8:1 Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
8:2 Devout men buried Stephen as they mourned loudly for him.
8:3 Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison.
8:4 The believers who were scattered went from place to place, where they spread the word.
8:5 Philip went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah.
8:6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said. They listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed.
8:7 Evil spirits screamed as they came out of the many people they had possessed. Many paralyzed and lame people were cured.
8:9 A man named Simon lived in that city. He amazed the people of Samaria with his practice of magic. He claimed that he was great.
8:10 Everyone from children to adults paid attention to him. They said, “This man is the power of God, and that power is called great.”
8:11 They paid attention to Simon because he had amazed them for a long time with his practice of magic.
8:12 However, when Philip spread the Good News about the kingdom of God and the one named Yeshua Christ, men and women believed him and were baptized.
8:13 Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized, he became devoted to Philip. Simon was amazed to see the miracles and impressive things that were happening.
8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
8:15 Peter and John went to Samaria and prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit.
8:16 (Before this the Holy Spirit had not come to any of the Samaritans. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Yeshua.)
8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit.
8:18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money
8:19 and said, “Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
8:20 Peter told Simon, “May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy God’s gift.
8:21 You won’t have any share in this because God can see how twisted your thinking is.
8:22 So change your wicked thoughts, and ask the Lord if he will forgive you for thinking like this.
8:23 I can see that you are bitter with jealousy and wrapped up in your evil ways.”
8:24 Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me that none of the things you said will happen to me.”
8:25 After they had boldly spoken about the message of the Lord, they spread the Good News in many Samaritan villages on their way back to Jerusalem.
8:26 An angel from the Lord said to Philip, “Get up, and take the desert road that goes south from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
8:27 So Philip went. An Ethiopian man who had come to Jerusalem to worship was on his way home. The man was a eunuch, a high-ranking official in charge of all the treasures of Queen Candace of Ethiopia.
8:28 As the official rode along in his carriage, he was reading the prophet Isaiah out loud.
8:29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that carriage, and stay close to it.”
8:30 Philip ran to the carriage and could hear the official reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
8:31 The official answered, “How can I understand unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to sit with him in his carriage.
8:32 This was the part of the Scriptures that the official was reading: “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn’t open his mouth.
8:33 When he humbled himself, he was not judged fairly. Who from his generation will talk about his life on earth being cut short?”
8:34 The official said to Philip, “I would like to know who the prophet is talking about. Is he talking about himself or someone else?”
8:35 Then Philip spoke. Starting with that passage, Philip told the official the Good News about Yeshua.
8:36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The official said to Philip, “Look, there’s some water. What can keep me from being baptized?”
8:38 The official ordered the carriage to stop. He and Philip stepped into the water, and Philip baptized him.
8:39 When they had stepped out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official joyfully continued on his way and didn’t see Philip again.
8:40 Philip found himself in the city of Azotus. He traveled through all the cities and spread the Good News until he came to the city of Caesarea.
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