Noyes - Acts - 8

8:1  And Saul was consenting to his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and all were scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

8:2  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

8:3  But Saul ravaged the church, entering house after house, and dragging both men and women, committed them to prison.

8:4  Now those that had been scattered abroad went through the country preaching the word.

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

8:6  And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he wrought.

8:7  For from many that had unclean spirits came they out crying with a loud voice; and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were cured.

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

8:9  But before their arrival a certain man, named Simon, was in the city, a man practising sorcery, and amazing the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was some great person;

8:10  to whom they gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the Power of God, which is called Great.

8:11  And to him they gave heed, because they had for a long time been amazed by his sorceries.

8:12  But when they believed Philip, publishing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

8:13  And Simon himself also believed, and having been baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed when he beheld the miracles and signs which were wrought.

8:14  And the apostles at Jerusalem, hearing that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John;

8:15  who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

8:16  For it had not yet fallen upon any of them; but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

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

8:18  But Simon, seeing that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money,

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

8:20  But Peter said to him, Thy money perish with thee! because thou didst think to obtain the gift of God with money.

8:21  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if haply the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.

8:23  For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

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

8:25  They then, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, were returning to Jerusalem, and publishing the glad tidings in many villages of the Samaritans.

8:26  But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert way.

8:27  And he arose and went; and lo! a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a high officer of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,

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

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

8:30  And Philip ran up, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Well, but dost thou understand what thou art reading?

8:31  And he said, How can I, unless some one shall guide me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

8:32  And the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so he openeth not his mouth.

8:33  In his humiliation judgment was refused him; and who shall describe his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth."

8:34  And the eunuch answering said, I pray thee, of whom doth the prophet say this? Of himself, or of some other man?

8:35  And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture declared to him the glad tidings concerning Jesus.

8:36  And as they went along the road, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch saith, See, here is water; what is there to hinder my being baptized?

8:38  And he commanded that the chariot should stop; and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

8:39  But when they had come 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.

8:40  But Philip was found at Azotus; and passing through, he published the glad tidings in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.