| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now Saul heartily approved of putting Stephen to death. That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except for the apostles was scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. | 1Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria. |
| 2Devout men buried Stephen as they mourned loudly for him. | 2Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. |
| 3But Saul kept trying to destroy the church. Going into one house after another, he began dragging off men and women and throwing them in prison. | 3Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison. |
| 4Now those who were scattered went from place to place preaching the word. | 4So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the message of good news. |
| 5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began to preach the Messiah to the people. | 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. |
| 6The crowds, hearing his message and seeing the signs that he was doing, paid close attention to what was said by Philip. | 6The crowds paid attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the signs he was performing. |
| 7Unclean spirits screamed with a loud voice as they came out of the many people they had possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. | 7For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. |
| 8As a result, there was great rejoicing in that city. | 8So there was great joy in that city. |
| 9Now in that city there was a man named Simon. He was practicing occult arts and thrilling the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. | 9A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and astounded the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great. |
| 10Everyone from the least to the greatest paid close attention to him, saying, "This is what we call the great power of God!" | 10They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, "This man is called the Great Power of God!" |
| 11They paid careful attention to him because he had thrilled them for a long time with his occult performances. | 11They were attentive to him because he had astounded them with his sorceries for a long time. |
| 12But when Philip proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and about the name of Jesus the Messiah, men and women believed and were baptized. | 12But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. |
| 13Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized he became devoted to Philip. He was amazed to see the signs and great miracles that were happening. | 13Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with Philip and was astounded as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed. |
| 14Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. | 14When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God's message, they sent Peter and John to them. |
| 15They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. | 15After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit. |
| 16Before this, he had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. | 16For He had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. |
| 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. | 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. |
| 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money | 18When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, |
| 19and said, "Give me this power too, so that when I lay my hands on someone, he will receive the Holy Spirit." | 19saying, "Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit." |
| 20But Peter told him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's free gift with money! | 20But Peter told him, "May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought the gift of God could be obtained with money! |
| 21You have no part or share in what we're saying, because your heart isn't right with God. | 21You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. |
| 22So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart's intent may be forgiven you. | 22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. |
| 23For I see that you're being poisoned by bitterness and you're a prisoner of wickedness!" | 23For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."" |
| 24Simon answered, "Both of you pray to the Lord for me that none of the things you have said will happen to me." | 24Please pray to the Lord for me," Simon replied, "so that nothing you have said may happen to me." |
| 25After they had given their testimony and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, continuing to proclaim the good news in many Samaritan villages. | 25Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing many villages of the Samaritans. |
| 26Now an angel of the Lord told Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a deserted road." | 26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: "Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is the desert road.) |
| 27So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, who was a member of the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was in charge of all her treasures and had come up to Jerusalem to worship. | 27So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem |
| 28Now he was returning home, seated in his chariot, and reading from the prophet Isaiah. | 28and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. |
| 29The Spirit told Philip, "Approach that chariot and stay near it." | 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go and join that chariot." |
| 30So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?" | 30When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you're reading?"" |
| 31The man replied, "How can I unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. | 31How can I," he said, "unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. |
| 32This was the passage of Scripture he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led away to be slaughtered, and like a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. | 32Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth. |
| 33In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can describe his descendants? For his life is taken away from the earth." | 33In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. |
| 34The eunuch asked Philip, "I ask you, who is the prophet talking about? Himself? Or someone else?" | 34The eunuch replied to Philip, "I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about--himself or another person?" |
| 35Then Philip began to speak, and, starting from this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. | 35So Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture. |
| 36As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, there's some water. What keeps me from being baptized?" | 36As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, there's water! What would keep me from being baptized?" |
| 37 | 37And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." |
| 38So he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. | 38Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. |
| 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch went on his way rejoicing and did not see Philip again. | 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing. |
| 40But Philip found himself at Azotus. As he was passing through that region, he kept proclaiming the good news in all the towns until he came to Caesarea. | 40Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and evangelizing all the towns until he came to Caesarea. |
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