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 dragging men and women committed them to prison.

⁴ They therefore that were scattered abroad went about ^[a]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 [b]For from many of those that 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, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the ^[c]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 ^[d]miracles wrought, he was amazed.

¹⁴ Now when the apostles that 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 Spirit: ¹⁶ for as yet it 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 Spirit. ¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the ^[e]Holy Spirit 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 Spirit. 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 ^[f]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 ^[g]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 ^[h]preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶ But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go ^[i]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 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 passage of the scripture which he was reading was this,

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, ^[k]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?^{[l] 38} And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. ³⁹ And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he ^[m]preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.