Parallel Bible results for "acts 8"

Acts 8

Common English Bible CEB

1 Saul was in full agreement with Stephen's murder. At that time, the church in Jerusalem began to be subjected to vicious harassment. Everyone except the apostles was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.

2 Some pious men buried Stephen and deeply grieved over him.

3 Saul began to wreak havoc against the church. Entering one house after another, he would drag off both men and women and throw them into prison.

4 Those who had been scattered moved on, preaching the good news along the way.

5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and began to preach Christ to them.

6 The crowds were united by what they heard Philip say and the signs they saw him perform, and they gave him their undivided attention.

7 With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many people, and many who were paralyzed or crippled were healed.

8 There was great rejoicing in that city.

9 Before Philip's arrival, a certain man named Simon had practiced sorcery in that city and baffled the people of Samaria. He claimed to be a great person.

10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, gave him their undivided attention and referred to him as "the power of God called Great."

11 He had their attention because he had baffled them with sorcery for a long time.

12 After they came to believe Philip, who preached the good news about God's kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

13 Even Simon himself came to believe and was baptized. Afterward, he became one of Philip's supporters. As he saw firsthand the signs and great miracles that were happening, he was astonished.

14 When word reached the apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria had accepted God's word, they commissioned Peter and John to go to Samaria.

15 Peter and John went down to Samaria where they prayed that the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. (

16 This was because the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 So Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon perceived that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money.

19 He said, "Give me this authority too so that anyone on whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit."

20 Peter responded, "May your money be condemned to hell along with you because you believed you could buy God's gift with money!

21 You can have no part or share in God's word because your heart isn't right with God.

22 Therefore, change your heart and life! Turn from your wickedness! Plead with the Lord in the hope that your wicked intent can be forgiven,

23 for I see that your bitterness has poisoned you and evil has you in chains."

24 Simon replied, "All of you, please, plead to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said will happen to me!"

25 After the apostles had testified and proclaimed the Lord's word, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the good news to many Samaritan villages along the way.

26 An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, "At noon, take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

27 So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.)

28 He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage.

29 The Spirit told Philip, "Approach this carriage and stay with it."

30 Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you really understand what you are reading?"

31 The man replied, "Without someone to guide me, how could I?" Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him.

32 This was the passage of scripture he was reading: Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent so he didn't open his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was taken away from him. Who can tell the story of his descendants because his life was taken from the earth?

34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about himself or someone else?"

35 Starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.

36 As they went down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?"

38 He ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, where Philip baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Lord's Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.

40 Philip found himself in Azotus. He traveled through that area, preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

2 Devout men buried Stephen as they mourned loudly for him.

3 Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison.

4 The believers who were scattered went from place to place, where they spread the word.

5 Philip went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah.

6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said. They listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed.

7 Evil spirits screamed as they came out of the many people they had possessed. Many paralyzed and lame people were cured.

8 As a result, that city was extremely happy.

9 A man named Simon lived in that city. He amazed the people of Samaria with his practice of magic. He claimed that he was great.

10 Everyone from children to adults paid attention to him. They said, "This man is the power of God, and that power is called great."

11 They paid attention to Simon because he had amazed them for a long time with his practice of magic.

12 However, when Philip spread the Good News about the kingdom of God and the one named Jesus Christ, men and women believed him and were baptized.

13 Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized, he became devoted to Philip. Simon was amazed to see the miracles and impressive things that were happening.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15 Peter and John went to Samaria and prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit.

16 (Before this the Holy Spirit had not come to any of the Samaritans. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit.

18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money

19 and said, "Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit."

20 Peter told Simon, "May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy God's gift.

21 You won't have any share in this because God can see how twisted your thinking is.

22 So change your wicked thoughts, and ask the Lord if he will forgive you for thinking like this.

23 I can see that you are bitter with jealousy and wrapped up in your evil ways."

24 Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me that none of the things you said will happen to me."

25 After they had boldly spoken about the message of the Lord, they spread the Good News in many Samaritan villages on their way back to Jerusalem.

26 An angel from the Lord said to Philip, "Get up, and take the desert road that goes south from Jerusalem to Gaza."

27 So Philip went. An Ethiopian man who had come to Jerusalem to worship was on his way home. The man was a eunuch, a high-ranking official in charge of all the treasures of Queen Candace of Ethiopia.

28 As the official rode along in his carriage, he was reading the prophet Isaiah out loud.

29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go to that carriage, and stay close to it."

30 Philip ran to the carriage and could hear the official reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

31 The official answered, "How can I understand unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to sit with him in his carriage.

32 This was the part of the Scriptures that the official was reading: "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth.

33 When he humbled himself, he was not judged fairly. Who from his generation will talk about his life on earth being cut short?"

34 The official said to Philip, "I would like to know who the prophet is talking about. Is he talking about himself or someone else?"

35 Then Philip spoke. Starting with that passage, Philip told the official the Good News about Jesus.

36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The official said to Philip, "Look, there's some water. What can keep me from being baptized?"

38 The official ordered the carriage to stop. He and Philip stepped into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39 When they had stepped out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official joyfully continued on his way and didn't see Philip again.

40 Philip found himself in the city of Azotus. He traveled through all the cities and spread the Good News until he came to the city of Caesarea.