| New Living Translation | Berean Study 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 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. |
| 2(Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) | 2God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply 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 began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. |
| 4But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. | 4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. |
| 5Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. | 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed 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 gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform. |
| 7Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. | 7With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame 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. | 9Prior 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, |
| 10Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” | 10and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.” |
| 11They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic. | 11They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery. |
| 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 preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were 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 was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed. |
| 14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. | 14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received 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. | 15On their arrival, they prayed for them to 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. | 16For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into 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 laid their hands on them, 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. | 18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he 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!” | 19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands 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 replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! |
| 21You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. | 21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God. |
| 22Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, | 22Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will 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 poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.” |
| 24“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!” | 24Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing 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 | 25And 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. |
| 26As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” | 26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” |
| 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 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, |
| 28and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. | 28and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. |
| 29The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” | 29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.” |
| 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 and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. |
| 31The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. | 31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And 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. | 32The 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. |
| 33He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” | 33In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.” |
| 34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” | 34“Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” |
| 35So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. | 35Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. |
| 36As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” | 36As 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?” |
| 38He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. | 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then 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. | 39When 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. |
| 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. | 40But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea. |
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