The Bible

40 verses

Acts Chapter 8

¹Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

²Devout men buried Stephen and lamented greatly over him.

³But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.

⁴So those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.

⁵Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the AnointedOne.

⁶The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip when they heard and saw the signs which he did.

⁷For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

⁸There was great joy in that city.

⁹But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one, ¹⁰to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that great power of God." ¹¹They listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

¹²But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning God's Kingdom and the name of Jesus AnointedOne, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³Simon himself also believed. Being baptized, he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occurring, he was amazed.

¹⁴Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, ¹⁵who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; ¹⁶for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁷Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹saying, "Give me also this power, that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit." ²⁰But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

²¹You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn't right before God.

²²So repent of this, your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

²³For I see that you are in the poison of bitterness and in the slavery of iniquity." ²⁴Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me." ²⁵So, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶But an angel of ForeverOne spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert." ²⁷He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.

²⁸He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹The Spirit said to Philip, "Go near, and join yourself to this chariot." ³⁰Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" ³¹He said, "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?" He begged Philip to come up and sit with him.

³²Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn't open his mouth.

³³In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth." ³⁴The eunuch answered Philip, "Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?" ³⁵Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus.

³⁶As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?" ³⁷[Omitted from WEB - Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." He answered, "I believe that Jesus AnointedOne is the Son of God."] ³⁸He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of ForeverOne caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn't see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.