New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 And Saul approved of their killing him. That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.
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And Saul gave approval to his death. Now at that time a violent attack was started against the church in Jerusalem; and all but the Apostles went away into all parts of Judaea and Samaria.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.
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And God-fearing men put Stephen's body in its last resting-place, making great weeping over him.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
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But Saul was burning with hate against the church, going into every house and taking men and women and putting them in prison.
4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word.
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But those who had gone in flight went everywhere preaching the word.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
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And Philip went down to Samaria and was teaching them about Christ.
6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did,
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And all the people gave attention to the words which Philip said, when they saw the signs which he did.
7 for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured.
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For unclean spirits came out from those who had them, crying with a loud voice; and a number of those who were ill and broken in body were made well.
8 So there was great joy in that city.
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And there was much joy in that town.
9 Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great.
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But there was a certain man named Simon, who in the past had been a wonder-worker and a cause of surprise to the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was a great man:
10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great."
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To whom they all gave attention, from the smallest to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is named Great.
11 And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
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And they gave attention to him, because for a long time his wonder-working powers had kept them under his control.
12 But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
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But when they had faith in the good news given by Philip about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, a number of men and women had baptism.
13 Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.
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And Simon himself had faith and, having had baptism, he went with Philip and, seeing the signs and the great wonders which he did, he was full of surprise.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
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Now when the Apostles at Jerusalem had news that the people of Samaria had taken the word of God into their hearts, they sent to them Peter and John;
15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit
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Who, when they came there, made prayer for them, that the Holy Spirit might be given to them:
16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).
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For up to that time he had not come on any of them; only baptism had been given to them in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
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Then they put their hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came on them.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
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Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the touch of the Apostles' hands, he made them an offering of money, saying,
19 saying, "Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
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Give me this power, so that when I put my hands on anyone he may get the Holy Spirit.
20 But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's gift with money!
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But Peter said, May your money come to destruction with you, because you had the idea that what is freely given by God may be got for a price.
21 You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God.
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You have no part in this business, because your heart is not right before God.
22 Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
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Let your heart be changed, and make prayer to God that you may have forgiveness for your evil thoughts.
23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness."
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For I see that you are prisoned in bitter envy and the chains of sin.
24 Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me."
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And Simon, answering, said, Make prayer for me to the Lord, so that these things which you have said may not come on me.
25 Now after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.
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So they, having given their witness and made clear the word of the Lord, went back to Jerusalem, giving the good news on their way in a number of the small towns of Samaria.
26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.)
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But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Get up, and go to the south, to the road which goes from Jerusalem to Gaza, through the waste land.
27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship
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And he went and there was a man of Ethiopia, a servant of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, and controller of all her property, who had come up to Jerusalem for worship;
28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
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He was going back, seated in his carriage, and was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it."
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And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and get on his carriage.
30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
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And Philip, running up to him, saw that he was reading Isaiah the prophet, and said to him, Is the sense of what you are reading clear to you?
31 He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
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And he said, How is that possible when I have no guide? And he made Philip get up by his side.
32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.
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Now the place in the book where he was reading was this: He was taken, like a sheep, to be put to death; and as a lamb is quiet when its wool is being cut, so he made no sound:
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."
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Being of low degree, his cause was not given a hearing: who has knowledge of his family? for his life is cut off from the earth.
34 The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"
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And the Ethiopian said to Philip, About whom are these words said by the prophet? about himself, or some other?
35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.
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So Philip, starting from this writing, gave him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?"
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And while they were going on their way, they came to some water, and the Ethiopian said, See, here is water; why may I not have baptism?
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38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
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And he gave orders for the carriage to be stopped, and the two of them went down into the water, and Philip gave him baptism.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
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And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; and the Ethiopian saw him no more, for he went on his way full of joy.
40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
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But Philip came to Azotus, and went through all the towns, preaching the good news, till he came to Caesarea.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.