Acts 8:26-40

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

An Angel Sends Philip Down The Road To an Ethiopian Eunuch Reading Isaiah

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go toward the south^[a] on the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza”. This^[b] is a wilderness [road]. ²⁷ And having arisen, he proceeded. And behold— there was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch^[c], a court-official of Candace^[d] (queen of the Ethiopians), who was over all her treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ and was returning, and sitting on his chariot^[e]. And he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, “Approach and join this chariot”. ³⁰ And having run up, Philip heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you indeed understand the things which you are reading?” ³¹ And the one said, “How indeed might I be able, unless someone will guide me?” And he invited Philip to sit with him, having come up.

Philip Explains That Isaiah 53 Refers To Jesus

³² Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter. And as a lamb before the one having sheared it is silent, so He does not open His mouth. ³³ In His humiliation, His justice^[f] was taken-away. Who will describe^[g] His generation^[h]? Because His life is taken-away from the earth” [Isa 53:7-8]. ³⁴ And having responded, the eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom is the prophet saying this— about himself or about some other?” ³⁵ And Philip— having opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture— announced Jesus as good news to him.

The Man Believes And Is Baptized, And Continues Home Rejoicing

³⁶ And as they were proceeding along the road, they came upon some water. And the eunuch says, “Behold— water. What is preventing me from being baptized?” ^{37 [i] 38} And he ordered the chariot to stop. And they both went down into^[j] the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. ³⁹ And when they came up out-of ^[k] the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. And the eunuch did not see him any longer, for he was going his way rejoicing.

Philip Continues Announcing The Good News In Other Cities

⁴⁰ And Philip was found at Azotus. And while going through, he was announcing-the-good-news-to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.