Acts 8

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 Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

1Saul agreed that Stephen should be killed. That same day people began to hurt the church in Jerusalem. The church is the group of people who follow Jesus. They all ran away to the lands of Judea and Samaria. Only the apostles stayed. The apostles were the leaders Jesus had chosen.

2And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

2Men who loved God buried Stephen. They cried out loud because they were very sad.

3As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

3Saul tried to destroy the church. He went into house after house. He dragged out men and women and put them in jail.

4Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

4The people who had run away told the good news about Jesus everywhere they went.

5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

5Philip went down to a city in Samaria. He told the people there about Christ. Christ means the special King God had promised to send.

6And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

6The crowds all listened carefully to what Philip said. They heard his words and saw the wonders he did.

7For 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.

7Evil spirits screamed loudly and came out of many people. Many people who could not move or walk were made well.

8And there was great joy in that city.

8So there was great joy in that city.

9But 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:

9A man named Simon lived in that city. Before this he had done magic there. He amazed the people of Samaria. He told everyone that he was someone great.

10To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

10Everyone listened to him, the least important and the greatest. They said, "This man has the great power of God."

11And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

11They listened to him because his magic had amazed them for a long time.

12But 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.

12Then Philip told them the good news about God's kingdom and about Jesus Christ. They believed him. Men and women were baptized. To be baptized is to be dipped in water to show you now belong to Jesus.

13Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

13Simon himself believed too. He was baptized and stayed close to Philip. He was amazed at the great signs and wonders he saw.

14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received God's word. So they sent Peter and John to the people there.

15Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

15Peter and John came down and prayed for the people. They asked that the people would receive the Holy Spirit.

NoteThe KJV says "Holy Ghost." In 1611 the word "ghost" simply meant spirit, so this means the Holy Spirit.

16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

16The Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them. And they received the Holy Spirit.

18And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

18Simon saw that the Spirit came when the apostles laid their hands on people. So he offered the apostles money.

19Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

19He said, "Give me this power too. Then anyone I touch will receive the Holy Spirit."

20But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

20But Peter said to him, "May your money be destroyed with you. You thought you could buy God's gift with money."

21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

21"You have no part and no share in this work. Your heart is not right in God's sight."

22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

22"So turn away from this wrong you have done. Pray to the Lord. Maybe He will forgive what you were thinking."

23For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

23"I can see that you are full of bitterness. Wrong is holding you tight, like a rope."

24Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

24Then Simon answered, "Please pray to the Lord for me. I do not want any of this to happen to me."

25And 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.

25Peter and John told what they had seen and taught the Lord's word. Then they started back to Jerusalem. On the way they told the good news in many Samaritan villages.

26And 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.

26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. He said, "Get up and go south. Take the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."

27And 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,

27So Philip got up and went. On the road he met a man from Ethiopia. This man was a eunuch and an important officer for Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. He took care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship God.

NoteA eunuch was a man who had been changed by an operation so he could not have children. Kings and queens often gave such men important jobs in the palace.

28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

28Now he was going home. He sat in his chariot and read from Isaiah the prophet. A chariot is a cart pulled by horses. A prophet is someone who told people what God said.

NoteThe KJV spells the prophet's name "Esaias." That is the Greek spelling of Isaiah, the same prophet.

29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to that chariot and stay close to it."

30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

30Philip ran over to him. He heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

31The man said, "How can I? I need someone to explain it to me." He asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

32The 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:

32This is the part of God's book he was reading. "He was led away like a sheep going to be killed. A lamb stays quiet while its wool is cut. In the same way, he did not open his mouth."

33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

33"He was treated badly, and no one judged him fairly. Who can tell about his family after him? For his life was taken away from the earth."

34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

34The eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me. Who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?"

35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

35So Philip started with that very part of God's book. He told the man the good news about Jesus.

36And 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?

36They went on down the road and came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, here is water! Is anything stopping me from being baptized?"

37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

37Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." The man answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

ManuscriptsMost modern translations leave this verse out. It is in the Greek text the King James translators worked from, but not in the older manuscripts found since, so scholars generally take it as a copyist’s addition rather than part of the original.

38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

38He gave the order to stop the chariot. Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water. Philip baptized him.

39And 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.

39They came up out of the water. Then the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The eunuch did not see him again. He went on his way full of joy.

40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

40Philip turned up in the town of Azotus. He walked on through the towns and told the good news. He kept going until he came to Caesarea.