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¹ SAUL was pleased to have had a part in the murder of Stephen. At that very time there was severe persecution against the church at Jerusalem; and they were all, with the exception of the apostles, dispersed throughout the towns of Jud''a and Sama''ria.² And devout men picked up Stephen and buried him, and they mourned over him in great sorrow.³ As for Saul, he continued to persecute the church of God, entering into houses and dragging out men and women and delivering them to prison,

⁴ So that they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word of God.⁵ Then Philip went down to a Samaritan city and preached to them about Christ.⁶ And when the people of that place heard his word, they gave heed and listened attentively to everything Philip said, because they saw the miracles which he did.⁷ Many who were mentally afflicted, cried with loud voices and were restored; and others who were paralytic and lame, were healed.⁸ And there was great joy in that city.⁹ Now there was there a man called Semon, who had lived in that city a long time, and who had deceived the Samaritan people by his magic, boasting of himself and saying, I am the greatest one.¹⁰ And both the noblest and the least followed him, saying, He is the greatest power of God.¹¹ All of them listened to him, because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries.¹² But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.¹³ Semon himself also believed and was baptized and attached himself to Philip, and as he saw the miracles and great signs performed by his hand, he marvelled greatly.

¹⁴ N ow when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritan people had accepted the word of God, they sent to them Simon Peter and John,¹⁵ Who, when they went down, prayed over them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.¹⁶ For as yet it had not come upon them although they had been baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus.¹⁷ Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.¹⁸ And when Semon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the apostles'' hands, he offered them money,¹⁹ Saying, Give me also this authority so that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.²⁰ Simon Peter said to him, Let your money perish with you because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with wealth.²¹ You have no part nor lot in this faith because your heart is not right in the sight of God.²² Repent, therefore, of this evil of yours, and beseech God that he may perhaps forgive you for the guile which is in your heart.²³ For I see your heart is as bitter as gall and you are in the bonds of iniquity.²⁴ Then Semon answered and said, Pray God for me so that none of these things which you have spoken may come upon me.²⁵ Now when Simon Peter and John had testified and taught them the word of God, they returned to Jerusalem after they had preached in many Samaritan villages.

²⁶ And the angel of the LORD spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go south by way of the desert that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza,²⁷ So he arose and went: and he was met by a eunuch, who had come from E-thi-o''pi-a; an official of Can''da-ce, queen of the E-thio''pi- ans, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to worship at Jerusalem.²⁸ While he was returning, sitting in his chariot, he read the book of the prophet Isa''iah.²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and keep close to the chariot.³⁰ And as Philip drew near and heard him reading from the book of the prophet I-sa''iah, he said to him, Do you understand what you are reading?³¹ And the E-thi-o''pi-an said, How can I understand unless some one teach me? and he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.³² The portion of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a ewe sheep before the shearer, so he opened not his mouth:³³ In his humiliation, he suffered imprisonment and judgment: none can tell his struggle, for even his life is taken away from the earth.³⁴ And the eunuch said to Philip. I pray you, of whom does this prophet speak? of himself or of some other man?³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth and began at that same scripture and preached to him concerning our LORD Jesus.³⁶ And as they went on their way, they came to a place where there was water; and the eunuch said, Behold here is water; what prevents me from being baptized?³⁸ And he commanded the chariot be stopped: and both went down into the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch.³⁹ And when they came up from the water, the Spirit of the LORD caught Philip away and the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.⁴⁰ Philip was found at Az-o''tus: and from there he traveled around and preached in all the cities till he came to Cs-a-re''a.

span data-lang="eng" data-trans="glt" data-ref="act.8.1" class="versetxt">¹ SAUL was pleased to have had a part in the murder of Stephen. At that very time there was severe persecution against the church at Jerusalem; and they were all, with the exception of the apostles, dispersed throughout the towns of Jud''a and Sama''ria.² And devout men picked up Stephen and buried him, and they mourned over him in great sorrow.³ As for Saul, he continued to persecute the church of God, entering into houses and dragging out men and women and delivering them to prison,

⁴ So that they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word of God.⁵ Then Philip went down to a Samaritan city and preached to them about Christ.⁶ And when the people of that place heard his word, they gave heed and listened attentively to everything Philip said, because they saw the miracles which he did.⁷ Many who were mentally afflicted, cried with loud voices and were restored; and others who were paralytic and lame, were healed.⁸ And there was great joy in that city.⁹ Now there was there a man called Semon, who had lived in that city a long time, and who had deceived the Samaritan people by his magic, boasting of himself and saying, I am the greatest one.¹⁰ And both the noblest and the least followed him, saying, He is the greatest power of God.¹¹ All of them listened to him, because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries.¹² But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.¹³ Semon himself also believed and was baptized and attached himself to Philip, and as he saw the miracles and great signs performed by his hand, he marvelled greatly.

¹⁴ N ow when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritan people had accepted the word of God, they sent to them Simon Peter and John,¹⁵ Who, when they went down, prayed over them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.¹⁶ For as yet it had not come upon them although they had been baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus.¹⁷ Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.¹⁸ And when Semon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the apostles'' hands, he offered them money,¹⁹ Saying, Give me also this authority so that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.²⁰ Simon Peter said to him, Let your money perish with you because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with wealth.²¹ You have no part nor lot in this faith because your heart is not right in the sight of God.²² Repent, therefore, of this evil of yours, and beseech God that he may perhaps forgive you for the guile which is in your heart.²³ For I see your heart is as bitter as gall and you are in the bonds of iniquity.²⁴ Then Semon answered and said, Pray God for me so that none of these things which you have spoken may come upon me.²⁵ Now when Simon Peter and John had testified and taught them the word of God, they returned to Jerusalem after they had preached in many Samaritan villages.

²⁶ And the angel of the LORD spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go south by way of the desert that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza,²⁷ So he arose and went: and he was met by a eunuch, who had come from E-thi-o''pi-a; an official of Can''da-ce, queen of the E-thio''pi- ans, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to worship at Jerusalem.²⁸ While he was returning, sitting in his chariot, he read the book of the prophet Isa''iah.²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and keep close to the chariot.³⁰ And as Philip drew near and heard him reading from the book of the prophet I-sa''iah, he said to him, Do you understand what you are reading?³¹ And the E-thi-o''pi-an said, How can I understand unless some one teach me? and he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.³² The portion of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a ewe sheep before the shearer, so he opened not his mouth:³³ In his humiliation, he suffered imprisonment and judgment: none can tell his struggle, for even his life is taken away from the earth.³⁴ And the eunuch said to Philip. I pray you, of whom does this prophet speak? of himself or of some other man?³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth and began at that same scripture and preached to him concerning our LORD Jesus.³⁶ And as they went on their way, they came to a place where there was water; and the eunuch said, Behold here is water; what prevents me from being baptized?³⁸ And he commanded the chariot be stopped: and both went down into the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch.³⁹ And when they came up from the water, the Spirit of the LORD caught Philip away and the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.⁴⁰ Philip was found at Az-o''tus: and from there he traveled around and preached in all the cities till he came to Cs-a-re''a.