Acts 8
8
1And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
Philip and the Ethiopian
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian#8:27 That is, from the southern Nile region eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”#8:33 Isaiah 53:7,8 (see Septuagint)
34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37]#8:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Acts 8
8
1And Saul was assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution upon the assembly in Jerusalem, all also were scattered abroad in the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles;
2and devout men carried away Stephen, and made great lamentation over him;
3and Saul was making havoc of the assembly, into every house entering, and haling men and women, was giving them up to prison;
4they then indeed, having been scattered, went abroad proclaiming good news — the word.
5And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching to them the Christ,
6the multitudes also were giving heed to the things spoken by Philip, with one accord, in their hearing and seeing the signs that he was doing,
7for unclean spirits came forth from many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who have been paralytic and lame were healed,
8and there was great joy in that city.
9And a certain man, by name Simon, was before in the city using magic, and amazing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be a certain great one,
10to whom they were all giving heed, from small unto great, saying, ‘This one is the great power of God;’
11and they were giving heed to him, because of his having for a long time amazed them with deeds of magic.
12And when they believed Philip, proclaiming good news, the things concerning the reign of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women;
13and Simon also himself did believe, and, having been baptized, he was continuing with Philip, beholding also signs and mighty acts being done, he was amazed.
14And the apostles in Jerusalem having heard that Samaria hath received the word of God, did send unto them Peter and John,
15who having come down did pray concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit, —
16for as yet he was fallen upon none of them, and only they have been baptized — to the name of the Lord Jesus;
17then were they laying hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18And Simon, having beheld that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Spirit is given, brought before them money,
19saying, ‘Give also to me this authority, that on whomsoever I may lay the hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.’
20And Peter said unto him, ‘Thy silver with thee — may it be to destruction! because the gift of God thou didst think to possess through money;
21thou hast neither part nor lot in this thing, for thy heart is not right before God;
22reform, therefore, from this thy wickedness, and beseech God, if then the purpose of thy heart may be forgiven thee,
23for in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness, I perceive thee being.’
24And Simon answering, said, ‘Beseech ye for me unto the Lord, that nothing may come upon me of the things ye have spoken.’
25They indeed, therefore, having testified fully, and spoken the word of the Lord, did turn back to Jerusalem; in many villages also of the Samaritans they did proclaim good news.
26And a messenger of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, ‘Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza,’ — this is desert.
27And having arisen, he went on, and lo, 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 worship to Jerusalem;
28he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near, and be joined to this chariot;’
30and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, ‘Dost thou then know what thou dost read?’
31and he said, ‘Why, how am I able, if some one may not guide me?’ he called Philip also, having come up, to sit with him.
32And the contents of the Writing that he was reading was this: ‘As a sheep unto slaughter he was led, and as a lamb before his shearer dumb, so he doth not open his mouth;
33in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and his generation — who shall declare? because taken from the earth is his life.’
34And the eunuch answering Philip said, ‘I pray thee, about whom doth the prophet say this? about himself, or about some other one?’
35and Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him — Jesus.
36And as they were going on the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch said, ‘Lo, water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?’
37[And Philip said, ‘If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;’ and he answering said, ‘I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;’]
38and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him;
39and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he was going on his way rejoicing;
40and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, till his coming to Caesarea.
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