Berean Standard Bible
- 1 And 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.
- 2 God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
- 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
- 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
- 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.
- 6 The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip's message and to the signs they saw him perform.
- 7 With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
- 8 So there was great joy in that city.
- 9 Prior 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,
- 10 and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, "This man is the divine power called the Great Power."
- 11 They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.
- 12 But 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.
- 13 Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.
- 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
- 15 On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
- 16 For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
- 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
- 18 When 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."
- 20 But Peter replied, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
- 21 You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
- 22 Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.
- 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity."
- 24 Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me."
- 25 And 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.
- 26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."
- 27 So 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,
- 28 and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.
- 29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to that chariot and stay by it."
- 30 So 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.
- 32 The 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.
- 33 In 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?"
- 35 Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
- 36 As 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?"
- 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
- 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
- 39 When 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.
- 40 But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
