Acts of the Apostles 8

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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.	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 Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.	2 But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.
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.	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 Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.	4 Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.
5 Thus Philip went down to (the) city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.	5 Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.
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.	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, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.	7 For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.
8 There was great joy in that city.	8 And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.
9 A man named Simon used to practice magic in the city and astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.	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 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.'"	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 They paid attention to him because he had astounded them by his magic for a long time,	11 And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.
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.	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 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.	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 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,	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 who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit,	15 And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.	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 conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them 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 and said, "Give me this power too, so that anyone upon whom I lay my hands may 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 But Peter said to him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift of God with money.	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 or lot in this matter, for your heart is not upright before God.	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, if possible, your intention 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 For I see that you are filled with bitter gall and are in the bonds of iniquity."	23 For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
24 Simon said in reply, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon 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 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.	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 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."	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 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,	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 and was returning home. Seated 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 and join up with that chariot."	29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”
30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are 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 can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.	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 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.	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 justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth."	33 He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”
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?"	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 Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him.	35 Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
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?"	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 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized 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 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.	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 came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.	40 Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.