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¹ And Saul was consenting to his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.² And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him.³ But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.

⁴ They therefore that were scattered abroad, went about preaching the word.⁵ And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ.⁶ And the multitudes gave heed with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did.⁷ For [from] many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed.⁸ And there was much joy in that city.⁹ But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who formerly in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:¹⁰ to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great.¹¹ And they gave heed to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.¹² But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.¹³ And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and watching signs and great miracles happening, he was amazed.

¹⁴ Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John:¹⁵ who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:¹⁶ for as yet it had fallen on none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.¹⁷ Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,¹⁹ saying, Give me also this power, that on whoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Spirit.²⁰ But Peter said to him, Your silver perish with you, because you have thought to obtain the gift of God with money.²¹ You have neither part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right before God.²² Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of your heart shall be forgiven you.²³ For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.²⁴ And Simon answered and said, You pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken come on me.²⁵ They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶ But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: the same is desert.²⁷ And he arose and went: and look, 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;²⁸ and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.³⁰ And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Do you understand what you read?³¹ And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he implored Philip to come up and sit with him.³² Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is mute, So he does not open his mouth:³³ In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth.³⁴ And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom does the prophet speak this? of himself, or of some other?³⁵ And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him Jesus.³⁶ And as they went on the way, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch says, Look, [here is] water; what does hinder me to be baptized?³⁸ And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.³⁹ And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing.⁴⁰ But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.