Parallel Bible results for "acts 8"

Acts 8

New Century Version NCV

1 Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was good. On that day the church of Jerusalem began to be persecuted, and all the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

2 And some religious people buried Stephen and cried loudly for him.

3 Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail.

4 And wherever they were scattered, they told people the Good News.

5 Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached about the Christ.

6 When the people there heard Philip and saw the miracles he was doing, they all listened carefully to what he said.

7 Many of these people had evil spirits in them, but Philip made the evil spirits leave. The spirits made a loud noise when they came out. Philip also healed many weak and crippled people there.

8 So the people in that city were very happy.

9 But there was a man named Simon in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had practiced magic and amazed all the people of Samaria. He bragged and called himself a great man.

10 All the people -- the least important and the most important -- paid attention to Simon, saying, "This man has the power of God, called 'the Great Power'!"

11 Simon had amazed them with his magic so long that the people became his followers.

12 But when Philip told them the Good News about the kingdom of God and the power of Jesus Christ, men and women believed Philip and were baptized.

13 Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed very close to Philip. When he saw the miracles and the powerful things Philip did, Simon was amazed.

14 When the apostles who were still in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15 When Peter and John arrived, they prayed that the Samaritan believers might receive the Holy Spirit.

16 These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them.

17 Then, when the two apostles began laying their hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit.

18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money,

19 saying, "Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit."

20 Peter said to him, "You and your money should both be destroyed, because you thought you could buy God's gift with money.

21 You cannot share with us in this work since your heart is not right before God.

22 Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing you have done, and pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you for thinking this.

23 I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and ruled by sin."

24 Simon answered, "Both of you pray for me to the Lord so the things you have said will not happen to me."

25 After Peter and John told the people what they had seen Jesus do and after they had spoken the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and preached the Good News to the people.

26 An angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get ready and go south to the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem -- the desert road."

27 So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians; he was responsible for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.

28 Now, as he was on his way home, he was sitting in his chariot reading from the Book of Isaiah, the prophet.

29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."

30 So when Philip ran toward the chariot, he heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

31 He answered, "How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?" Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him.

32 The portion of Scripture he was reading was this: "He was like a sheep being led to be killed. He was quiet, as a lamb is quiet while its wool is being cut; he never opened his mouth.

33 He was shamed and was treated unfairly. He died without children to continue his family. His life on earth has ended."

34 The officer said to Philip, "Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about -- himself or someone else?"

35 Philip began to speak, and starting with this same Scripture, he told the man the Good News about Jesus.

36 While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The officer said, "Look, here is water. What is stopping me from being baptized?"

37

38 Then the officer commanded the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the officer never saw him again. And the officer continued on his way home, full of joy.

40 But Philip appeared in a city called Azotus and preached the Good News in all the towns on the way from Azotus to Caesarea.

New Living Translation NLT

1 Saul 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.

2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)

3 But 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.

4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.

6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.

7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.

8 So there was great joy in that city.

9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.

10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.”

11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.

12 But 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.

13 Then 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.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.

15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.

16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.

19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

20 But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!

21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.

22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts,

23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”

24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”

25 After 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.

26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

27 So 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,

28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

32 The 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.

33 He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?”

35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”

37

38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39 When 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.

40 Meanwhile, 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.