⁵ This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen,^(A) a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;^(B) also Philip,^(C) Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. ⁶ They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed^(D) and laid their hands on them.^(E)

Philip in Samaria

⁴ Those who had been scattered^(A) preached the word wherever they went.^{(B) 5} Philip^(C) 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,^(D) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.^{(E) 8} So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

⁹ Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery^(F) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,^{(G) 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.”^{(H) 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^(I) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,^(J) both men and women. ¹³ Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles^(K) he saw.

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria^(L) had accepted the word of God,^(M) they sent Peter and John^(N) to Samaria.

Philip and the Ethiopian

²⁶ Now an angel^(A) of the Lord said to Philip,^(B) “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](C) eunuch,^(D) 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,^{(E) 28} and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit told^(F) 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^(H) with that very passage of Scripture^(I) and told him the good news^(J) 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?”^{(K) [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,^(L) 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^(M) until he reached Caesarea.^(N)

⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea^(A) and stayed at the house of Philip^(B) the evangelist,^(C) one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.^(D)

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus^(E) came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says,^(F) ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind^(G) the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”^(H)

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die^(I) in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”^{(J) 14} When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up^(K) and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”^(L)