Acts 8

1 And Saul consented vnto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against ye Churche which was at Hierusalem, and they were all scattered abrode thorowout the regions of Iurie, and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And deuout men were carefull together touchyng Steuen, and made great lamentation ouer hym.

3 As for Saul, he made hauocke of the Churche, and entred into euery house, & drewe out both men and women, and put them into pryson.

4 Therfore, they that were scattered abrode, went euery where preachyng the worde of God.

5 Then came Philip into the citie of Samaria, & preached Christe vnto the.

6 And the people gaue heede vnto those thynges whiche Philip spake with one accorde, hearyng and seing the miracles which he dyd.

7 For vncleane spirites, crying with loude voyce, came out of manye that were possessed with them. And many taken with paulsies, & many that haulted, were healed.

8 And there was great ioy in that citie.

9 But there was a certayne man called Simon, which beforetyme in the same citie vsed witchcraft, and bewitched the people of Samaria, saying that he was a man that coulde do great thynges:

10 Whom they regarded from the least to the greatest, saying: This man is the great power of God.

11 And hym they sette much by, because that of long tyme he had bewitched the with sorseries.

12 But assoone as they gaue credence to Philips preachyng of the kyngdome of God, and of the name of Iesus Christe, they were baptized, both men & wome.

13 Then Simon him selfe beleued also: And whe he was baptized, he continued with Philip, & wondred, beholding the miracles & signes which were shewed.

14 When the apostles whiche were at Hierusalem, hearde say that Samaria hadde receaued the worde of God, they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn.

15 Which when they were come downe, prayed for the that they myght receaue the holy ghost.

16 (For as yet he was come downe vpon none of them, but they were baptized only in the name of Christ Iesu.)

17 Then layde they their handes on the, and they receaued the holy ghost.

18 And when Simon sawe, that thorow laying on of the apostles handes, ye holy ghost was geuen, he offred the money,

19 Saying: Geue me also this power, that on whomsoeuer I put the hands, he may receaue the holy ghost.

20 But Peter sayde vnto him: Thy money perishe with thee, because thou hast thought that the gyfte of God may be obteyned with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor felowship in this busynesse: For thy hearte is not ryght in the syght of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse, & praye God, if perhaps ye thought of thyne heart may be forgeuen thee.

23 For I perceaue yt thou art in the gall of bitternesse, & wrapped in iniquitie.

24 The aunswered Simon & said: Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these thinges which ye haue spoke fall on me.

25 And they, when they had testified and preached the worde of the Lorde, returned towarde Hierusalem, and preached the Gospell in many townes of the Samaritanes.

26 And the Angell of the Lorde spake vnto Philip, saying: Aryse, and go towarde the South, vnto the waye that goeth downe from Hierusalem vnto Gaza, which is desert.

27 And he arose, & went on: and behold a man of Ethiopia, an Eunuch, & of great auctoritie with Candace, Queene of the Ethiopias, & had the rule of all her treasure, came to Hierusale for to worship.

28 And as he returned home agayne, sittyng in his charet, he read Esaias the prophete.

29 Then the spirite said vnto Philip: Go neare, & ioyne thy selfe to yonder charet.

30 And Philip ran thither to him, & heard hym reade the prophete Esaias, & saide: vnderstandest thou what thou readest?

31 And he said: how can I, except I had a guyde? And he desired Philip that he woulde come vp, and sit with hym.

32 The tenour of the scripture which he read, was this: He was ledde as a sheepe to the slaughter, & lyke a lambe dumbe before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.

33 In his humilitie, his iudgement is exalted: But who shall declare his generation? For his lyfe is taken from the earth.

34 And the Eunuche aunswered Philip, and sayde: I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophete this? Of hym selfe, or of some other man?

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached vnto hym Iesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came vnto a certayne water, and the Eunuche sayde: See, here is water, what doth let me to be baptized?

37 Philip sayde [vnto hym] If thou beleuest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he aunswered, and saide: I beleue that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God.

38 And he commaunded the charet to stande styll: and they went downe both into the water, both Philip and also the Eunuche: and he baptized hym.

39 And assoone as they were come out of the water, the spirite of ye Lorde caught away Philip, that the Eunuche sawe hym no more. And he went on his way reioycyng.

40 But Philip was founde at Azotus. And he walked throughout the countrey, preachyng in all the cities, tyll he came to Cesarea.