Acts 8
1 But Shaol willed to take part in his killing. And there was made in those days a great persecution against the church that was in Urishlem; and they were all dispersed in the country of Jihud and also among the Shomroyee, excepting only 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 faithful men laid Estephanos in his tomb, and mourned over him greatly.
Devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentations over him.
3 BUT Shaol persecuted the church of Aloha, going to the houses, and drawing men and women delivered them to the house of the bound.
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 And they who were dispersed went about and preached the word of Aloha.
So those who were scattered abroad were going everywhere preaching the word.
5 But Philipos descended to a city of the Shomroyee, and preached concerning the Meshiha.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and began to preach Christ there.
6 And when they heard his word, the men who were there attended to him, and were persuaded of all that he said: for they saw the signs that 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 many whom unclean spirits possessed cried with a high voice, and they came out from them; and others, palsied 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 great joy was in that city.
There began to be great joy in that city.
9 But a certain man was there whose name was Simon, who had dwelt in that city much time, and with his sorceries had deceived the people of the Shomroyee, magnifying himself, and saying, I am the Great.
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 And all inclined to him, great and small, and said, This is the great Power of Aloha.
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 persuaded by him, because that much time by his sorceries he had astonished them.
They were giving heed to him because, for a long time, he had amazed them with his sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philipos, who evangelized the kingdom of Aloha in the name of our Lord Jeshu Meshiha, they were baptized, 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 was baptized, and adhered to Philipos. And when he saw the signs and great works which were done by his hands, he wondered and 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 when the apostles who were at Urishlem heard that the people of the Shomroyee had received the word of Aloha, they sent to them Kipha and Juhanon.
The apostle at Jerusalem, when they heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, sent to them Peter and John.
15 And they went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Spirit of Holiness:
Who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for he was not upon one of them yet; but they were only baptized in the name of our Lord Jeshu.
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 upon them the hand, and they received the Spirit of Holiness.
Then the apostles laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 And when Simon saw that by the hand-laying of the apostles the Spirit of Holiness was given, he offered to them silver,
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 power, that he on whom I shall lay the hand may receive the Spirit of Holiness.
"Give me, too, this power, so that on whomever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit."
20 Shemun Kipha said to him, Thy silver go with thee into perdition, because thou thoughtest that the gift of Aloha with the possessions of the world might he obtained.
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 faith, because thine heart hath not been right before Aloha.
"You have no part or lot in this matter." Your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Nevertheless, repent of this thy wickedness, and pray of Aloha, that the guile of thy heart may haply be forgiven thee;
Repent then of this your wickedness, and beseech the Lord to forgive you this purpose of your heart.
23 for in bitter gall and in the bonds of iniquity I see that thou art.
"For I perceive that you still stand in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness."
24 Simon answered and said, Pray you on my behalf, of Aloha, that not any of these things which you have spoken may come upon me.
And Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me, both of you, that nothing which you have said may happen to me."
25 But Shemun and Juhanon, when they had testified and taught the word of Aloha, returned to Urishlem, and evangelized in many villages of the Shomroyee.
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 the angel of the Lord spake with Philipos, and said to him, Arise, go to the south, in the desert way which goeth down from Urishlem to Gaza.
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 arising he went. And there met him a certain eunuch who had come from Cush, an officer of Kandak, queen of the Cushoyee; and he was officer over all her treasure. And he had been to worship at Urishlem;
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 and while returning that he might go, he sat in the chariot and read in Eshaia the prophet.
Was now on his way home, and was reading the Prophet Isaiah as he sat in his chariot.
29 And the Spirit of Holiness said to Philipos, Approach, and join the chariot.
And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join that chariot."
30 And being near, he heard that he read in Eshaia the prophet; and he said to him, Understandest thou what thou readest?
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 can I understand, unless one teach me? And he prayed of him, of Philipos, to ascend 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 But the section (phosuka) of the scripture in which he was reading is this: As a lamb to the slaughter was he led; And as a sheep before the shearer is silent, So opened not he his mouth in his humiliation.
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 From oppression and from judgment was he led; And his age who shall recount? 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 That eunuch said Unto Philipos, I pray thee, of whom speaketh this the prophet? of himself, or of another man?
"Pray," asked the eunuch of Philip, "of whom is the prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?"
35 Then Philipos opened his mouth and began, from that very scripture, preaching to him concerning our Lord Jeshu.
Then Philip opened his lips, and beginning from that same scripture, he preached the gospel of Jesus to him.
36 And as they went in the way they came to a certain place which had water in it, and that eunuch said, Behold the water; what is the hinderance that I should be baptized?
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 that the chariot should stand; and they descended both of them to the water, and Philipos baptized that eunuch.
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 had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord rapt away Philipos, and the eunuch again saw him not; but 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 But Philipos was found at Azotos, and from thence he itinerated and evangelized in all the cities until he came to Cesarea.
Philip found himself at Ashdod. Then visiting town after town, he kept preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.
