ACV - Acts - 8

8:1  And Saul was approving the killing of him. And on that day there developed a great persecution against the church at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

8:2  And devout men arranged to bury Stephen, and they made great lamentation over him.

8:3  But Saul was ravaging the church, entering from house to house. Dragging both men and women, he gave them over to prison.

8:4  Indeed therefore those who were scattered abroad passed through proclaiming the good news, the word.

8:5  And Philip, who went down to a city of Samaria, proclaimed the Christ to them.

8:6  And the multitudes unanimously heeded the things that were spoken by Philip during their listening and seeing the signs that he did.

8:7  For of many of those who had unclean spirits, they came out, crying in a great voice. And many who were paralyzed, and who were lame, were healed.

8:8  And there became great joy in that city.

8:9  But a certain man in the city, Simon by name, was formerly practicing sorcery, and fascinating the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be some great man,

8:10  to whom they gave heed, from small to great, saying, This man is the great power of God.

8:11  And they heeded him, because he fascinated them for a considerable time with the sorceries.

8:12  But when they believed Philip preaching good news, the things about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed, both men and women.

8:13  And Simon himself also believed. And after being immersed, he was continuing with Philip. And seeing miracles and signs occurring, he was astonished.

8:14  Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria has received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

8:15  who, when they came down, prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

8:16  for it was not yet fallen upon any of them. They were only immersed in the name of the Christ Jesus.

8:17  Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

8:18  Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he brought money to them,

8:19  saying, Give me also this power, so that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.

8:20  But Peter said to him, Thy silver with thee, may it be for destruction, because thou thought to obtain the gift of God by money.

8:21  There is no part nor lot for thee in this matter, for thy heart is not straight in the sight of God.

8:22  Repent therefore from this thine evil, and beg God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart will be forgiven thee.

8:23  For I perceive that thou are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of unrighteousness.

8:24  And having answered, Simon said, Beg ye to the Lord for me, so that none of which things ye have spoken may come upon me.

8:25  Indeed therefore, having solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and preached the good news in many villages of the Samaritans.

8:26  And an agent of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desolate region.

8:27  And after rising, he went. And behold a man, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a high official of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.

8:28  And he was returning, and sitting in his chariot, and reading the prophet Isaiah.

8:29  And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and be joined to this chariot.

8:30  And after running near, Philip heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. And he said, Do thou also really understand the things that thou read?

8:31  And he said, For how can I unless some man may guide me? And he encouraged Philip, after coming up, to sit with him.

8:32  Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb, mute before shearing him, thus he opened not his mouth.

8:33  In his lowly condition his justice was taken away. And who will describe his generation, because his life was taken from the earth?

8:34  And having answered, the eunuch said to Philip, I ask thee, about whom does the prophet say this, about himself, or about some other man?

8:35  And Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this scripture, he preached the good news to him-the man Jesus.

8:36  And as they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch says, Look, water! What prevents me to be immersed?

8:37  [This verse in not in the majority of the Greek manuscripts.]

8:38  And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed him.

8:39  And when they came up out of the water, Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

8:40  But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through all the cities he preached the good news until he came to Caesarea.