LO - Acts - 8

8:1  And Saul was well pleased with his slaughter. And at that time there was a great persecution against the congregation in Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed through the regions of Judea, and Samaria, except the Apostles.

8:2  And devout men carried away Stephen, and made great lamentation for him.

8:3  But Saul made havoc of the congregation, entering into houses, and dragging men and whom, whom he committed to prison.

8:4  Nevertheless, they who were dispersed, went about declaring the glad tidings of the word.

8:5  Then came Philip to the city of Samaria, and announced the Messiah to them.

8:6  And the people unanimously attended to the things that were spoken by Philip; as they heard them, and saw the miracles which he performed.

8:7  For, unclean spirits, which had possessed many, crying with a loud voice, came out of them; and many, who were paralytic and lame, were healed.

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

8:9  But there was a certain man named Simon, who had, before, in that city, used magic, and astonished the nation of Samaria; pretending himself to be some extraordinary person:

8:10  to whom they all paid regard, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

8:11  And they paid regard to him; because he had, for a long time, astonished them wit his enchantments.

8:12  But when they gave credit to Philip, declaring the glad tidings concerning 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 being immersed, he kept near to Philip, beholding with amazement, the great and powerful miracles which were done.

8:14  Now when the Apostles, who were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John;

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

8:16  (For he was not yet fallen on any of them; only, they were immersed into the name of the Lord 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 by the imposition of the Apostles' hands, he offered them money,

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

8:20  But Peter said to him, Let your money go with you to destruction, since you have thought that the free gift of God might be purchased with money.

8:21  You have no part nor lot in this matter; for your heart is not upright in the sight of God.

8:22  Reform, therefore, from this your wickedness; and beg of God, if, indeed, the thought of your heart may be forgiven you;

8:23  for I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity.

8:24  And Simon answered, and said, Make your supplications to the Lord on my behalf; that none of these things which you have spoken, may come upon me.

8:25  Now when they had borne their testimony, and had spoke the word of the Lord, they turned back for Jerusalem; and declared the glad tidings in many villages of the Samaritans.

8:26  And a messenger of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south, by the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert.

8:27  And he arose, and took his journey; and, behold, a certain Ethiopian officer, a grandee of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, that was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem,

8:28  was returning, and sat in his chariot, reading the Prophet Isaiah.

8:29  And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach, and join yourself to this chariot.

8:30  And Philip, running up, heard him read in the Prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you are reading?

8:31  And he said, How can I, unless some one should guide me? And he requested Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

8:32  Now the passage of scripture which he was reading, was this, "He was brought to the slaughter, as a sheep; and as a lamb before its shearer, is dumb; so he opened not his mouth.

8:33  In his humiliation his condemnation was extorted; and who shall describe his generation? for his life is cut off from the earth."

8:34  The officer answering Philip, said, I beseech you, of whom does the prophet say this? --of himself, or of some other person?

8:35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from the scripture, told him the glad tidings concerning Jesus.

8:36  And as they went along the way, they came to a certain water, and the officer said, Behold, water; what hinders my being immersed?

8:38  And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the officer; and he immersed him.

8:39  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly conveyed away Philip, and the officer saw him no more: so he went on his way rejoicing.

8:40  But Philip was found at Azotus; and going on thence, he proclaimed the glad tidings in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea.