The Sorcerer’s Profession of Faith

⁹ But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously ^(A)practiced ^[a]sorcery in the city and ^(B)astonished the ^[b]people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,

⁶ Now when they had gone through ^[a]the island to Paphos, they found ^(A)a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,

³⁶ For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, ^[a]joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.

^18 (A)He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who ^(B)seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and ^(C)no unrighteousness is in Him.

¹⁸ Now ^(A)the magicians so worked with their ^[a]enchantments to bring forth lice, but they ^(B)could not. So there were lice on man and beast. ¹⁹ Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is ^(C)the^[b] finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s ^(D)heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

⁶ ‘And ^(A)the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

¹⁸ And many who had believed came ^(A)confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ^20 (B)So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl ^(A)possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters ^(B)much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days.

But Paul, ^(C)greatly ^[a]annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” ^(D)And he came out that very hour.

¹¹ And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his ^[a]sorceries for a long time.