Acts 8
Easy-to-Read Version
8 Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing. Some godly men buried Stephen and cried loudly for him.
Trouble for the Believers
On that day the Jews began to persecute the church in Jerusalem, making them suffer very much. Saul was also trying to destroy the group. He went into their houses, dragged out men and women, and put them in jail. All the believers left Jerusalem. Only the apostles stayed. The believers went to different places in Judea and Samaria. 4 They were scattered everywhere, and in every place they went, they told people the Good News.
Philip Tells the Good News in Samaria
5 Philip[a] went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah. 6 The people there heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he was doing. They all listened carefully to what he said. 7 Many of these people had evil spirits inside them, but Philip made the evil spirits leave them. The spirits made a lot of noise as they came out. There were also many weak and crippled people there. Philip made these people well too. 8 What a happy day this was for that city!
9 Now there was a man named Simon who lived in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had been doing magic and amazing all the people of Samaria. He bragged and called himself a great man. 10 All the people—the least important and the most important—believed what he said. They said, “This man has the power of God that is called ‘the Great Power.’” 11 Simon amazed the people with his magic for so long that the people became his followers. 12 But Philip told the people the Good News about God’s kingdom and the power of Jesus Christ. Men and women believed Philip and were baptized. 13 Simon himself also believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to Philip. When he saw the miraculous signs and powerful things Philip did, he was amazed.
14 The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God. So they sent Peter and John to the people in Samaria. 15 When Peter and John arrived, they prayed for the Samaritan believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them. This is why Peter and John prayed. 17 When the two apostles laid their hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money. 19 He said, “Give me this power so that when I lay my hands on someone, they will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter said to Simon, “You and your money should both be destroyed because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money. 21 You cannot share with us in this work. Your heart is not right before God. 22 Change your heart! Turn away from these evil thoughts and pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you. 23 I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and cannot stop yourself from doing wrong.”
24 Simon answered, “Both of you pray to the Lord for me, so that what you have said will not happen to me.”
25 Then the two apostles told the people what they had seen Jesus do. They told them the message of the Lord. Then they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and told people the Good News.
Philip Teaches a Man From Ethiopia
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. The angel said, “Get ready and go south on the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem—the road that goes through the desert.”
27 So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia. He was a eunuch and an important official in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He was responsible for taking care of all her money. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 28 Now he was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot reading from the book of Isaiah the prophet.
29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 So he went toward the chariot, and he heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The man answered, “How can I understand? I need someone to explain it to me.” Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him. 32 The part of the Scriptures that he was reading was this:
“He was like a sheep being led to the butcher.
He was like a lamb that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off.
He said nothing.
33 He was shamed, and all his rights were taken away.
His life on earth has ended.
So there will be no story about his descendants.” (A)
34 The official[b] said to Philip, “Please, tell me, who is the prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or about someone else?” 35 Philip began to speak. He started with this same Scripture and told the man the Good News about Jesus.
36 While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The official said, “Look, here is water! What is stopping me from being baptized?” 37 [c] 38 Then the official ordered the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the official never saw him again. The official continued on his way home. He was very happy. 40 But Philip appeared in a city called Azotus. He was going to the city of Caesarea. He told people the Good News in all the towns on the way from Azotus to Caesarea.
Footnotes
Hechos 8
Reina-Valera Antigua
8 Y SAULO consentía en su muerte. Y en aquel día se hizo una grande persecución en la iglesia que estaba en Jerusalem; y todos fueron esparcidos por las tierras de Judea y de Samaria, salvo los apóstoles.
2 Y llevaron á enterrar á Esteban varones piadosos, é hicieron gran llanto sobre él.
3 Entonces Saulo asolaba la iglesia, entrando por las casas: y trayendo hombres y mujeres, los entregaba en la cárcel.
4 Mas los que fueron esparcidos, iban por todas partes anunciando la palabra.
5 Entonces Felipe, descendiendo á la ciudad de Samaria, les predicaba á Cristo.
6 Y las gentes escuchaban atentamente unánimes las cosas que decía Felipe, oyendo y viendo las señales que hacía.
7 Porque de muchos que tenían espíritus inmundos, salían éstos dando grandes voces; y muchos paralíticos y cojos eran sanados:
8 Así que había gran gozo en aquella ciudad.
9 Y había un hombre llamado Simón, el cual había sido antes mágico en aquella ciudad, y había engañado la gente de Samaria, diciéndose ser algún grande:
10 Al cual oían todos atentamente desde al más pequeño hasta el más grande, diciendo: Este es la gran virtud de Dios.
11 Y le estaban atentos, porque con sus artes mágicas los había embelesado mucho tiempo.
12 Mas cuando creyeron á Felipe, que anunciaba el evangelio del reino de Dios y el nombre de Jesucristo, se bautizaban hombres y mujeres.
