1 A nd Saul was consenting to death '> pleased and entirely approving]. On that day a great and severe persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (special messengers).

¶ And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the congregation which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 d evout men with others helped to carry out and bury Stephen and made great lamentation over him.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.

3 B ut Saul shamefully treated and laid waste the church continuously; and entering house after house, he dragged out men and women and committed them to prison.

As for Saul, he made havoc of the congregation; entering into the houses and dragging out men and women, he committed them to prison.

4 N ow those who were scattered abroad went about preaching the glad tidings, the Word '> the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God].

¶ But those that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word of the gospel.

5 P hilip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ (the Messiah) to them;

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached the Christ unto them.

6 A nd great crowds of people with one accord listened to and heeded what was said by Philip, as they heard him and watched the miracles and wonders which he kept performing.

And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the signs which he did.

7 F or foul spirits came out of many who were possessed by them, screaming and shouting with a loud voice, and many who were suffering from palsy or were crippled were restored to health.

For many unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of those who were possessed with them, and many paralytics and that were lame were healed.

8 A nd there was great rejoicing in that city.

And there was great joy in that city.

9 B ut there was a man named Simon, who had formerly practiced magic arts in the city to the utter amazement of the Samaritan nation, claiming that he himself was an extraordinary and distinguished person.

But there was a certain man called Simon, who before this in the same city used magic arts and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that he himself was some great one,

10 T hey all paid earnest attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that exhibition of the power of God which is called great (intense).

to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This is the great virtue of God.

11 A nd they were attentive and made much of him, because for a long time he had amazed and bewildered and dazzled them with his skill in magic arts.

And to him they had regard because for a long time he had amazed them with magic arts.

12 B ut when they believed the good news (the Gospel) about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) as Philip preached it, they were baptized, both men and women.

But when they believed Philip preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13 E ven Simon himself believed, and after being baptized, devoted himself constantly to him. And seeing signs and miracles of great power which were being performed, he was utterly amazed.

Then Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were being done.

14 N ow when the apostles (special messengers) at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted and welcomed the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

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

15 A nd they came down and prayed for them that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit;

who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

16 F or He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them; they were baptized only in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 T hen laid their hands on them one by one, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 H owever, when Simon saw that the Spirit was imparted through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he brought money and offered it to them,

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,

19 S aying, Grant me also this power and authority, in order that anyone on whom I place my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.

saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.

20 B ut Peter said to him, Destruction overtake your money and you, because you imagined you could obtain the gift of God with money!

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Y ou have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is all wrong in God’s sight.

Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

22 S o repent of this depravity and wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible, this contriving thought and purpose of your heart may be removed and disregarded and forgiven you.

Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God, if perhaps this thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23 F or I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in a bond forged by iniquity.

For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the prison of iniquity.

24 A nd Simon answered, Pray for me, that nothing of what you have said may befall me!

Then Simon answered and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25 N ow when had borne their testimony and preached the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the glad tidings (Gospel) to many villages of the Samaritans.

And they, when they had testified and preached the word of God, returned to Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

26 B ut an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and proceed southward or at midday on the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza. This is the desert '> route].

¶ And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27 S o he got up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship.

Then he arose and went, and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship,

28 A nd he was returning, and sitting in his chariot he was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.

was returning and sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.

29 T hen the Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to this chariot.

Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot.

30 A ccordingly Philip, running up to him, heard reading the prophet Isaiah and asked, Do you really understand what you are reading?

And Philip ran there to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah and said, Dost thou understand what thou readest?

31 A nd he said, How is it possible for me to do so unless someone explains it to me and guides me ? And he earnestly requested Philip to come up and sit beside him.

And he said, How can I, except someone should guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 N ow this was the passage of Scripture which he was reading: Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth.

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth;

33 I n His humiliation He was taken away by distressing and oppressive judgment and justice was denied Him. Who can describe or relate in full the wickedness of His contemporaries (generation)? For His life is taken from the earth and a bloody death inflicted upon Him.

in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34 A nd the eunuch said to Philip, I beg of you, tell me about whom does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?

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

35 T hen Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this portion of Scripture he announced to him the glad tidings (Gospel) of Jesus and about Him.

Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him the gospel of Jesus.

36 A nd as they continued along on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch exclaimed, See, water! What is to hinder my being baptized?

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what hinders me to be baptized?

37 A nd Philip said, If you believe with all your heart '> a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as the Author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then] you may. And he replied, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

And Philip said, If thou dost believe with all thine heart, thou may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 A nd he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and baptized him.

And he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they went both down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 A nd when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord '> suddenly] caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, so that the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.

40 B ut Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the good news (Gospel) to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he preached the gospel in all the cities until he came to Caesarea.