1 En Saulus het ook sy vermoording goedgekeur. En daar het in die tyd 'n groot vervolging teen die gemeente in Jerusalem ontstaan, en almal is verstrooi oor die streke van Judia en Samar¡a, behalwe die apostels.

2 En godvresende manne het St,fanus begrawe en 'n groot rou oor hom bedrywe.

3 Maar Saulus het die gemeente verwoes en in die huise gegaan en manne en vroue uitgesleep en in die gevangenis oorgelewer.

4 En die wat verstrooi was, het die land deurgegaan en die woord van die evangelie verkondig.

5 En Filippus het afgekom in 'n stad van Samar¡a en Christus aan hulle verkondig.

6 En die skare het eendragtig ag gegee op die woorde van Filippus toe hulle dit hoor en die tekens sien wat hy doen.

7 Want uit baie van die wat onreine geeste gehad het, het die geeste uitgegaan terwyl hulle met 'n groot stem skreeu; en baie wat lam en kreupel was, het gesond geword.

8 En daar was groot blydskap in daardie stad.

9 En 'n sekere man met die naam van Simon het vantevore in die stad met towery omgegaan en die bevolking van Samar¡a verbyster deur te sê dat hy iets besonders was.

10 En almal, klein en groot, het hom aangehang en gesê: Hy is die groot krag van God.

11 En hulle het hom aangehang, omdat hy hulle 'n geruime tyd deur sy towerye verbyster het.

12 Maar toe hulle Filippus geglo het, wat die evangelie aangaande die koninkryk van God en die Naam van Jesus Christus verkondig het, is hulle gedoop, manne sowel as vroue.

13 En Simon het ook self gelowig geword, en nadat hy gedoop was, gedurig by Filippus gebly; en hy was verbaas toe hy die tekens en groot kragte sien gebeur.

14 En toe die apostels in Jerusalem hoor dat Samar¡a die woord van God aangeneem het, het hulle Petrus en Johannes na hulle gestuur.

15 Hulle het afgekom en vir hulle gebid, dat hulle die Heilige Gees mag ontvang,

16 want Hy het toe nog op niemand van hulle geval nie, maar hulle was net gedoop in die Naam van die Here Jesus.

17 Hulle het hul toe die hande opgelê, en hulle het die Heilige Gees ontvang.

18 En toe Simon sien dat deur die handoplegging van die apostels die Heilige Gees gegee word, het hy hulle geld aangebied

19 en gesê: Gee aan my ook hierdie mag, sodat elkeen wat ek die hande oplê, die Heilige Gees kan ontvang.

20 Maar Petrus sê vir hom: Mag jou geld saam met jou vergaan, omdat jy gedink het om die gawe van God deur geld te verkry.

21 Jy het geen deel of lot in hierdie saak nie, want jou hart is nie reg voor God nie.

22 Bekeer jou dan van hierdie boosheid van jou, en bid God of die gedagte van jou hart jou miskien vergewe mag word.

23 Want ek sien dat jy in 'n gal van bitterheid en bande van ongeregtigheid is.

24 Maar Simon het geantwoord en gesê: Bid julle tot die Here vir my, sodat niks van wat julle gesê het, oor my mag kom nie.

25 Nadat hulle dan kragtig getuig en die woord van die Here gespreek het, het hulle na Jerusalem teruggegaan en die evangelie aan baie dorpe van die Samaritane verkondig.

26 En 'n engel van die Here het met Filippus gespreek en gesê: Staan op en gaan na die suide op die pad wat afloop van Jerusalem na Gasa. Dit is 'n eensame pad.

27 Toe het hy opgestaan en gegaan. En daar was 'n man van Ethiopië, 'n hofdienaar, 'n staatsamptenaar van Kandac,, die koningin van die Ethiopiërs, wat oor al haar skatte was en na Jerusalem gekom het om te aanbid.

28 En hy was op die terugreis en het op sy wa gesit en die profeet Jesaja gelees.

29 Toe sê die Gees vir Filippus: Gaan daarheen en bly by daardie wa.

30 En Filippus het daarheen gehardloop en hom die profeet Jesaja hoor lees; en hy sê: Verstaan u wel wat u lees?

31 En hy antwoord: Hoe kan ek tog as niemand my die weg wys nie? Toe vra hy Filippus om op te klim en by hom te kom sit.

32 En die gedeelte van die Skrif wat hy besig was om te lees, was d¡t: Soos 'n skaap is Hy gelei om geslag te word, en soos 'n lam wat stom is voor die een wat hom skeer, so maak Hy sy mond nie oop nie.

33 In sy vernedering is sy oordeel weggeneem, en wie sal sy geslag beskrywe? Want sy lewe word van die aarde weggeneem.

34 En die hofdienaar antwoord en sê vir Filippus: Ek bid u, van wie sê die profeet dit, van homself of van iemand anders?

35 En Filippus het sy mond geopen en van hierdie Skrif af begin en die evangelie van Jesus aan hom verkondig.

36 En terwyl hulle voortreis op die pad, kom hulle by water; en die hofdienaar sê vir hom: Daar is water; wat verhinder my om gedoop te word?

37 Toe sê Filippus: As u glo met u hele hart, is dit geoorloof. En hy antwoord en sê: Ek glo dat Jesus Christus die Seun van God is.

38 En hy het beveel dat die wa moes stilhou; en hulle het altwee in die water afgeklim, Filippus en die hofdienaar; en hy het hom gedoop.

39 En toe hulle uit die water opklim, het die Gees van die Here Filippus skielik weggevoer, en die hofdienaar het hom nie meer gesien nie, want hy het sy weg met blydskap gereis.

40 Maar Filippus is in Asdod gevind. En hy het die land deurgegaan en die evangelie verkondig in al die stede, totdat hy in Cesar,a gekom het.

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.

4 They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. 5 And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. 6 And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did. 7 For from many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was much joy in that city.

9 But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great. 11 And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. 12 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.

14 Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: 16 for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. 23 For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. 24 And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25 They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

26 But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this,

He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;

And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb,

So he openeth not his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away:

His generation who shall declare?

For his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea.