Acts 8Acts8

Berean Standard BibleKing James Version

1. Saul Persecutes the Church

2. 1BSBAnd Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.KJVKJV: And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles.
3. 2BSBGod-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.KJVKJV: And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
4. 3BSBBut Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.KJVKJV: As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

5. Philip in Samaria

6. 4BSBThose who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.KJVKJV: Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
7. 5BSBPhilip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.KJVKJV: Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
8. 6BSBThe crowds all paid close attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.KJVKJV: And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
9. 7BSBWith loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.KJVKJV: For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
10. 8BSBSo there was great joy in that city.KJVKJV: And there was great joy in that city.

11. Simon the Sorcerer

    (Deuteronomy 18:9–14)

12. 9BSBPrior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,KJVKJV: But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
13. 10BSBand all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”KJVKJV: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
14. 11BSBThey paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.KJVKJV: And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
15. 12BSBBut when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.KJVKJV: But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
16. 13BSBEven Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.KJVKJV: Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
17. 14BSBWhen the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.KJVKJV: Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
18. 15BSBOn their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.KJVKJV: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
19. 16BSBFor the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.KJVKJV: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
20. 17BSBThen Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.KJVKJV: Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
21. 18BSBWhen Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.KJVKJV: And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
22. 19BSB“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”KJVKJV: Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
23. 20BSBBut Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!KJVKJV: But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
24. 21BSBYou have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.KJVKJV: Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
25. 22BSBRepent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.KJVKJV: Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
26. 23BSBFor I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”KJVKJV: For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
27. 24BSBThen Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”KJVKJV: Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
28. 25BSBAnd after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.KJVKJV: And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

29. Philip and the Ethiopian

    (Isaiah 53:1–8)

30. 26BSBNow an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”KJVKJV: And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
31. 27BSBSo he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,KJVKJV: And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
32. 28BSBand on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.KJVKJV: Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
33. 29BSBThe Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”KJVKJV: Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
34. 30BSBSo Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.KJVKJV: And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
35. 31BSB“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.KJVKJV: And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
36. 32BSBThe eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.KJVKJV: The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
37. 33BSBIn His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”KJVKJV: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
38. 34BSB“Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”KJVKJV: And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
39. 35BSBThen Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.KJVKJV: Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
40. 36BSBAs they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”KJVKJV: And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
41. 37Verse 37 isn’t in the earliest manuscripts. Why?
42. 38BSBAnd he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.KJVKJV: And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
43. 39BSBWhen they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.KJVKJV: And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
44. 40BSBBut Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.KJVKJV: But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea.