Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up and go toward the south[fn] on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 And he got up and[fn] went, and behold, there was a man, an Ethiopian eunuch (a court official of Candace,[fn] queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasury) who had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was returning and sitting in his chariot, and reading aloud the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Approach and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran up to it[fn] and[fn] heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet and said, “So then, do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “So how could I, unless someone will guide me?” And he invited Philip to come up and[fn] sit with him.

• 32 Now the passage of scripture that he was reading aloud was this:“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
  • and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
• so he did not open his mouth.
• 33 [fn] humiliation justice was taken from him. Who can describe his[fn]
  • For his life was taken away from the earth.”[fn]

34 And the eunuch answered and[fn] said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom does the prophet say this—about himself or about someone else?” 35 So Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture, proclaimed the good news to him about Jesus. 36 And as they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[fn] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water—Philip and the eunuch—and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he[fn] passed through, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.