⁵ Philip^(A) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.

Renewal of the Covenant

29 ^[a]These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab,^(A) in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.^(B)

² Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them:

Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land.^{(C) 3} With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders.^{(D) 4} But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.^{(E) 5} Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led^(F) you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.^{(G) 6} You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink.^(H) I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.”^(I)

⁷ When you reached this place, Sihon^(J) king of Heshbon^(K) and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them.^{(L) 8} We took their land and gave it as an inheritance^(M) to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.^(N)

⁹ Carefully follow^(O) the terms of this covenant,^(P) so that you may prosper in everything you do.^{(Q) 10} All of you are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, ¹¹ together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water.^{(R) 12} You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God, a covenant the Lord is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, ¹³ to confirm you this day as his people,^(S) that he may be your God^(T) as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ¹⁴ I am making this covenant,^(U) with its oath, not only with you ¹⁵ who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today.^(V)

¹⁶ You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. ¹⁷ You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold.^{(W) 18} Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns^(X) away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.^(Y)

¹⁹ When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing^(Z) on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,”^(AA) they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. ²⁰ The Lord will never be willing to forgive^(AB) them; his wrath and zeal^(AC) will burn^(AD) against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot^(AE) out their names from under heaven. ²¹ The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster,^(AF) according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.^(AG)

²² Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it.^{(AH) 23} The whole land will be a burning waste^(AI) of salt^(AJ) and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,^(AK) Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger.^{(AL) 24} All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land?^(AM) Why this fierce, burning anger?”

²⁵ And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt.^{(AN) 26} They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. ²⁷ Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book.^{(AO) 28} In furious anger and in great wrath^(AP) the Lord uprooted^(AQ) them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.”

²⁹ The secret things belong to the Lord our God,^(AR) but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.^(AS)

Prosperity After Turning to the Lord

30 When all these blessings and curses^(AT) I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations,^{(AU) 2} and when you and your children return^(AV) to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart^(AW) and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, ³ then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes^[b](AX) and have compassion^(AY) on you and gather^(AZ) you again from all the nations where he scattered^(BA) you.^{(BB) 4} Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens,^(BC) from there the Lord your God will gather^(BD) you and bring you back.^{(BE) 5} He will bring^(BF) you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous^(BG) than your ancestors. ⁶ The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants,^(BH) so that you may love^(BI) him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. ⁷ The Lord your God will put all these curses^(BJ) on your enemies who hate and persecute you.^{(BK) 8} You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. ⁹ Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.^(BL) The Lord will again delight^(BM) in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, ¹⁰ if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law^(BN) and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.^(BO)

The Offer of Life or Death

¹¹ Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.^{(BP) 12} It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven^(BQ) to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”^{(BR) 13} Nor is it beyond the sea,^(BS) so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”^{(BT) 14} No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.^(BU)

¹⁵ See, I set before you today life^(BV) and prosperity,^(BW) death^(BX) and destruction.^{(BY) 16} For I command you today to love^(BZ) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live^(CA) and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.^(CB) You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you^(CC) that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.^(CD) Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love^(CE) the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,^(CF) and he will give^(CG) you many years in the land^(CH) he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Psalm 76^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

Disaster Because of Idolatry

44 This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt^(A)—in Migdol,^(B) Tahpanhes^(C) and Memphis^(D)—and in Upper Egypt:^{(E) 2} “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster^(F) I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.^(G) Today they lie deserted and in ruins^{(H) 3} because of the evil^(I) they have done. They aroused my anger^(J) by burning incense^(K) to and worshiping other gods^(L) that neither they nor you nor your ancestors^(M) ever knew. ⁴ Again and again^(N) I sent my servants the prophets,^(O) who said, ‘Do not do this detestable^(P) thing that I hate!’ ⁵ But they did not listen or pay attention;^(Q) they did not turn from their wickedness^(R) or stop burning incense^(S) to other gods.^{(T) 6} Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out;^(U) it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins^(V) they are today.

⁷ “Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster^(W) on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women,^(X) the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant?^{(Y) 8} Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made,^(Z) burning incense^(AA) to other gods in Egypt,^(AB) where you have come to live?^(AC) You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse^[a] and an object of reproach^(AD) among all the nations on earth. ⁹ Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors^(AE) and by the kings^(AF) and queens^(AG) of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives^(AH) in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?^{(AI) 10} To this day they have not humbled^(AJ) themselves or shown reverence,^(AK) nor have they followed my law^(AL) and the decrees^(AM) I set before you and your ancestors.^(AN)

¹¹ “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty,^(AO) the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster^(AP) on you and to destroy all Judah. ¹² I will take away the remnant^(AQ) of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest,^(AR) they will die by sword or famine.^(AS) They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach.^{(AT) 13} I will punish^(AU) those who live in Egypt with the sword,^(AV) famine and plague,^(AW) as I punished Jerusalem. ¹⁴ None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.”^(AX)

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:

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)