Acts 8
8
Saul the Persecutor
1Saul agreed with putting him to death.
On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.#Ac 9:31; 11:19 2Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. 3Saul,#Ac 7:58; 22:20 however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.#Ac 22:4,19; 26:10; 1Co 15:9; Gl 1:13; Php 3:6; 1Tm 1:13
Philip in Samaria
4So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. 5Philip went down to a#8:5 Other mss read the city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.#Ac 6:5; 15:35 6The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. 7For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.#Mt 4:24; Mk 16:17 8So there was great joy in that city.
The Response of Simon
9A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.#Ac 5:36; 13:6 10They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”#8:10 Or “This is the power of God called Great#Ac 14:11; 28:6 11They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. 12But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.#Ac 1:3; 2:38 13Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles#Ac 8:6; 19:11 that were being performed.
Simon’s Sin
14When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.#Lk 22:8; Ac 8:1 15After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16(They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.#Mt 28:19; Ac 2:38; 10:48; 19:2) 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Spirit#8:18 Other mss add Holy was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!#2Kg 5:16; Is 55:1; Dn 5:17; Mt 10:8; Ac 2:38 21You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.#2Kg 10:15; Ps 78:37 22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. 23For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”#Is 55:6–7; Dn 4:27; 2Tm 2:25; Heb 12:15
24“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”#Gn 20:7; Ex 8:8; Nm 21:7; Jms 5:16
25So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
The Conversion of the Ethiopian Official
26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.#8:26 Or is a desert place#Ac 5:19; 8:29) 27So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch#Ps 68:31; 87:4; Is 56:3; Zph 3:10 and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem#1Kg 8:41; Jn 12:20 28and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”#Ac 10:19; 11:12; 13:2; 20:23; 21:11
30When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth. # 8:32–33 Is 53:7–8 #
Is 53:7–8; Php 2:8
34The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about — himself or someone else?” 35Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.#Lk 24:27; Ac 17:2; 18:28
36As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” #8:36 Some mss include v. 37: Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord#1Kg 18:12; 2Kg 2:16; Ezk 3:12,14; 8:3; 11:1,24; 43:5 carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip appeared in#8:40 Or Philip was found at, or Philip found himself in Azotus,#8:40 Or Ashdod and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.#Ac 10:1,24; 12:19; 21:8,16; 23:23,33; 25:1,4,6,13
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Acts 8: CSB
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Gevurot Meyruach Hakodesh 8
8
1And there came about in that day a great pogrom keneged (against) the Brit Chadasha Kehillah in Yerushalayim, and everyone was scattered throughout the regions of Yehudah and Shomron except the Moshiachʼs Shlichim.
2And chasidim came and gave kevurah (burial) to Stefanos and they made loud lamentation over him.
3But Rav Sha'ul was making havoc of the Moshiachʼs Kehillah, barging in bais by bais, dragging off both anashim and nashim, and delivering them over to the beis hasohar.
4The ones therefore having been scattered went about darshenen the dvar Hashem.
5Now Philippos,#8:5 Ac 6:5 having gone down to the city of Shomron, was preaching to them the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
6And the multitudes with one accord were paying attention to the things being said by Philippos, as they heard him and saw the otot which he was accomplishing.
7For many had ruchot teme'ot coming out, crying out with a kol gadol, and many having been paralyzed and many pisechim (lame ones) were given refu'ah shleimah.
8And there was great simchah in that city.
9Now a certain ish by name Shim'on was previously in the city practicing magic and astonishing the people of Shomron, saying that he himself was an ish of gadlus (with remarkable superiority) and gadol.
10And to this certain Shim'on everyone from katon to gadol was paying attention, saying, Hinei! This man is the ko'ach (power) of Hashem, the ko'ach hagadol.
11And they were giving heed to him, because he for a long time had astonished them by magic tricks.
12But with emunah in the darshenen of Philippos about the Malchut Hashem and the Shem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, they, both anashim and nashim, were submitting to Moshiachʼs mikveh tevilah of teshuva.
13And Shim'on himself also had emunah, and, having submitted to Moshiachʼs tevilah of teshuva, was following Philippos, and, seeing otot and nifla'ot and moftim hagedolim taking place, he was constantly nispoyel (standing in awe).
