Parallel Bible results for "acts 8"

Acts 8

New Revised Standard NRS

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.

2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation 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.

4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word.

5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.

6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that 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.

8 So there was great joy in that city.

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.

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."

11 And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

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.

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.

14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit

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).

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

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

19 saying, "Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive 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!

21 You have no part or share in this, for 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.

23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness."

24 Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to 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.

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.)

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

28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it."

30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

31 He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.

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.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away 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?"

35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to 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?"

37

38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, 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 saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

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.

The Message Bible MSG

1 That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles.

2 Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral - not many dry eyes that day!

3 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail.

4 Forced to leave home base, the Christians all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus.

5 Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah.

6 When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God's action, they hung on his every word.

7 Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way.

8 And what joy in the city!

9 Previous to Philip's arrival, a certain Simon had practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his wizardry.

10 He had them all, from little children to old men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural powers, and called him "the Great Wizard."

11 He had been around a long time and everyone was more or less in awe of him.

12 But when Philip came to town announcing the news of God's kingdom and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ, they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers right and left!

13 Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. From that moment he was like Philip's shadow, so fascinated with all the God-signs and miracles that he wouldn't leave Philip's side.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John down

15 to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

16 Up to this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn't yet fallen on them.

17 Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited,

19 and said, "Sell me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your price!"

20 Peter said, "To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that's unthinkable - trying to buy God's gift!

21 You'll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes.

22 Change your ways - and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money.

23 I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust."

24 "Oh!" said Simon, "pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!"

25 And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God's salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their return to Jerusalem.

26 Later God's angel spoke to Philip: "At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza."

27 He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.

28 He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

29 The Spirit told Philip, "Climb into the chariot."

30 Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

31 He answered, "How can I without some help?" and invited Philip into the chariot with him.

32 The passage he was reading was this: As a sheep led to slaughter, and quiet as a lamb being sheared, He was silent, saying nothing.

33 He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial. But who now can count his kin since he's been taken from the earth?

34 The eunuch said, "Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?"

35 Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.

36 As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, "Here's water. Why can't I be baptized?"

38 He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn't mind. He had what he'd come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.

40 Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.