13 El mismo Simón creyó también entonces, y bautizándose, se llegó á Felipe: y viendo los milagros y grandes maravillas que se hacían, estaba atónito.
14 Y los apóstoles que estaban en Jerusalem, habiendo oído que Samaria había recibido la palabra de Dios, les enviaron á Pedro y á Juan:
15 Los cuales venidos, oraron por ellos, para que recibiesen el Espíritu Santo;
16 (Porque aun no había descendido sobre ninguno de ellos, mas solamente eran bautizados en el nombre de Jesús.)
17 Entonces les impusieron las manos, y recibieron el Espíritu Santo.
18 Y como vió Simón que por la imposición de las manos de los apóstoles se daba el Espíritu Santo, les ofreció dinero,
19 Diciendo: Dadme también á mí esta potestad, que á cualquiera que pusiere las manos encima, reciba el Espíritu Santo.
20 Entonces Pedro le dijo: Tu dinero perezca contigo, que piensas que el don de Dios se gane por dinero.
21 No tienes tú parte ni suerte en este negocio; porque tu corazón no es recto delante de Dios.
22 Arrepiéntete pues de esta tu maldad, y ruega á Dios, si quizás te será perdonado el pensamiento de tu corazón.
23 Porque en hiel de amargura y en prisión de maldad veo que estás.
24 Respondiendo entonces Simón, dijo: Rogad vosotros por mí al Señor, que ninguna cosa de estas que habéis dicho, venga sobre mí.
25 Y ellos, habiendo testificado y hablado la palabra de Dios, se volvieron á Jerusalem, y en muchas tierras de los Samaritanos anunciaron el evangelio.
26 Empero el ángel de Señor habló á Felipe, diciendo: Levántate y ve hacia el mediodía, al camino que desciende de Jerusalem á Gaza, el cual es desierto.
27 Entonces él se levantó, y fué: y he aquí un Etiope, eunuco, gobernador de Candace, reina de los Etiopes, el cual era puesto sobre todos sus tesoros, y había venido á adorar á Jerusalem,
28 Se volvía sentado en su carro, y leyendo el profeta Isaías.
29 Y el Espíritu dijo á Felipe: Llégate, y júntate á este carro.
30 Y acudiendo Felipe, le oyó que leía el profeta Isaías, y dijo: Mas ¿entiendes lo que lees?
31 Y dijo: ¿Y cómo podré, si alguno no me enseñare? Y rogó á Felipe que subiese, y se sentase con él.
32 Y el lugar de la Escritura que leía, era éste: Como oveja á la muerte fué llevado; Y como cordero mudo delante del que le trasquila, Así no abrió su boca:
33 En su humillación su juicio fué quitado: Mas su generación, ¿quién la contará? Porque es quitada de la tierra su vida.
34 Y respondiendo el eunuco á Felipe, dijo: Ruégote ¿de quién el profeta dice esto? ¿de sí, ó de otro alguno?
35 Entonces Felipe, abriendo su boca, y comenzando desde esta escritura, le anunció el evangelio de Jesús.
36 Y yendo por el camino, llegaron á cierta agua; y dijo el eunuco: He aquí agua; ¿qué impide que yo sea bautizado?
37 Y Felipe dijo: Si crees de todo corazón, bien puedes. Y respondiendo, dijo: Creo que Jesucristo es el Hijo de Dios.
38 Y mandó parar el carro: y descendieron ambos al agua, Felipe y el eunuco; y bautizóle.
39 Y como subieron del agua, el Espíritu del Señor arrebató á Felipe; y no le vió más el eunuco, y se fué por su camino gozoso.
40 Felipe empero se halló en Azoto: y pasando, anunciaba el evangelio en todas las ciudades, hasta que llegó á Cesarea.
Acts 8
Christian Standard Bible
Saul the Persecutor
8 Saul agreed with putting him to death.
On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.(A) 2 Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. 3 Saul,(B) however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.(C)
Philip in Samaria
4 So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to a[a] city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.(D) 6 The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.(E) 8 So there was great joy in that city.
The Response of Simon
9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.(F) 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”[b](G) 11 They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.(H) 13 Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles(I) that were being performed.
Simon’s Sin
14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.(J) 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(K)) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit[c] was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!(L) 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.(M) 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. 23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”(N)
24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”(O)
25 So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
The Conversion of the Ethiopian Official
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.[d](P)) 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch(Q) and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem(R) 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”(S)
30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth.[e](T)
34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.(U)
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” [f] 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord(V) carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip appeared in[g] Azotus,[h] and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.(W)
Footnotes
- 8:5 Other mss read the
- 8:10 Or “This is the power of God called Great
- 8:18 Other mss add Holy
- 8:26 Or is a desert place
- 8:32–33 Is 53:7–8
- 8:36 Some mss include v. 37: Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
- 8:40 Or Philip was found at, or Philip found himself in
- 8:40 Or Ashdod
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