Acts 8-9

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

8 And Saul was [not only] consenting to [Stephen’s] death [he was ^[a]pleased and ^[b]entirely approving]. On that day a great and severe persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (special messengers).

² [A party of] devout men ^[c]with others helped to carry out and bury Stephen and made great lamentation over him.

³ But Saul shamefully treated and laid waste the church continuously [with cruelty and violence]; and entering house after house, he dragged out men and women and committed them to prison.

⁴ Now those who were scattered abroad went about [through the land from place to place] preaching the glad tidings, the Word [^[d]the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God].

⁵ Philip [the deacon, not the apostle] went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ (the Messiah) to them [the people];^(A)

⁶ And great crowds of people with one accord listened to and heeded what was said by Philip, as they heard him and watched the miracles and wonders which he kept performing [from time to time].

⁷ For foul spirits came out of many who were possessed by them, screaming and shouting with a loud voice, and many who were suffering from palsy or were crippled were restored to health.

⁸ And there was great rejoicing in that city.

⁹ But there was a man named Simon, who had formerly practiced magic arts in the city to the utter amazement of the Samaritan nation, claiming that he himself was an extraordinary and distinguished person.

¹⁰ They all paid earnest attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that exhibition of the power of God which is called great (intense).

¹¹ And they were attentive and made much of him, because for a long time he had amazed and bewildered and dazzled them with his skill in magic arts.

¹² But when they believed the good news (the Gospel) about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) as Philip preached it, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³ Even Simon himself believed [he adhered to, trusted in, and relied on the teaching of Philip], and after being baptized, devoted himself constantly to him. And seeing signs and miracles of great power which were being performed, he was utterly amazed.

¹⁴ Now when the apostles (special messengers) at Jerusalem heard that [the country of] Samaria had accepted and welcomed the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

¹⁵ And they came down and prayed for them that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit;

¹⁶ For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁷ Then [the apostles] laid their hands on them one by one, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ However, when Simon saw that the [Holy] Spirit was imparted through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he brought money and offered it to them,

¹⁹ Saying, Grant me also this power and authority, in order that anyone on whom I place my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.

²⁰ But Peter said to him, Destruction overtake your money and you, because you imagined you could obtain the [free] gift of God with money!

²¹ You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is all wrong in God’s sight [it is not straightforward or right or true before God].^(B)

²² So repent of this depravity and wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible, this ^[e]contriving thought and purpose of your heart may be removed and disregarded and forgiven you.

²³ For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in ^[f]a bond forged by iniquity [to fetter souls].^(C)

²⁴ And Simon answered, Pray for me [beseech the Lord, both of you], that nothing of what you have said may befall me!

²⁵ Now when [the apostles] had borne their testimony and preached the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the glad tidings (Gospel) to many villages of the Samaritans [on the way].

²⁶ But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and proceed southward or at midday on the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza. This is the desert [^[g]route].

²⁷ So he got up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship.

²⁸ And he was [now] returning, and sitting in his chariot he was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹ Then the [Holy] Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to this chariot.

³⁰ Accordingly Philip, running up to him, heard [the man] reading the prophet Isaiah and asked, Do you really understand what you are reading?

³¹ And he said, How is it possible for me to do so unless someone explains it to me and guides me [in the right way]? And he earnestly requested Philip to come up and sit beside him.

³² Now this was the passage of Scripture which he was reading: Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth.

³³ In His humiliation ^[h] He was taken away by distressing and oppressive judgment and justice was denied Him [caused to cease]. Who can describe or relate in full ^[i]the wickedness of His contemporaries (generation)? For His life is taken from the earth and ^[j]a bloody death inflicted upon Him.^(D)

³⁴ And the eunuch said to Philip, I beg of you, tell me about whom does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?

³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this portion of Scripture he announced to him the glad tidings (Gospel) of Jesus and about Him.

³⁶ And as they continued along on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch exclaimed, See, [here is] water! What is to hinder my being baptized?

^37 [k]And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart [if you have ^[l]a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as the Author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then] you may. And he replied, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

³⁸ And he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and [Philip] baptized him.

