Acts 8
1 And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
And Saul approved of his execution. On that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, and all the believers except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
2 And devout men carried Stephen [to his burial], and made great lamentation over him.
Devout men carried Stephen away for burial and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and hauling men and women committed [them] to prison.
But Saul was ravaging the church. Entering house after house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
4 Therefore they that were dispersed went every where preaching the word.
Now those who had been scattered went around preaching the message of good news.
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ to them.
Philip went down to a city of Samaria and began proclaiming to them the Christ.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he performed.
With one accord the crowds paid close attention to what Philip said as they listened to him and saw the signs he was performing.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
For unclean spirits came out of many who had them, crying out with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who before in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
Now a man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, declaring himself to be someone great.
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
From the least to the greatest, they paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”
11 And to him they had regard, because that for a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
They all paid close attention to him because he had amazed them with his magical arts for a long time.
12 But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women.
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Even Simon himself believed. After he was baptized, he kept close company with Philip and was amazed as he saw miracles and signs taking place.
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John:
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John.
15 Who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit:
These two went down and prayed for the Samaritan believers to receive the Holy Spirit,
16 (For as yet he had fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
for the Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus.
17 Then they laid [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter and John laid their hands on the Samaritan believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
saying, “Give this power to me as well, so that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
But Peter said to him, “May yoʋr silver be destroyed with yoʋ, because yoʋ thought yoʋ could acquire 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.
Yoʋ have no share or portion in this matter, for yoʋr heart is not right before God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yoʋrs, and plead with God in the hope that the intention of yoʋr heart might be forgiven yoʋ.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity.
For I see that yoʋ are bitterly envious and in bondage to unrighteousness.”
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
In response Simon said, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said will happen to me.”
25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
After Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the good news in many villages of the Samaritans as they went.
26 And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert.
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south, to the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.)
27 And he arose, and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
So he rose and went. And behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. This man had come to Jerusalem to worship
28 Was returning; and sitting in his chariot, read Isaiah the prophet.
and was sitting in his chariot on his way back home, reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot.
The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join that chariot.”
30 And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
So Philip ran up to it and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He said, “Do yoʋ understand what yoʋ are reading?”
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up, and sit with him.
The man said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth:
This is the passage of Scripture that he was reading: “Like a sheep he was led to slaughter, and like a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
In his humiliation he was denied justice. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life was taken from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask yoʋ, who does the prophet say this about? About himself, or about someone else?”
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached to him Jesus.
Then Philip opened his mouth to speak, and beginning from this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.
36 And as they went on [their] way, they came to a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
So he ordered the chariot to stop, and the two of them went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and Philip baptized him.
39 And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through, he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea.
Philip, however, found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through that region, he preached the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
