Acts 8

1Saul agreed that Stephen should be killed. That same day, a time of great trouble and attacks began against the church in Jerusalem. All the believers except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

2Faithful men buried Stephen and cried deeply for him.

3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.

6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said.

7Evil spirits came out of many people, screaming loudly as they left. Many people who could not move or could not walk were healed.

8So there was great joy in that city.

9Now for some time, a man named Simon had used magic tricks in the city, and he amazed all the people of Samaria. He bragged that he was someone great,

10All the people, important and ordinary, paid attention to him and said: This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.

11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic tricks.

12But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip everywhere and was amazed by the great signs and miracles he saw.

14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

16Because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. They had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money

19And said: Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.

20Peter answered: May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

21You have no part or share in this work, because your heart is not right before God.

22Turn away from this evil, and pray to the Lord. Maybe He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

23For I see that you are full of bitterness, and sin has trapped you.

24Then Simon answered: Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.

25After Peter and John had preached the word of the Lord and told people about Jesus, they went back to Jerusalem. Along the way they preached the good news in many villages of Samaria.

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip: Go south to the road, the desert road, that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.

27So Philip started out, and on his way he met an important Ethiopian official. This man was in charge of all the money for Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,

28And on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.

29The Spirit told Philip: Go to that chariot and stay near it.

30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked: Do you understand what you are reading?

31He said: How can I understand, unless someone explains it to me? Then he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32This is the part of Scripture the official was reading: He was led like a sheep to be killed, and as a lamb stays silent while its wool is being cut off, so He did not open His mouth.

33He was shamed, and justice was taken away from Him. Who can tell about the people who come after Him? Because His life was taken from the earth.

34The official asked Philip: Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about? Is it himself, or someone else?

35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the official said: Look, here is water. What can stop me from being baptized?

37Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the official did not see him again. But the official went on his way full of joy.

40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.