Acts 8:9-35

English Standard Version

Simon the Magician Believes

⁹ But there was a man named Simon, ^(A)who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, ^(B)saying that he himself was somebody great. ¹⁰ They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, ^(C)“This man is the power of God that is called ^(D)Great.” ¹¹ And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had ^(E)amazed them with his magic. ¹² But when ^(F)they believed Philip as he preached good news ^(G)about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, ^(H)they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And ^(I)seeing signs and ^(J)great miracles^[a] performed, ^(K)he was amazed.

¹⁴ Now when ^(L)the apostles at Jerusalem heard that ^(M)Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, ¹⁵ who came down and prayed for them ^(N)that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for ^(O)he had not yet ^(P)fallen on any of them, but ^(Q)they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then ^(R)they laid their hands on them and ^(S)they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ²⁰ But Peter said to him, ^(T)“May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God ^(U)with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for ^(V)your heart is not right before God. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, ^(W)if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are in ^(X)the gall^[b] of bitterness and in ^(Y)the bond of iniquity.” ²⁴ And Simon answered, ^(Z)“Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

²⁵ Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, ^(AA)preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

²⁶ Now ^(AB)an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south^[c] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. ²⁷ And he rose and went. And there was an ^(AC)Ethiopian, a ^(AD)eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, ^(AE)who was in charge of all her treasure. ^(AF)He had come to Jerusalem to worship ²⁸ and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” ³⁰ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, ^(AG)“How can I, unless someone ^(AH)guides me?” And ^(AI)he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

³⁴ And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and ^(AL)beginning with this Scripture ^(AM)he told him the good news about Jesus.