Acts 8 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Saul was right there, fully of Stephen's That same day, a severe crackdown hit the in Jerusalem. Everyone scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria — everyone except the
men buried Stephen and for him.
But Saul was the gathered community He went house to house, dragging out both men and women and throwing them into prison.
Now the ones who had been went everywhere the of the
went down to a city in and began proclaiming The to them.
The crowds — united in their response — to what Philip was saying, as they heard him and saw the he was performing.
came shrieking out of many who were possessed by them, and many people who were paralyzed or couldn't walk were
So there was in that city.
Now a man named Simon had been practicing in the city and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.
Everyone — from the least important to the most powerful — paid attention to him, saying, "This man is the of God known as the
They paid attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.
But when they believed Philip as he spread the good news about and the name of Jesus, The One, they were — both men and women.
Even Simon himself believed and was submerged. He stuck close to Philip, and he was constantly amazed as he saw the signs and of happening.
When the ambassadors in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had God's message, they sent Peter and John to them.
When they arrived, they prayed for the Samaritans to receive the of
Because the Breath had not yet any of them — they had only been submerged in the of the Lord Jesus.
Then Peter and John their on them, and they received the Breath of God.
When Simon saw that the Breath was given through the laying on of the ambassadors' hands, he them
"Give me this too," he said, "so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Breath of God."
But Peter said to him, "May your silver be along with you, because you thought you could buy with money!"
You have no or in this, because your is not right before God.
So this wickedness of yours and with the Lord. Maybe the intention of your heart can be forgiven.
Because I can see that you are by and up by
Simon answered, to the Lord for me so that nothing you've said will happen to me!"
After Peter and John had given their and spoken the Lord's message, they headed back to Jerusalem, spreading the good news in many along the way.
Now an of the said to Philip, "Get up and head south on the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to
So he got up and went. And there was an man — a and a high official serving queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to
and was on his way home. He was sitting in his reading the prophet out loud.
The said to Philip, "Go over to that chariot and stay close to it."
Philip up to the chariot and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you're reading?" he asked.
"How could I," he replied, "unless someone it to me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
This is the passage of he was reading: "Like a sheep being led to and like a lamb silent before its shearer, he did not open his mouth."
"In his was Who can speak of his For his life was taken from the earth."
The eunuch said to Philip, "Tell me, please — who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?"
Then Philip and, starting from that very passage, told him the about Jesus.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look — water! me from being
[This verse is not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts.]
He ordered the chariot to stop. Then both Philip and the eunuch down the and Philip submerged him.
When they came up out of the water, the Breath of the Lord The eunuch didn't see him again but went on his way with
Philip, however, at He traveled through the area, spreading the good news in every town until he reached