26 But (A)an angel of the Lord spoke to (B)Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to (C)Gaza.” ([a]This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went; and (D)there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he (E)had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his [b]chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then (F)the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this [c]chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

(G)He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He does not open His mouth.
33 (H)In humiliation His judgment was taken away;
Who will [d]relate His [e]generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.”

34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip (I)opened his mouth, and (J)beginning from this Scripture he (K)preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! (L)What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 [[f]And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the [g]chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, (M)the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, [h]but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip [i]found himself at [j](N)Azotus, and as he passed through he (O)kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to (P)Caesarea.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 8:26 Or This city is deserted
  2. Acts 8:28 Or carriage
  3. Acts 8:29 Or carriage
  4. Acts 8:33 Or describe
  5. Acts 8:33 Or family or origin
  6. Acts 8:37 Early mss do not contain this v
  7. Acts 8:38 Or carriage
  8. Acts 8:39 Lit for he was going
  9. Acts 8:40 Or was found
  10. Acts 8:40 OT: Ashdod

26 And a messenger of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, `Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza,' -- this is desert.

27 And having arisen, he went on, and lo, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of rank, of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship to Jerusalem;

28 he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29 And the Spirit said to Philip, `Go near, and be joined to this chariot;'

30 and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, `Dost thou then know what thou dost read?'

31 and he said, `Why, how am I able, if some one may not guide me?' he called Philip also, having come up, to sit with him.

32 And the contents of the Writing that he was reading was this: `As a sheep unto slaughter he was led, and as a lamb before his shearer dumb, so he doth not open his mouth;

33 in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and his generation -- who shall declare? because taken from the earth is his life.'

34 And the eunuch answering Philip said, `I pray thee, about whom doth the prophet say this? about himself, or about some other one?'

35 and Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him -- Jesus.

36 And as they were going on the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch said, `Lo, water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?'

37 [And Philip said, `If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;' and he answering said, `I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;']

38 and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down to 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 was going on his way rejoicing;

40 and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, till his coming to Cesarea.

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