Acts 8:1-26

¹And Saul was consenting to his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and all were scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

²And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

³But Saul ravaged the church, entering house after house, and dragging both men and women, committed them to prison.

⁴Now those that had been scattered abroad went through the country preaching the word.

⁵And Philip went down to a city of Samaria, and preached to them the Christ.

⁶And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he wrought.

⁷For from many that had unclean spirits came they out crying with a loud voice; and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were cured.

⁸And there was great joy in that city.

⁹But before their arrival a certain man, named Simon, was in the city, a man practising sorcery, and amazing the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was some great person;

¹⁰to whom they gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the Power of God, which is called Great.

¹¹And to him they gave heed, because they had for a long time been amazed by his sorceries.

¹²But when they believed Philip, publishing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³And Simon himself also believed, and having been baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed when he beheld the miracles and signs which were wrought.

¹⁴And the apostles at Jerusalem, hearing that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John;

¹⁵who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

¹⁶For it had not yet fallen upon any of them; but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

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

¹⁸But Simon, seeing that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, offered them money,

¹⁹saying, Give me also this power, that on whomever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.

²⁰But Peter said to him, Thy money perish with thee! because thou didst think to obtain the gift of God with money.

²¹Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

²²Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if haply the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.

²³For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

²⁴And Simon answering said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of the things which ye have spoken may come upon me.

²⁵They then, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, were returning to Jerusalem, and publishing the glad tidings in many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert way.