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Acts 8 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

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Saul Ravages the Church

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:1 - And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:2 - Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:3 - But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:4 - Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:5 - Philip went down to the city[fn] of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:6 - And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:7 - For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:8 - So there was much joy in that city.

Simon the Magician Believes

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:9 - But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:10 - They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:11 - And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:12 - But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:13 - Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles[fn] performed, he was amazed.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:14 - Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:15 - who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:16 - for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:17 - Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:18 - Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:19 - saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:20 - But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:21 - You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:22 - Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:23 - For I see that you are in the gall[fn] of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:24 - And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:25 - Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

(cf. Isa 53:7, 8 )
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:26 - Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[fn] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:27 - And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:28 - and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:29 - And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:30 - So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:31 - And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:32 - Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:33 - In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:34 - And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:35 - Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:36 - And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:38 - And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:39 - And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 8:40 - But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
ESV Footnotes
Some manuscripts a city
Greek works of power
That is, a bitter fluid secreted by the liver; bile
Or go at about noon
Some manuscripts add all or most of verse 37: And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
BLB Footnotes
Some Greek manuscripts exclude this verse. The ESV related footnote for 8:36 states:
Some manuscripts add all or most of verse 37: And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”  
ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

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