OET-RV ACTs Chapter 8

That same day, intense persecution began against the assembly in Yerusalem, and so the believers fled throughout the regions of Yudea and Samaria, except for the twelve who stayed. 2 (Some godly men buried Stephen with loud wailing.)

3 [ref]As for Saul, he started on destroying the assembly by entering people’s homes and dragging both men and women out and then off to prison.

4 However, now the people who had fled began to proclaim the good message to others in other places. 5 Around the same time, Philip went to a city in Samaria and told them about the messiah. 6 Crowds gathered and listened carefully to Philip and watched him do miracles—7 many demon-possessed people shouted loudly as the demons left them, and many who were paralysed or lame were healed 8 so there were a lot of happy people there.

9 One man in the city had been practicing magic and amazing the people, and he claimed that he was someone great. His name was Simon 10 and the people there from the least to the most important said, “This power is from the great god.” 11 They gave him a lot of attention because he’d been amazing them with magic for quite a long time. 12 However when Philip started preaching the good message about God’s kingdom and the name and authority of Yeshua the messiah, they believed the message, and many men and women asked to be immersed in water. 13 Simon himself also believed and was immersed, and then started accompanying Philip around—marvelling as he observed the miracles and signs of God’s power.

14 When the missionaries in Yerusalem heard that many people from Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and Yohan out to them 15 so then they prayed for them to receive the holy spirit. 16 (The holy spirit hadn’t fallen on any of them at that point, but they had only been immersed into the name and authority of the master Yeshua.) 17 So Peter and Yohan placed their hands on the new believers and they received the holy spirit.

18 When Simon the magician saw that they received the spirit after having the hands of the missionaries placed on them, he offered money to Peter and Yohan, saying, 19 “Give me this authority so that anyone who I place my hands on will receive the holy spirit.”

20 But Peter responded, “May your money join you in your destruction because you thought you could buy God’s gift with it. 21 There’s no role for you here and no part for you in our work because your heart isn’t right with God. 22 You need to turn away from this evil desire and beg the master that maybe he’ll forgive you for your wrong intentions 23 because I perceive that you have a bitter attitude and ungodly habits.

24 Simon answered, “Oh, please ask the master on my behalf that none of what you mentioned will happen to me.”

25 After that, Peter and Yohan continued to testify and proclaim the good message about the master in many villages around Samaria before they returned to Yerusalem.

26 Then a messenger from the master spoke to Philip, “Start walking and head south on the road that goes downhill from Yerusalem to Gaza through the wilderness.” 27 So he headed off, and on the road he came across an important official of the Ethiopian queen[fn] who was in charge of her treasury. This man had been in Yerusalem to worship God 28 and was returning home in his chariot. As he rode, he was reading the scroll of the prophet Isayah, 29 and the spirit told Philip to approach him and stay by the chariot. 30 So Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading from the prophet Isayah and asked, “Do you know what it is that you’re reading about?”

31 “How could I know when I don’t have someone to guide me,” he answered, and so he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. 32 Now the particular passage that he was reading was this:[ref]

‘He was led away like a sheep being led to the slaughterhouse,

and stayed as silent as a lamb being shorn

so he never opened his mouth.

33 He was humiliated by a lack of justice.

Who can name his descendants,

because his life is being taken from the earth?’

34 “Now tell me,” said the official, “who was Isayah talking about? Was he talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So Philip started with that passage and explained the good message about Yeshua to him. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the official asked, “Look, here’s some water. What would stop me from being immersed here?”

37 ◘ 38 So he commanded the driver to stop the chariot and they both climbed down, and Philip immersed the official in the water. 39 But as they came out of the water, the master’s spirit snatched Philip away and so the official never saw him again, but he continued on his journey very happy. 40 As for Philip, he found himself at the town of Azotus, and as he passed through the coastal towns on the way to Caesarea, he proclaimed the good message in each town.