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Acts 8
Worldwide English (New Testament)
Acts 8
Worldwide English (New Testament)
8 Saul agreed to Stephen being killed. At that time the church people at Jerusalem had much trouble. The church people all went into Judea and Samaria. Only the apostles stayed on at Jerusalem.
2 Good men buried Stephen. They were very sad because he died.
3 Saul made much trouble for the church people. He went into every house, pulled out men and women, and put them into prison.
4 The people who left Jerusalem went all around telling the good news about Jesus.
5 Then Philip went to the city of Samaria and told people about Christ.
6 And all the people together listened to what Philip said because they heard and saw the big works which he did.
7 Many people who were held by bad spirits were made free from them. The spirits came out of them crying loudly. Many other sick people were healed too. People who could not stand, and others who were lame, were healed.
8 The people all over the city were very glad.
9 But there was one man named Simon, a witch-doctor, who fooled the people of Samaria. He tried to make people believe that he could do big things.
10 And all the people, young and old, listened to him. They said, `This man is a big power of God.'
11 He had fooled them for a long time with his work as a witch. That is why they listened to him.
12 But Philip came and told them about God's kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ. The people believed him. Then both men and women were baptised.
13 Simon believed also. When he was baptised, he went with Philip. He was very much surprised when he saw the signs and the big works which were done.
14 Then the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria believed God's word. So they sent Peter and John to them.
15 When they came to them, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
16 Until that time, none of the people there had received the Holy Spirit. They had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then the apostles put their hands on the people and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon saw that the people received the Holy Spirit when the apostles put their hands on them. Then he brought money to the apostles.
19 He said, `Give me this power, too, so that anyone on whom I put my hands will receive the Holy Spirit.'
20 Peter said, `May you and your money be destroyed! You thought that you could buy the gift of God with money.
21 You have no part in this matter. You cannot have any of this because God sees that your heart is not right.
22 Stop your wrong ways. Ask the Lord. Perhaps God will forgive you for the wrong things you wanted to do.
23 I see that you are very bitter. Your wrong ways control you all together.'
24 Simon said, `Ask the Lord for me, so that none of the things you have talked about will happen to me.'
25 The apostles told the people the word of the Lord. Then they went back to Jerusalem. On the way they told the good news in many villages in Samaria.
26 The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. `Get up,' said the angel. `Go south to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. It is desert there.'
27 So Philip went. He saw a man from the country of Ethiopia. This man was a servant of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopian people. She gave this servant much power. He took care of her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.
28 Now he was on his way back. He sat in his carriage reading from the book which was written long ago by Isaiah, the prophet of God.
29 The Spirit of the Lord said to Stephen, `Go over to that man in the carriage.'
30 So Philip went running to him. He heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. `Do you understand what you are reading?' Philip asked.
31 `How can I? I have no man to teach me,' he answered. He asked Philip to get into the carriage and ride with him.
32 This is what he was reading: `He was led as a sheep to be killed. A lamb says nothing while its wool is being cut, so he also says nothing.
33 He was put down very low. He was not allowed to have a proper trial. He had no children to follow after him. For his life is taken from the earth.'
34 Then the man from Ethiopia asked Philip, `Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about, himself or some other man?'
35 Then Philip told him about Jesus. He began with what the man read in the book.
36 While they were going along, they came to some water by the road. The man said, `See, here is water. What is there to stop me from being baptised?'
37 Philip answered, `If you believe with all your heart, you may be baptised.' The man said, `I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'
38 The man told the driver to stop. Then both he and Philip went down into the water, and Philip baptised him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The man did not see him again, but he went on his way and was very happy.
40 Next, Philip came to the town of Azotus. He told the good news in all the cities through which he passed. Then he came to Caesarea.
Acts 8
New International Version
Acts 8
New International Version
8 And Saul(A) approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered(B) throughout Judea and Samaria.(C) 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul(D) began to destroy the church.(E) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered(F) preached the word wherever they went.(G) 5 Philip(H) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many,(I) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.(J) 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery(K) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(L) 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”(M) 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God(N) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,(O) both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles(P) he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria(Q) had accepted the word of God,(R) they sent Peter and John(S) to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,(T) 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them;(U) they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(V) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,(W) and they received the Holy Spirit.(X)
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!(Y) 21 You have no part or share(Z) in this ministry, because your heart is not right(AA) before God. 22 Repent(AB) of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me(AC) so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord(AD) and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.(AE)
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel(AF) of the Lord said to Philip,(AG) “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a](AH) eunuch,(AI) an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,(AJ) 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told(AK) Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”[b](AL)
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began(AM) with that very passage of Scripture(AN) and told him the good news(AO) about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”(AP) [37] [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,(AQ) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns(AR) until he reached Caesarea.(AS)
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