✧1And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. ✧2God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. ✧3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. ✧4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. ✧5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. ✧6The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform. ✧7With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed. ✧8So there was great joy in that city.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB). Berean Standard Bible (BSB). Dedicated to the public domain by the rights holder.
✧9Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,
✧10and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”
✧11They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.
✧12But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
✧13Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.
✧14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
✧15On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
✧16For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
✧17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
✧18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.
✧19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
✧20But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
✧21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
✧22Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.
✧23For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”
✧24Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
✧25And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.
✧26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
✧27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
✧28and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.
✧29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”
✧30So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
✧31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
✧32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
✧33In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”
✧34“Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”
✧35Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
✧36As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”
✧38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
✧39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
✧40But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.