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Acts 8

1Saul approved of his killing. On that day a great persecution arose against the assembly in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering house after house, dragging off both men and women and handing them over to prison.

4Those who had been scattered went about proclaiming the word as good news. 5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6The crowds paid attention with one accord to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the signs he performed. 7For unclean spirits came out of many who had them, crying out with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8There was much joy in that city.

9A man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 10They all paid attention to him, from small to great, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11They paid attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Messiah, both men and women were baptized. 13Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized he stayed close to Philip. Seeing signs and great deeds of power taking place, he was astounded.

14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit, 16for he had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give me this authority too, so that whoever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God's gift with money. 21You have neither part nor share in this matter, for your heart is not straight before God. 22So repent of this wickedness of yours and plead with the Lord that perhaps the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see that you are in bitter gall and the bond of wrongdoing.” 24Simon answered, “You yourselves plead with the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may come upon me.”

25After testifying and speaking the word of the Lord, they returned toward Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news in many Samaritan villages. 26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a wilderness road. 27He got up and went. And look, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, an official of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury, had come to Jerusalem to worship. 28He was returning, seated in his chariot, and reading the prophet Isaiah. 29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and join this chariot.” 30Philip ran up, heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31He said, “How could I, unless someone guides me?” He invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32The passage of scripture he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33In humiliation justice was taken away from him. Who will recount his generation? For his life is taken from the earth.” 34The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself or someone else?” 35Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, he told him the good news of Jesus. 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38He ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip was found at Azotus, and as he passed through, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Translation notes 7

8:1–7 — Scattering and spirits. The account moves from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, recalling 1:8. The Greek in verse 7 begins with the people and shifts construction to the spirits coming out; the English makes that relation explicit. It does not say the afflicted people left the city.

8:12–17 — Baptism and Spirit. The sequence is belief, baptism, apostolic prayer and laying on of hands, and receiving the Spirit. It is retained alongside other sequences in Acts. “Into the name” in verse 16 follows a different preposition from 2:38; no complete doctrine of baptism is supplied from that difference.

8:20–24 — Simon. Peter's severe wish for destruction remains, together with the call to repent. “Bitter gall” and the “bond of wrongdoing” retain the poison and bondage images. “Straight” describes the heart's condition before God. The narrator says Simon believed; his later request is not explained away by adding “pretended.”

8:26–28 — Road and traveler. “South” can also mean “at noon.” The wilderness description is attached to the road; attaching it to Gaza is another possibility. Ancient Ethiopia here points toward the Nile kingdom south of Egypt, not simply the borders of today's Ethiopia. Candace is a royal title. “Eunuch” is retained alongside his official status; the text does not identify the terms as interchangeable or state whether he was a convert to Judaism.

8:32–35 — Isaiah. The quotation follows the Greek wording of Isaiah 53:7–8 as Acts presents it. “Justice was taken away from him” may also be understood as the removal of his judgment or condemnation. “Generation” can refer to his contemporaries or descendants; the compact wording remains rather than resolving the question through a paraphrase.

8:37 — The missing verse. The Greek base omits this verse. A later textual form adds: “Philip said, ‘If you believe with your whole heart, you may.’ He answered, ‘I believe that Jesus the Messiah is the Son of God.’” The addition gives a confession before baptism. Strong early manuscript evidence favors its omission from Acts' original text; it is preserved here rather than inserted as an equally secure part of the narrative.

8:39–40 — Departure. The Spirit's sudden removal of Philip is explicit; a natural travel explanation is not supplied. Azotus is Ashdod. The place-name is retained in its familiar Acts form.