The New Testament / Translated From the Original Greek, With Chronological Arrangement of the Sacred Books, and Improved Divisions of Chapters and Verses.

by Unknown

CHAPTER VI.

THE EARLY MINISTRY OF PHILIP THE DEACON, THE CONVERSION OF THE SAMARITANS, THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH.

1 ^8:4Being scattered abroad, therefore, they went everywhere preaching the good news of the word; ^8:5and Philip going down to a city of Samaria preached Christ to them. ^8:6And the multitudes attended with one accord to the things said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the miracles which he performed. ^8:7For impure spirits came out of many who had them, crying with a loud voice; and many paralytics and lame persons were cured; ^8:8and there was great joy in that city.

2 ^8:9And there was a man by the name of Simon who formerly practised magic in that city, and astonished the nation of Samaria, saying that he was some great person, ^8:10to whom all from the least to the greatest attended, saying, This is the power of God which is called great. ^8:11And they attended to him because for a long time he had astonished them with his magic arts. ^8:12But because they believed Philip preaching the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. ^8:13And Simon also himself believed, and being baptized attended constantly on Philip; and beholding the mighty works and miracles that were performed, he was astonished.

3 ^8:14And the apostles at Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John, ^8:15who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; ^8:16for it had not yet fallen on any of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ^8:17Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. ^8:18And Simon seeing that the Holy Spirit was given by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, offered them money, ^8:19saying, Give me this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hand he may receive the Holy Spirit. ^8:20But Peter said to him, Your money go to perdition with you; because you have thought to purchase the gift of God with money. ^8:21You have no part nor inheritance in this work; for your heart is not right before God. ^8:22Turn your mind therefore from this your wickedness, and pray the Lord if perhaps the thought of your mind may be forgiven you; ^8:23for I see you are in the gall of bitterness and bond of wickedness. ^8:24And Simon answered and said, Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have said may come upon me.

4 ^8:25They then having fully testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the good news to many villages of the Samaritans. ^8:26And an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go to the south, by the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza; this is a wilderness. ^8:27And he arose and went. And behold a man, an Ethiopian eunuch, an officer of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, ^8:28and he was returning and sitting in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah.

5 ^8:29And the Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to his chariot. ^8:30And Philip running forward heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and he said, Do you really understand what you read? ^8:31And he said [No]; for how can I unless some one teaches me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ^8:32And the passage of Scripture which he was reading, was this; As a sheep is led to slaughter, and as a lamb before one that shears him is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. ^8:33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; and who will tell of his generation? for his life was taken from the earth.

6 ^8:34And the eunuch answered and said to Philip, Of whom I pray you does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other one? ^8:35And Philip opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him the good news of Jesus. ^8:36And as they went on the way they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said, Behold water; what hinders me from being baptized? ^8:38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. ^8:39And when they went up from the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more; for he went his way rejoicing. ^8:40But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he preached the good news to all the cities till he came to Cæsarea.