Acts 8

¹ And Saul was consenting unto his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

² And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him.

³ But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

⁴ They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word.

⁵ And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ.

⁶ And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did.

⁷ For from many of those which had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed.

⁸ And there was much joy in that city.

⁹ But there was a certain man, Simon by name, which beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

¹⁰ to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great.

¹¹ And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

¹² But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³ And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.

¹⁴ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

¹⁵ who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

¹⁶ for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁷ Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

¹⁹ saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

²⁰ But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money.

²¹ Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God.

²² Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee.

²³ For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.

²⁴ And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me.

²⁵ They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶ But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert.

²⁷ And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem for to worship;

²⁸ and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹ And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

³⁰ And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

³¹ And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him.

³² Now the place of the scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth:

³³ In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth.

³⁴ And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other?

³⁵ And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.

³⁶ And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?