Acts of the Apostles 8

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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.	1 Now Saul was consenting to his execution.On that day, there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.	2 Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
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.	3 Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.
4 Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.	4 Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
5 Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.	5 Thus Philip went down to (the) city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
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.	6 With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
7 For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.	7 For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
8 And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.	8 There was great joy in that city.
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.	9 A man named Simon used to practice magic in the city and astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone 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.”	10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, paid attention to him, saying, "This man is the 'Power of God' that is called 'Great.'"
11 And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.	11 They paid attention to him because he had astounded them by his magic for a long time,
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.	12 but once they began to believe Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized.
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.	13 Even Simon himself believed and, after being baptized, became devoted to Philip; and when he saw the signs and mighty deeds that were occurring, he was astounded.
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.	14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,
15 And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.	15 who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit,
16 For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.	16 for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.	17 Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.
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,	18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money
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:	19 and said, "Give me this power too, so that anyone upon whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit."
20 “Let your money be with you in perdition, for you have supposed that a gift of God might be possessed by money.	20 But Peter said to him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift of God with money.
21 There is no part or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God.	21 You have no share or lot in this matter, for your heart is not upright before God.
22 And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you.	22 Repent of this wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your intention may be forgiven.
23 For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”	23 For I see that you are filled with bitter gall and are in the bonds of iniquity."
24 Then Simon responded by saying, “Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”	24 Simon said in reply, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."
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.	25 So when they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem and preached the good news to many Samaritan villages.
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.”	26 Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route."
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.	27 So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28 And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.	28 and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”	29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot."
30 And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”	30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
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.	31 He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
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.	32 This was the scripture passage he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
33 He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”	33 In (his) humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth."
34 Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?”	34 Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?"
35 Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.	35 Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him.
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?”	36 As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?"
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.”	37
38 And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.	38 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him.
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.	39 When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.
40 Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.	40 Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.