Acts 8
8
1And Saul approved of their killing him.
Saul Persecutes the Church
That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
4Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. 5Philip went down to the city#8.5 Other ancient authorities read a city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah#8.5 Or the Christ to them. 6The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. 8So there was great joy in that city.
9Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. 10All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.
14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16(for as yet the Spirit had not come#8.16 Gk fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17Then Peter and John#8.17 Gk they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's gift with money! 21You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. 22Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.” 24Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you#8.24 The Greek word for you and the verb pray are plural have said may happen to me.”
25Now after Peter and John#8.25 Gk after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south#8.26 Or go at noon to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” 37#8.37 Other ancient authorities add all or most of verse 37, And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip#8.38 Gk he baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
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Acts 8: NRSV-CI
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Acts 8
8
1And Saul was consenting to his being killed. And on that day there arose a great persecution against the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and all were scattered into the countries of Judaea and Samaria except the apostles. 2And pious men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into the houses one after another, and dragging off both men and women delivered them up to prison.
4Those then that had been scattered went through the countries announcing the glad tidings of the word. 5And Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached the Christ to them; 6and the crowds with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he wrought. 7For from many who had unclean spirits they went out, crying with a loud voice; and many that were paralysed and lame were healed. 8And there was great joy in that city. 9But a certain man, by name Simon, had been before in the city, using magic arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that himself was some great one. 10To whom they had all given heed, from small to great, saying, This is the power of God which is called great. 11And they gave heed to him, because that for a long time he had astonished them by his magic arts. 12But when they believed Philip announcing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. 13And Simon also himself believed; and, having been baptised, continued constantly with Philip; and, beholding the signs and great works of power which took place, was astonished.
14And the apostles who were in Jerusalem, having heard that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John; 15who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16for he was not yet fallen upon any of them, only they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18But Simon, having seen that by the laying on of the hands of the apostles the Holy Spirit was given, offered them money, 19saying, Give to me also this power, in order that on whomsoever I may lay hands he may receive the Holy Spirit. 20And Peter said to him, Thy money go with thee to destruction, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be obtained by money. 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God. 22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and supplicate the Lord, if indeed the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee; 23for I see thee to be in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness. 24And Simon answering said, Supplicate ye for me to the Lord, so that nothing may come upon me of the things of which ye have spoken. 25They therefore, having testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and announced the glad tidings to many villages of the Samaritans.
26But the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Rise up and go southward on the way which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: the same is desert. 27And he rose up and went. And lo, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a man in power under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem, 28was returning and sitting in his chariot: and he was reading the prophet Esaias. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot. 30And Philip, running up, heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou then know what thou art reading of? 31And he said, How should I then be able unless some one guide me? And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him. 32And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him that shears him, thus he opens not his mouth. 33In his humiliation his judgment has been taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answering Philip said, I pray thee, concerning whom does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other? 35And Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from that scripture, announced the glad tidings of Jesus to him. 36And as they went along the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch says, Behold water; what hinders my being baptised? 37#Ver. 37 in the Authorized Version is recognized as not genuine. 38And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they went down both to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. 39But when they came up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40And Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he announced the glad tidings to all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.