1And Saul agreed with his death. On that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem. All of them were scattered through the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2Devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and mourned loudly over him.
3As for Saul, he tore the church apart. He went into every house, and dragged out men and women, and put them in prison.
4So those who had been scattered went everywhere, preaching the word.
6The people all together paid attention to what Philip said. They heard him, and saw the miracles that he did.
7For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed by them, crying with a loud voice. And many who were paralysed, and many who were lame, were healed.
8And there was great joy in that city.
9But there was a man called Simon. Before this he had practised sorcery in that same city, and amazed the people of Samaria. He claimed that he himself was someone great.
10They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest. They said, "This man is the great power of God."
11They paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.
12But when they believed Philip, who preached the things about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13Then Simon himself believed too. When he was baptized, he stayed with Philip, and he was amazed as he watched the miracles and signs that were done.
14Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15When they came down, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16(For as yet the Spirit had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money.
19He said, "Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."
20But Peter said to him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be bought with money."
21"You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God."
22"So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to God. Perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you."
23"For I see that you are full of bitter poison, and held fast by sin."
24Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me, so that none of the things you have said may come on me."
25When they had given their testimony and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
26The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. He said, "Get up, and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert."
27So he got up and went. And look, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians. He was in charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28He was going back home, sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.
29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near, and stay close to this chariot."
30So Philip ran up to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31He said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
32The place in the scripture that he was reading was this: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. Like a lamb silent before the one who shears it, so he did not open his mouth."
33"In his humiliation his justice was taken away. And who will tell of his generation? For his life is taken from the earth."
34The eunuch said to Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet speaking about? Himself, or some other man?"
36As they went on their way, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, here is water. What is there to stop me being baptized?"
37And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." He answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
38He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing.