But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

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Simon the Sorcerer

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery(A) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(B)

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And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

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They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer(A) and false prophet(B) named Bar-Jesus,

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36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

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36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.

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18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

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18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory,(A) but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

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18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

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18 But when the magicians(A) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,(B) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger(C) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart(D) was hard and he would not listen,(E) just as the Lord had said.

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And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

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“‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.(A)

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18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

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18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.[a] 20 In this way the word of the Lord(A) spread widely and grew in power.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 19:19 A drachma was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages.

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

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Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,(A) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(B) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,(C) who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.(D)

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11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

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11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.

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22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.

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22 But the Egyptian magicians(A) did the same things by their secret arts,(B) and Pharaoh’s heart(C) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

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11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

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11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(A) and the Egyptian magicians(B) also did the same things by their secret arts:(C)

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15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

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15 Outside(A) are the dogs,(B) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

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13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

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13 And it performed great signs,(A) even causing fire to come down from heaven(B) to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs(C) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived(D) the inhabitants of the earth.(E) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.(F)

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