Acts 8
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New Living TranslationHolman Christian Standard Bible
1Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. Persecution Scatters the Believers A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.1Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.
2(Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)2Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
3But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. Philip Preaches in Samaria3Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.
4But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.4So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the message of good news.
5Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
6Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.6The crowds paid attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the signs he was performing.
7Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.7For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
8So there was great joy in that city.8So there was great joy in that city.
9A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.9A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and astounded the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.
10Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.”10They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, "This man is called the Great Power of God!"
11They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.11They were attentive to him because he had astounded them with his sorceries for a long time.
12But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.12But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
13Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.13Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with Philip and was astounded as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.14When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God's message, they sent Peter and John to them.
15As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.15After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
16The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.16For He had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.18When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
19“Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”19saying, "Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."
20But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!20But Peter told him, "May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought the gift of God could be obtained with money!
21You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.21You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.
22Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts,22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
23for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”23For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.""
24“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”24Please pray to the Lord for me," Simon replied, "so that nothing you have said may happen to me."
25After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News. Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch25Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing many villages of the Samaritans.
26As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: "Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is the desert road.)
27So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship,27So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem
28and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.28and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”29The Spirit told Philip, "Go and join that chariot."
30Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”30When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you're reading?""
31The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.31How can I," he said, "unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.32Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth.
33He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”33In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.
34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?”34The eunuch replied to Philip, "I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about--himself or another person?"
35So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.35So Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture.
36As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”36As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, there's water! What would keep me from being baptized?"
3737And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
38He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.38Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing.
40Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.40Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and evangelizing all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Acts 7
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