1Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
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.
4But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.
9A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.
12But 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.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.
20But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!
24“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”
25After 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.
26As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south*8:26 Or Go at noon. down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
29The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
32The 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.
33He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”*8:32-33 Isa 53:7-8 (Greek version).
34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?”
36As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”*8:36 Some manuscripts add verse 37, “You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
39When 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.