; and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran up, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Well, but dost thou understand what thou art reading?
31 And he said, How can I, unless some one shall guide me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 And the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so he openeth not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation judgment was refused him; and who shall describe his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch answering said, I pray thee, of whom doth the prophet say this? Of himself, or of some other man?
35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture declared to him the glad tidings concerning Jesus.
36 And as they went along the road, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch saith, See, here is water; what is there to hinder my being baptized?
37
38 And he commanded that the chariot should stop; and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 But when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus; and passing through, he published the glad tidings in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
