Chapter 8

¹And Saul was consenting to his being killed. And on that day there arose a great persecution against the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and all were scattered into the countries of Judaea and Samaria except the apostles. ²And pious men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. ³But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into the houses one after another, and dragging off both men and women delivered them up to prison. ⁴Those then that had been scattered went through [the countries] announcing the glad tidings of the word. ⁵And Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached the Christ to them; ⁶and the crowds with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard [him] and saw the signs which he wrought. ⁷For from many who had unclean spirits they went out, crying with a loud voice; and many that were paralysed and lame were healed. ⁸And there was great joy in that city. ⁹But a certain man, by name Simon, had been before in the city, using magic arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that himself was some great one. ¹⁰To whom they had all given heed, from small to great, saying, This is the power of God which is called great. ¹¹And they gave heed to him, because that for a long time he had astonished them by his magic arts. ¹²But when they believed Philip announcing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. ¹³And Simon also himself believed; and, having been baptised, continued constantly with Philip; and, beholding the signs and great works of power which took place, was astonished. ¹⁴And the apostles who were in Jerusalem, having heard that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John; ¹⁵who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive [the] Holy Spirit; ¹⁶for he was not yet fallen upon any of them, only they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received [the] Holy Spirit. ¹⁸But Simon, having seen that by the laying on of the hands of the apostles the [Holy] Spirit was given, offered them money, ¹⁹saying, Give to me also this power, in order that on whomsoever I may lay hands he may receive [the] Holy Spirit. ²⁰And Peter said to him, Thy money go with thee to destruction, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be obtained by money. ²¹Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God. ²²Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and supplicate the Lord, if indeed the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee; ²³for I see thee to be in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness. ²⁴And Simon answering said, Supplicate ye for me to the Lord, so that nothing may come upon me of the things of which ye have spoken. ²⁵They therefore, having testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and announced the glad tidings to many villages of the Samaritans. ²⁶But [the] angel of [the] Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Rise up and go southward on the way which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: the same is desert. ²⁷And he rose up and went. And lo, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a man in power under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem, ²⁸was returning and sitting in his chariot: and he was reading the prophet Esaias. ²⁹And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot. ³⁰And Philip, running up, heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou then know what thou art reading of? ³¹And he said, How should I then be able unless some one guide me? And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him. ³²And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him that shears him, thus he opens not his mouth. ³³In his humiliation his judgment has been taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. ³⁴And the eunuch answering Philip said, I pray thee, concerning whom does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other? ³⁵And Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from that scripture, announced the glad tidings of Jesus to him. ³⁶And as they went along the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch says, Behold water; what hinders my being baptised? ³⁸And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they went down both to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. ³⁹But when they came up out of the water [the] Spirit of [the] Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰And Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he announced the glad tidings to all the cities till he came to Caesarea.