Acts 8
1 Saul approved of his death. That day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church. He went from house to house, dragging off men and women and handing them over to prison.
4 Those who were scattered went from place to place announcing the word.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.
6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, all together, as they listened to him and saw the signs he performed.
7 For unclean spirits came out of many people, crying out loudly, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 There was a man in the city named Simon, who had practiced magic for some time and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.
10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, paid attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God called Great.”
11 They paid attention to him because he had astonished them with his magic for a long time.
12 But when they believed Philip, who announced the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women were baptized.
13 Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized he stayed constantly with Philip. When he saw the signs and great miracles taking place, he was astonished.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For he had not yet come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the apostles’ laying on of hands, he offered them money.
19 He said, “Give me this authority too, so that anyone I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money.
21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.
22 So repent of this wickedness of yours and ask the Lord; perhaps the intention of your heart will be forgiven.
23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of wrongdoing.”
24 Simon replied, “You yourselves ask the Lord for me, so that none of what you have said may happen to me.”
25 After giving their testimony and speaking the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, announcing the good news in many Samaritan villages.
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south, along the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza; it is deserted.”
27 He got up and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.
28 He was on his way back, seated in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join that chariot.”
30 Philip ran up, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 He replied, “How could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him.
32 The passage of Scripture 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.
33 In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who will tell of his generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Please, who is the prophet speaking about? Himself or someone else?”
35 Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture, announced the good news about Jesus to him.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to a place where there was water, and the eunuch said, “Look, water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
38 He ordered the chariot to stop. Both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and Philip baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch never saw him again. He went on his way rejoicing.
40 Philip, however, was found at Ashdod. As he went on, he announced the good news in all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
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