Acts 8 SAUL was pleased to have had a part in the murder of Stephen. At that very time there was severe persecution against the church at Jerusalem; and they were all, with the exception of the apostles, dispersed throughout the towns of JudµÆa and SamaÆria.

Lamsa⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ SAUL was pleased to have had a part in the murder of Stephen. At that very time there was severe persecution against the church at Jerusalem; and they were all, with the exception of the apostles, dispersed throughout the towns of JudµÆa and SamaÆria. ² And devout men picked up Stephen and buried him, and they mourned over him in great sorrow. ³ As for Saul, he continued to persecute the church of God, entering into houses and dragging out men and women and delivering them to prison, ⁴ So that they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word of God. ⁵ Then Philip went down to a Samaritan city and preached to them about Christ. ⁶ And when the people of that place heard his word, they gave heed and listened attentively to everything Philip said, because they saw the miracles which he did. ⁷ Many who were mentally afflicted, cried with loud voices and were restored; and others who were paralytic and lame, were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city. ⁹ Now there was there a man called Semon, who had lived in that city a long time, and who had deceived the Samaritan people by his magic, boasting of himself and saying, I am the greatest one. ¹⁰ And both the noblest and the least followed him, saying, He is the greatest power of God. ¹¹ All of them listened to him, because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries. ¹² But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Semon himself also believed and was baptized and attached himself to Philip, and as he saw the miracles and great signs performed by his hand, he marvelled greatly. ¹⁴ N ow when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritan people had accepted the word of God, they sent to them Simon Peter and John, ¹⁵ Who, when they went down, prayed over them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ For as yet it had not come upon them although they had been baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ And when Semon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the apostlesÆ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ Saying, Give me also this authority so that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Simon Peter said to him, Let your money perish with you because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with wealth. ²¹ You have no part nor lot in this faith because your heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent, therefore, of this evil of yours, and beseech God that he may perhaps forgive you for the guile which is in your heart. ²³ For I see your heart is as bitter as gall and you are in the bonds of iniquity. ²⁴ Then Semon answered and said, Pray God for me so that none of these things which you have spoken may come upon me. ²⁵ Now when Simon Peter and John had testified and taught them the word of God, they returned to Jerusalem after they had preached in many Samaritan villages. ²⁶ And the angel of the LORD spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go south by way of the desert that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza, ²⁷ So he arose and went: and he was met by a eunuch, who had come from E-thi-oÆpi-a; an official of CanÆda-ce, queen of the E-thioÆpi- ans, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to worship at Jerusalem. ²⁸ While he was returning, sitting in his chariot, he read the book of the prophet IsaÆiah. ²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and keep close to the chariot. ³⁰ And as Philip drew near and heard him reading from the book of the prophet I-saÆiah, he said to him, Do you understand what you are reading? ³¹ And the E-thi-oÆpi-an said, How can I understand unless some one teach me? and he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² The portion of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a ewe sheep before the shearer, so he opened not his mouth: ³³ In his humiliation, he suffered imprisonment and judgment: none can tell his struggle, for even his life is taken away from the earth. ³⁴ And the eunuch said to Philip. I pray you, of whom does this prophet speak? of himself or of some other man? ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth and began at that same scripture and preached to him concerning our LORD Jesus. ³⁶ And as they went on their way, they came to a place where there was water; and the eunuch said, Behold here is water; what prevents me from being baptized? ³⁷ * And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. ³⁸ And he commanded the chariot be stopped: and both went down into the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch. ³⁹ And when they came up from the water, the Spirit of the LORD caught Philip away and the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Philip was found at Az-oÆtus: and from there he traveled around and preached in all the cities till he came to Cµs-a-reÆa.