Acts 8
1 And Saul fully approved of his murder. At this time a great persecution broke out against the Church in Jerusalem, and all except the Apostles were scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria.
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;
2 A party of devout men, however, buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
and devout men carried Stephen away, and made great lamentation over him;
3 But Saul cruelly harassed the Church. He went into house after house, and, dragging off both men and women, threw them into prison.
and Saul was making havoc of the Assembly, entering into every house, and dragging away men and women, giving them up to prison;
4 Those, however, who were scattered abroad went from place to place spreading the Good News of God's Message;
they then indeed, having been scattered, went abroad proclaiming good news—the word.
5 while Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ there.
And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching the Christ to them;
6 Crowds of people, with one accord, gave attention to what they heard from him, listening, and witnessing the signs which he did.
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,
7 For, with a loud cry, foul spirits came out of many possessed by them, and many paralytics and lame persons were restored to health.
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,
8 And there was great joy in that city.
and there was great joy in that city.
9 Now for some time past there had been a man named Simon living there, who had been practising magic and astonishing the Samaritans, pretending that he was more than human.
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,
10 To him people of all classes paid attention, declaring, "This man is the Power of God, known as the great Power."
to whom they were all giving heed, from small to great, saying, “This one is the great power of God”;
11 His influence over them arose from their having been, for a long time, bewildered by his sorceries.
and they were giving heed to him, because of his having amazed them for a long time with deeds of magic.
12 But when Philip began to tell the Good News about the Kingdom of God and about the Name of Jesus Christ, and they embraced the faith, they were baptized, men and women alike.
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;
13 Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized remained in close attendance on Philip, and was full of amazement at seeing such signs and such great miracles performed.
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.
14 When the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John to visit them.
And the apostles in Jerusalem having heard that Samaria has received the word of God, sent Peter and John to them,
15 They, when they came down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit:
who having come down prayed concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit—
16 for He had not as yet fallen upon any of them. They had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
for as yet He was fallen on none of them, and only they have been immersed—into the Name of the Lord Jesus;
17 Then the Apostles placed their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
then they were laying hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When, however, Simon saw that it was through the laying on of the Apostles' hands that the Spirit was bestowed, he offered them money.
And Simon, having beheld that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles the Holy Spirit is given, brought money before them,
19 "Give me too," he said, "that power, so that every one on whom I place my hands will receive the Holy Spirit."
saying, “Give also to me this authority, that on whomsoever I may lay the hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 "Perish your money and yourself," replied Peter, "because you have imagined that you can obtain God's free gift with money!
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;
21 No part or lot have you in this matter, for your heart is not right in God's sight.
you have neither part nor lot in this thing, for your heart is not right before God;
22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, in the hope that the purpose which is in your heart may perhaps be forgiven you.
convert, therefore, from this your wickedness, and implore God, if then the purpose of your heart may be forgiven you,
23 For I perceive that you have fallen into the bitterest bondage of unrighteousness."
for in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness, I perceive you being.”
24 "Pray, both of you, to the Lord for me," answered Simon, "that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."
And Simon answering, said, “Implore for me to the LORD, that nothing may come on me of the things you have spoken.”
25 So the Apostles, after giving a solemn charge and delivering the Lord's Message, travelled back to Jerusalem, making known the Good News also in many of the Samaritan villages.
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.
26 And an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and proceed south to the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza, crossing the Desert."
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.)
27 Upon this he rose and went. Now, as it happened, an Ethiopian eunuch who was in a position of high authority with Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, as her treasurer, had visited Jerusalem to worship there,
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;
28 and was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the Prophet Isaiah.
he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go and enter that chariot."
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and be joined to this chariot”;
30 So Philip ran up and heard the eunuch reading the Prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked.
and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, “Do you then know what you read?”
31 "Why, how can I," replied the eunuch, "unless some one explains it to me?" And he earnestly invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
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.
32 The passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "Like a sheep He was led to slaughter, and just as a lamb before its shearer is dumb so He opened not His mouth.
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;
33 In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will make known His posterity? For He is destroyed from among men."
In His humiliation His judgment was taken away, And His generation—who will declare? Because His life is taken from the earth.”
34 "Pray, of whom is the Prophet speaking?" inquired the eunuch; "of himself or of some one else?"
And the eunuch answering Philip said, “I beg you, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself, or about some other one?”
35 Then Philip began to speak, and, commencing with that same portion of Scripture, told him the Good News about Jesus.
And Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him—Jesus.
36 So they proceeded on their way till they came to some water; and the eunuch exclaimed, "See, here is water; what is there to prevent my being baptized?"
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 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”; ]]
38 So he stopped the chariot; and both of them--Philip and the eunuch--went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
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;
39 But no sooner had they come up out of the water than the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again. With a glad heart he resumed his journey;
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;
40 but Philip found himself at Ashdod. Then visiting town after town he everywhere made known the Good News until he reached Caesarea.
and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, until his coming to Caesarea.
