Acts of the Apostles 8

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Saul approved of the killing. That day a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, andeveryone except the apostles scattered to the country districts of Judaea and Samaria.	1 Now in those days, there occurred a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem. And they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.
2 There were some devout people, however, who buried Stephen and made great mourning for him.	2 But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.
3 Saul then began doing great harm to the church; he went from house to house arresting both men andwomen and sending them to prison.	3 Then Saul was laying waste to the Church by entering throughout the houses, and dragging away men and women, and committing them to prison.
4 Once they had scattered, they went from place to place preaching the good news.	4 Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.
5 And Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them.	5 Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.
6 The people unanimously welcomed the message Philip preached, because they had heard of themiracles he worked and because they saw them for themselves.	6 And the crowd was listening intently and with one accord to those things which were being said by Philip, and they were watching the signs which he was accomplishing.
7 For unclean spirits came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and crippleswere cured.	7 For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.
8 As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.	8 And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.
9 Now a man cal ed Simon had for some time been practising magic arts in the town and astounded theSamaritan people. He had given it out that he was someone momentous,	9 Therefore, there was great gladness in that city. Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, claiming himself to be someone great.
10 and everyone believed in him; eminent citizens and ordinary people alike had declared, 'He is thedivine power that is called Great.'	10 And to all those who would listen, from the least even to the greatest, he was saying: “Here is the power of God, which is called great.”
11 He had this fol owing because for a considerable period they had been astounded by his wizardry.	11 And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.
12 But when they came to accept Philip's preaching of the good news about the kingdom of God and thename of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women,	12 Yet truly, once they had believed Philip, who was evangelizing the kingdom of God, both men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
13 and even Simon himself became a believer. After his baptism Simon went round constantly with Philipand was astonished when he saw the wonders and great miracles that took place.	13 Then Simon himself also believed and, when he had been baptized, he adhered to Philip. And now, seeing also the greatest signs and miracles being wrought, he was amazed and stupefied.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peterand John to them,	14 Now when the Apostles who were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 and they went down there and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit,	15 And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the LordJesus.	16 For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.	17 Then they 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 offeredthem money,	18 But when Simon had seen that, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19 with the words, 'Give me the same power so that anyone I lay my hands on wil receive the Holy Spirit.'	19 saying, “Give this power to me also, so that on whomever I will lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him:
20 Peter answered, 'May your silver be lost for ever, and you with it, for thinking that money could buywhat God has given for nothing!	20 “Let your money be with you in perdition, for you have supposed that a gift of God might be possessed by money.
21 You have no share, no part, in this: God can see how your heart is warped.	21 There is no part or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God.
22 Repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that this scheme of yours may be forgiven;	22 And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you.
23 it is plain to me that you are held in the bitterness of gal and the chains of sin.'	23 For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
24 Simon replied, 'Pray to the Lord for me yourselves so that none of the things you have spoken aboutmay happen to me.'	24 Then Simon responded by saying, “Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
25 Having given their testimony and proclaimed the word of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem,preaching the good news to a number of Samaritan vil ages.	25 And indeed, after testifying and speaking the Word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and they evangelized the many regions of the Samaritans.
26 The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, 'Set out at noon and go along the road that leads fromJerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.'	26 Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Rise up and go toward the south, to the way which descends from Jerusalem into Gaza, where there is a desert.”
27 So he set off on his journey. Now an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuchand an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia; he was her chief treasurer.	27 And rising up, he went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, powerful under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, had arrived in Jerusalem to worship.
28 He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah.	28 And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join that chariot.'	29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”
30 When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, 'Do you understand what youare reading?'	30 And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”
31 He replied, 'How could I, unless I have someone to guide me?' So he urged Philip to get in and sit byhis side.	31 And he said, “But how can I, unless someone will have revealed it to me?” And he asked Philip to climb up and sit with him.
32 Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this: Like a lamb led to the slaughter-house, like asheep dumb in front of its shearers, he never opens his mouth.	32 Now the place in Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter. And like a lamb silent before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation fair judgement was denied him. Who wil ever talk about his descendants, since hislife on earth has been cut short?	33 He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”
34 The eunuch addressed Philip and said, 'Tel me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?'	34 Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?”
35 Starting, therefore, with this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the good news of Jesus to him.	35 Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
36 Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, 'Look,is some water; is thereanything to prevent my being baptised?'	36 And while they were going along the way, they arrived at a certain water source. And the eunuch said: “There is water. What would prevent me from being baptized?”
37	37 Then Philip said, “If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted.” And he responded by saying, “I believe the Son of God to be Jesus the Christ.”
38 He ordered the chariot to stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and hebaptised him.	38 And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.
39 But after they had come up out of the water again Philip was taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, andthe eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.	39 And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore. Then he went on his way, rejoicing.
40 Philip appeared in Azotus and continued his journey, proclaiming the good news in every town as faras Caesarea.	40 Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.