³⁹ And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord [^[m]suddenly] caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰ But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the good news (Gospel) to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

9 Meanwhile Saul, ^[n]still drawing his breath hard from threatening and murderous desire against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

² And requested of him letters to the synagogues at Damascus [authorizing him], so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way [of life as determined by faith in Jesus Christ], he might bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem.

³ Now as he traveled on, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him,

⁴ And he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me [harassing, troubling, and molesting Me]?

⁵ And Saul said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. ^[o]It is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance].

⁶ Trembling and astonished he asked, Lord, what do You desire me to do? The Lord said to him, But arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.

⁷ The men who were accompanying him were unable to speak [for terror], hearing the voice but seeing no one.

⁸ Then Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

⁹ And he was unable to see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank [anything].

¹⁰ Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he answered, Here am I, Lord.

¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying [there].

¹² And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias enter and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.

¹³ But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard many people tell about this man, especially how much evil and what great suffering he has brought on Your saints at Jerusalem;

¹⁴ Now he is here and has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call upon Your name.

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel;

¹⁶ For I will make clear to him how much he will be afflicted and must endure and suffer for My name’s sake.

¹⁷ So Ananias left and went into the house. And he laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you along the way by which you came here, has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ And instantly something like scales fell from [Saul’s] eyes, and he recovered his sight. Then he arose and was baptized,

¹⁹ And after he took some food, he was strengthened. For several days [afterward] he remained with the disciples at Damascus.

²⁰ And immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, saying, He is the Son of God!

²¹ And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the very man who harassed and overthrew and destroyed in Jerusalem those who called upon this Name? And he has come here for the express purpose of arresting them and bringing them in chains before the chief priests.

²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, and continued to confound and put to confusion the Jews who lived in Damascus by comparing and examining evidence and proving that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah).

²³ After considerable time had elapsed, the Jews conspired to put Saul out of the way by slaying him,

²⁴ But [the knowledge of] their plot was made known to Saul. They were guarding the [city’s] gates day and night to kill him,

²⁵ But his disciples took him at night and let him down through the [city’s] wall, lowering him in a basket or hamper.

²⁶ And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate himself with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe he really was a disciple.

²⁷ However, Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he explained to them how along the way he had seen the Lord, Who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached freely and confidently and courageously in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ So he went in and out [as one] among them at Jerusalem,

²⁹ Preaching freely and confidently and boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and discussed with and disputed against the Hellenists (the Grecian Jews), but they were seeking to slay him.

³⁰ And when the brethren found it out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus [his home town].

³¹ So the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was edified [growing in wisdom, virtue, and piety] and walking in the respect and reverential fear of the Lord and in the consolation and exhortation of the Holy Spirit, continued to increase and was multiplied.

³² Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he went down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedfast for eight years and was paralyzed.

³⁴ And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [now] makes you whole. Get up and make your bed! And immediately [Aeneas] stood up.

³⁵ Then all the inhabitants of Lydda and the plain of Sharon saw [what had happened to] him and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶ Now there was at Joppa a disciple [a woman] named [in Aramaic] Tabitha, which [in Greek] means Dorcas. She was abounding in good deeds and acts of charity.

³⁷ About that time she fell sick and died, and when they had cleansed her, they laid [her] in an upper room.

³⁸ Since Lydda was near Joppa [however], the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him begging him, Do come to us without delay.

³⁹ So Peter [immediately] rose and accompanied them. And when he had arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, crying and displaying undershirts (tunics) and [other] garments such as Dorcas was accustomed to make while she was with them.

⁴⁰ But Peter put them all out [of the room] and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, Tabitha, get up! And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she raised herself and sat upright.

⁴¹ And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling in God’s people and the widows, he presented her to them alive.

⁴² And this became known throughout all Joppa, and many came to believe on the Lord [to adhere to and trust in and rely on Him as the Christ and as their Savior].

⁴³ And Peter remained in Joppa for considerable time with a certain Simon a tanner.