14And when Moshiachʼs Shlichim heard in Yerushalayim that Shomron has accepted the dvar Hashem, they sent Kefa and Yochanan to them,
15Who, having come down, davened for them that they might receive the Ruach Hakodesh.
16For the Ruach Hakodesh had not yet fallen upon any one of them, but only they had received a tevilah of teshuva in a mikveh mayim b'Shem Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu.
17Then Kefa and Yochanan were laying their hands upon them, and they were receiving the Ruach Hakodesh.
18And when Shim'on saw that through the laying on of hands of Moshiachʼs Shlichim that the Ruach Hakodesh is given, he brought to them kesef,
19Saying, Give me also this samchut that on whomever I may lay my hands such may receive the Ruach Hakodesh.
20But Kefa said to him, May your kesef perish with you because the matnat Hashem you thought by kesef to acquire.#8:20 2Kgs 5:16; Dt 5:17
21There is not to you a chelek (allotted portion) nor share in this matter, for your lev (heart) is krum (deviant) and not upright before Hashem.#8:21 Neh 2:20; Ps 78:37
22Therefore make teshuva from your wickedness and daven (pray) to Hashem if efsher (perhaps) you will receive selicha (forgiveness) for the intent of your lev,
23For I see you are in bitter gall and the bond of haresha.#8:23 Dt 29:18 TARGUM HASHIVIM; Jer 4:18; Isa 58:6
24And in reply Shim'on said, Daven for me to Hashem that nothing may come upon me of which you have spoken.#8:24 Ex 8:8; Num 21:7; 1Kgs 13:6; Jer 42:2
25The ones then having testified and spoken the dvar Adonoi were returning to Yerushalayim and to many villages of the Shomronim preaching the Besuras HaGeulah.
26And a malach Adonoi spoke to Philippos, saying, Get up and go south on the derech going down from Yerushalayim to Gaza. This is desert.
27And having got up, Philippos went. And, hinei, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, a court official of the Kandake of the Ethiopians! He was over all of her Otzrot (treasury) and had come worshipping to Yerushalayim,#8:27 Ps 68:31; 87:4; Zeph 3:10; Isa 56:3-5; 1Kgs 8:41-43
28And he was returning and sitting in his chariot and he was reading Yeshayah HaNavi.
29And the Ruach Hakodesh said to Philippos, Approach and join this chariot.
30And having run, Philippos heard him reading Yeshayah HaNavi, and Philippos said, So do you have binah of what you are reading?
31And he said, How then might I be able, unless someone will guide me? And he invited Philippos to come up and sit with him.
32Now the keta (section) of the Tanakh which he was reading was this: KASEH LATEVACH YUVAL (He#8:32 Moshiach was led as a lamb to the slaughter) and as a Seh#8:32 Isa 53:7 (Lamb) before the one having sheared it is silent, LO YIFTACH PIV (He does not open his mouth).
33In humiliation his justice was taken away. The descendants of him who will tell? Because he is taken away from HA'ARETZ CHAYYIM.#8:33 Isa 53:7,8 TARGUM HASHIVIM
34And in reply the eunuch said to Philippos, I ask you about whom the Navi (prophet) says this? About himself or about some other person?
35And having opened his mouth, and beginning from this keta (section) of the Kitvei Hakodesh, Philippos began to preach and fier ois (elucidate) Yehoshua/Yeshua to him.
36And as they were going along the derech, they came upon some mayim and the eunuch says, Hinei, mayim! What prevents me from being given Moshiachʼs tevilah of teshuva in the mikveh mayim?
[37And Philippos said, If you have emunah b'chol levavcha, it is mutar. And he answered, saying, Ani ma'amin ki Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Ben HaElohim hu.]
38And he commanded the chariot to stop and both went down into the mikveh mayim, both Philippos and the eunuch, and Philippos gave him Moshiachʼs tevilah of teshuva in the mikveh mayim.
39And when they came up from the mikveh mayim, the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem took Philippos away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer, but was going on his way with lev same'ach.#8:39 1Kgs 18:12; 2Kgs 2:16; Ezek 3:12,14; 8:3; 11:1,24; 43:5
40But Philippos was found in Ashdod, and passing through, he was preaching the Besuras HaGeulah to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
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