1And Saul was consenting to his execution. On that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2And devout men buried Stephen and made a great lamentation over him.
3But Saul was ravaging the church; entering house after house and dragging off both men and women, he would hand them over to prison.
4So then, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
5And Philip, going down to the city of Samaria, was proclaiming the Christ to them.
6And the crowds with one accord were paying attention to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs that he was performing.
7For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, were coming out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
8And there was much joy in that city.
9But a certain man named Simon had previously been in the city, practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was someone great.
10They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
11And they were paying attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, both men and women.
13And Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized, he was constantly with Philip. And seeing the signs and great miracles happening, he was amazed.
14Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16For he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
17Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
19saying, “Give me this authority also, so that on whomever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
21You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
22Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
23For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
24And Simon answered and said, “You pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
25So when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they began to return to Jerusalem, and they were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
26But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road.
27And he arose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28and he was returning, and sitting in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
30So Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you indeed understand what you are reading?”
31And he said, “How could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth.
33In his humiliation his justice was taken away; who will declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”
34The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself or about someone else?”
35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, he proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.
36And as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
40But Philip was found at Azotus, and as he passed through, he proclaimed the good news to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
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