aSaul was in hearty
agreement
with putting
him to death
.
And on that day a great
persecution
1began
against
bthe church
in Jerusalem
, and they were all
cscattered
throughout
the regions
of Judea
and dSamaria
, except
the apostles
.
Some devout men
buried
Stephen
, and made
loud
lamentation
over
him.
But aSaul began ravaging
the church
, entering
house
after
house
, and bdragging
off men
and women
, he would put
them in prison
.
Therefore, those
awho had been scattered
went
about
1 bpreaching
the word
.
aPhilip went
down
to the city
of Samaria
and began proclaiming
1Christ
to them.
The crowds with one
accord
were giving
attention
to what was said
by Philip
, as they heard
and saw
the 1signs
which
he was performing
.
For in the case of many who had
aunclean
spirits
, they were coming
out of them shouting
with a loud
voice
; and many
who had been bparalyzed
and lame
were healed
.
So there was amuch
rejoicing
in that city
.
Now there was a man
named
Simon
, who formerly
was practicing
amagic
in the city
and astonishing
the people
of Samaria
, bclaiming
to be someone
great
;
and they all, from smallest
to greatest
, were giving
attention
to him, saying
, " aThis
man
is what is called
the Great
Power
of God
."
And they were giving him attention
because
he had for a long
time
astonished
them with his amagic
arts
.
But when they believed
Philip
apreaching
the good
news
about
the kingdom
of God
and the name
of Jesus
Christ
, they were being bbaptized
, men
and women
alike
.
Even Simon
himself
believed
; and after being baptized
, he continued
on with Philip
, and as he observed
asigns
and bgreat
miracles
taking
place
, he was constantly amazed
.
Now when athe apostles
in Jerusalem
heard
that Samaria
had received
the word
of God
, they sent
them bPeter
and John
,
who came
down
and prayed
for them athat they might receive
the Holy
Spirit
.
For He had anot yet fallen
upon any
of them; they had simply
been
bbaptized
1in the name
of the Lord
Jesus
.
Then they abegan laying
their hands
on them, and they were breceiving
the Holy
Spirit
.
Now when Simon
saw
that the Spirit
was bestowed
through
the laying
on of the apostles'
hands
, he offered
them money
,
saying, "Give
this
authority
to me as well
, so
that everyone
on whom
I lay
my hands
may receive
the Holy
Spirit
."
But Peter said
to him, "May your silver
perish
with you, because
you thought
you could aobtain
the gift
of God
with money
!
"You have ano part
or
portion
in this
1matter
, for your heart
is not bright
before
God
.
"Therefore repent
of this
wickedness
of yours
, and pray
the Lord
that, aif
possible
, the intention
of your heart
may be forgiven
you.
"For I see that you are in the gall
of bitterness
and in athe 1bondage
of iniquity
."
But Simon answered
and said
, " aPray
to the Lord
for me yourselves
, so
that nothing
of what
you have said
may come
upon me."
So, when they had solemnly
atestified
and spoken
bthe word
of the Lord
, they started
back
to Jerusalem
, and were cpreaching
the gospel
to many
villages
of the dSamaritans
.
But aan angel of the Lord
spoke
to bPhilip
saying
, "Get
up and go
south
to the road
that descends
from Jerusalem
to cGaza
." ( 1This
is a desert
road.)
So he got
up and went
; and athere was an Ethiopian
eunuch
, a court
official
of Candace
, queen
of the Ethiopians
, who
was in charge
of all
her treasure
; and he bhad come
to Jerusalem
to worship
,
and he was returning and sitting
in his 1chariot
, and was reading
the prophet
Isaiah
.
Then athe Spirit
said
to Philip
, "Go
up and join
this
1chariot
."
Philip ran
up and heard
him reading
Isaiah
the prophet
, and said
, "Do you understand
what
you are reading
?"
And he said, "Well
, how
could
I, unless
someone
guides
me?" And he invited
Philip
to come
up and sit
with him.
Now the passage
of Scripture
which
he was reading
was this
: " aHE WAS LED
AS A SHEEP
TO SLAUGHTER
; AND AS A LAMB
BEFORE
ITS SHEARER
IS SILENT
, SO
HE DOES NOT OPEN
HIS MOUTH
.
" aIN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT
WAS TAKEN
AWAY
; WHO
WILL 1RELATE
HIS 2GENERATION
? FOR HIS LIFE
IS REMOVED
FROM THE EARTH
."
The eunuch answered
Philip
and said
, "Please
tell me, of whom
does the prophet
say
this
? Of himself
or
of someone
else
?"
Then Philip
aopened
his mouth
, and bbeginning
from this
Scripture
he cpreached
Jesus
to him.
As they went along
the road
they came
to some
water
; and the eunuch
*said
, "Look
! Water
! aWhat
prevents
me from being baptized
?"
[ 1And Philip said
, "If
you believe
with all
your heart
, you may
." And he answered
and said
, "I believe
that Jesus
Christ
is the Son
of God
."]
And he ordered the 1chariot
to stop
; and they both
went
down
into the water
, Philip
as well
as the eunuch
, and he baptized
him.
When they came
up out of the water
, athe Spirit
of the Lord
snatched
Philip
away
; and the eunuch
no
longer
saw
him, 1but went
on his way
rejoicing
.
But Philip 1found
himself at 2 aAzotus
, and as he passed
through
he bkept preaching
the gospel
to all
the cities
until
he came
to cCaesarea
.