8 ¹ And Saul was giving-approval to his killing.

The Church Is Persecuted And Driven Out of Jerusalem

And a great persecution came about on that day against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed^[a] throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² And reverent men carried-in Stephen [for burial], and made a loud lamentation over him. ³ And Saul was destroying^[b] the church. Entering from house to house, dragging-away both men and women, he was handing them over to prison. ⁴ So indeed, the ones having been dispersed went about announcing the word as good news.

Philip Proclaims Christ And Does Miracles In Samaria. Many Are Baptized, Including Simon

⁵ Now Philip, having gone down to the city^[c] of Samaria, was proclaiming the Christ to them. ⁶ And the crowds were with-one-accord paying-attention-to^[d] the things being said by Philip, during their hearing and seeing the signs which he was doing. ⁷ For many of the ones having unclean spirits— they were coming out while shouting with a loud voice. And many paralyzed ones and lame ones were cured. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city. ⁹ Now a certain man, Simon by name, was-previously in the city practicing-magic and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that he was someone great, ¹⁰ to whom they all, from the small up to the great, were paying attention, saying, “This one is the Power^[e] of God being called ‘Great’”. ¹¹ And they were paying attention to him because he had astonished them for a considerable time with the magic-arts. ¹² And when they believed Philip announcing-the-good-news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized— both men and women. ¹³ Now Simon himself also believed. And having been baptized, he was attaching-himself to Philip. He was astonished, seeing both signs and great miracles taking place.

Peter and John Come So The Samaritans Might Receive The Holy Spirit

¹⁴ And the apostles in Jerusalem, having heard that “Samaria has accepted the word of God”, sent-forth Peter and John to them— ¹⁵ who, having come down, prayed for them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they were laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Now Simon, having seen that the Spirit was given through the laying-on of the hands of the apostles, offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give this authority to me also, so-that on whomever I lay on my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit”. ²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver be with you for destruction, because you thought to acquire the gift of God with money. ²¹ There is no part nor share for you in this matter. For your heart is not straight before God. ²² Therefore repent from this evilness of yours, and pray to the Lord, if perhaps^[f] the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. ²³ For I see you being in the gall^[g] of ^[h] bitterness and the bond^[i] of ^[j] unrighteousness”. ²⁴ And having responded, Simon said, “You^[k] two pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing of the things which you have spoken may come upon me”. ²⁵ So indeed the ones— having solemnly-testified, and having spoken the word of the Lord— were returning to Jerusalem and announcing-the-good-news-to many villages of the Samaritans.

An Angel Sends Philip Down The Road To an Ethiopian Eunuch Reading Isaiah

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go toward the south^[l] on the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza”. This^[m] is a wilderness [road]. ²⁷ And having arisen, he proceeded. And behold— there was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch^[n], a court-official of Candace^[o] (queen of the Ethiopians), who was over all her treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ and was returning, and sitting on his chariot^[p]. And he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, “Approach and join this chariot”. ³⁰ And having run up, Philip heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you indeed understand the things which you are reading?” ³¹ And the one said, “How indeed might I be able, unless someone will guide me?” And he invited Philip to sit with him, having come up.

Philip Explains That Isaiah 53 Refers To Jesus

³² Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter. And as a lamb before the one having sheared it is silent, so He does not open His mouth. ³³ In His humiliation, His justice^[q] was taken-away. Who will describe^[r] His generation^[s]? Because His life is taken-away from the earth” [Isa 53:7-8]. ³⁴ And having responded, the eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom is the prophet saying this— about himself or about some other?” ³⁵ And Philip— having opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture— announced Jesus as good news to him.

The Man Believes And Is Baptized, And Continues Home Rejoicing

³⁶ And as they were proceeding along the road, they came upon some water. And the eunuch says, “Behold— water. What is preventing me from being baptized?” ^{37 [t] 38} And he ordered the chariot to stop. And they both went down into^[u] the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. ³⁹ And when they came up out-of ^[v] the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. And the eunuch did not see him any longer, for he was going his way rejoicing.

Philip Continues Announcing The Good News In Other Cities

⁴⁰ And Philip was found at Azotus. And while going through, he was announcing-the-good-news-to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.