| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. Persecution Scatters the Believers A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. | 1And Saul agreed completely with killing him. Saul Begins to Persecute the Church Now on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. |
| 2(Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) | 2Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. |
| 3But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. Philip Preaches in Samaria | 3But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. |
| 4But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. | 4Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. |
| 5Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. | 5Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. |
| 6Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. | 6The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing. |
| 7Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. | 7For unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. |
| 8So there was great joy in that city. | 8So there was great joy in that city. |
| 9A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. | 9Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. |
| 10Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” | 10All the people, from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called 'Great.'" |
| 11They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic. | 11And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. |
| 12But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. | 12But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women. |
| 13Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. | 13Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. |
| 14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. | 14Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. |
| 15As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. | 15These two went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. |
| 16The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. | 16(For the Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) |
| 17Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. | 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit. |
| 18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. | 18Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, offered them money, |
| 19“Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!” | 19saying, "Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit." |
| 20But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! | 20But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God's gift with money! |
| 21You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. | 21You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God! |
| 22Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, | 22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. |
| 23for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” | 23For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin." |
| 24“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!” | 24But Simon replied, "You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me." |
| 25After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News. Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch | 25So after Peter and John had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages as they went. |
| 26As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” | 26Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.) |
| 27So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, | 27So he got up and went. There he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship, |
| 28and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. | 28and was returning home, sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah. |
| 29The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” | 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." |
| 30Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” | 30So Philip ran up to it and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. He asked him, "Do you understand what you're reading?" |
| 31The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. | 31The man replied, "How in the world can I, unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. |
| 32The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. | 32Now the passage of scripture the man was reading was this: "He was led like a sheep to slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. |
| 33He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” | 33In humiliation justice was taken from him. Who can describe his posterity? For his life was taken away from the earth." |
| 34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” | 34Then the eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me, who is the prophet saying this about--himself or someone else?" |
| 35So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. | 35So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. |
| 36As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” | 36Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water! What is to stop me from being baptized?" |
| 38He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. | 38So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. |
| 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. | 39Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but went on his way rejoicing. |
| 40Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea. | 40Philip, however, found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through the area, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. |
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