Acts 8:15-39

¹⁵Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.

¹⁶For he was not as yet come upon any of them; but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁷Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸And when Simon saw, that by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

¹⁹Saying: Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I shall lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said to him:

²⁰Keep thy money to thyself, to perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

²¹Thou hast no part nor lot in this matter. For thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

²²Do penance therefore for this thy wickedness; and pray to God, that perhaps this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.

²³For I see thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity.

²⁴Then Simon answering, said: Pray you for me to the Lord, that none of these things which you have spoken may come upon me.

²⁵And they indeed having testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many countries of the Samaritans.

²⁶Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: Arise, go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza: this is desert.

²⁷And rising up, he went. And behold a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch, of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge over all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to adore.

²⁸And he was returning, sitting in this chariot, and reading Isaias the prophet.

²⁹And the Spirit said to Philip: Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

³⁰And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest?

³¹Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

³²And the place of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, so openeth he not his mouth.

³³In humility his judgment was taken away. His generation who shall declare, for his life shall be taken from the earth?

³⁴And the eunuch answering Philip, said: I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? of himself, or of some other man?

³⁵Then Philip, opening his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.

³⁶And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch said: See, here is water: what doth hinder me from being baptized?

³⁷And Philip said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answering, said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

³⁸And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch: and he baptized him.

³⁹And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing.