8:1 And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there
was a great persecution against the church which was at
Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed throughout the regions
of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
8:2 And devout men carried Stephen [to his burial], and made
great lamentation over him.
8:3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into
every house, and hauling men and women committed [them] to
prison.
8:4 Therefore they that were dispersed went every where
preaching the word.
8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached
Christ to them.
8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed to those things
which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he
performed.
8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of
many that were possessed: and many taken with palsies, and that
were lame, were healed.
8:8 And there was great joy in that city.
8:9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who before in the
same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria,
giving out that himself was some great one:
8:10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest,
saying, This man is the great power of God.
8:11 And to him they had regard, because that for a long time he
had bewitched them with sorceries.
8:12 But when they believed Philip, preaching the things
concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized both men and women.
8:13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized,
he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles
and signs which were done.
8:14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter
and John:
8:15 Who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they
might receive the Holy Spirit:
8:16 (For as yet he had fallen upon none of them: only they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
8:17 Then they laid [their] hands on them, and they received the
Holy Spirit.
8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles'
hands the Holy Spirit was given, 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, Thy money perish with thee, because
thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased 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 God, if
perhaps 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 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me,
that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
8:25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of
the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in
many villages of the Samaritans.
8:26 And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise,
and go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from
Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert.
8:27 And he arose, and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a
eunuch of great authority under 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, read Isaiah the
prophet.
8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join thyself to
this chariot.
8:30 And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him reading the
prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?
And he desired Philip that he would come up, and sit with him.
8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was
led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before
his shearer, so he opened not his mouth:
8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who
shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the
earth.
8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of
whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other
man?
8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same
scripture, and preached to him Jesus.
8:36 And as they went on [their] way, they came to a certain
water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth
hinder me to be baptized?
8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou
mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God.
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
baptized him.
8:39 And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of
the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more:
and he went on his way rejoicing.
8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through, he
preached in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea.
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