1 And Saul was giving approval to 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 Judea 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 delivered them to prison.

4 They therefore who were scattered abroad, went about preaching [the good news of] the word.

5 And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ.

6 And the multitudes gave heed with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did.

7 For [from] many of those who had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many who were palsied, and who were lame, were healed.

8 And there was much joy in that city.

9 But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who formerly 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 for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

12 But when they believed Philip preaching [the good news] 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 watching signs and great miracles happening, he was amazed.

14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John:

15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:

16 for as yet it had fallen on 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 whomever I lay my hands, he may receive the Spirit.

20 But Peter said to him, May your silver with you be destroyed, because you have thought to obtain the gift of God with money.

21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right before God.

22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of your heart will be forgiven you.

23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.

24 And Simon answered and said, You{+} pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you{+} 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 good news to many villages of the Samaritans.

26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: the same is desert.

27 And he arose and went: and look, 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 to Philip, Go near, and stick [close] to this chariot.

30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Do you understand what you read?

31 And he said, How can I, except some one will guide me? And he implored 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 mute, So he does not open his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who will declare? For his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom does the prophet speak this? Of himself, or of some other?

35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him [the good news of] Jesus.

36 And as they went on the way, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch says, Look, [here is] water; what does hinder me to be baptized?

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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 good news to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.