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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Acts 8 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/acts/8.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/acts/8-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > Acts 8</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../acts/7.htm" title="Acts 7">◄</a> Acts 8 <a href="../acts/9.htm" title="Acts 9">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_1"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.1" class="v44_8_1">1</span>And Saul approved of his murder.</span></p><h3 class="s">Saul Persecutes the Church</h3><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_1">That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria. </span><span class="v44_8_2"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.2" class="v44_8_2">2</span>Some devout men buried Stephen, mourning for him with loud cries.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_3"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.3" class="v44_8_3">3</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Acts.8.3!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.</span></p><h3 class="s">The Gospel Is Preached in Samaria</h3><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_4"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.4" class="v44_8_4">4</span>The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message. </span><span class="v44_8_5"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.5" class="v44_8_5">5</span>Philip went to the principal city<a href="#fn" id="link_Acts.8.5!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> in Samaria and preached the Messiah to the people there. </span><span class="v44_8_6"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.6" class="v44_8_6">6</span>The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. </span><span class="v44_8_7"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.7" class="v44_8_7">7</span>Evil spirits came out from many people with a loud cry, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. </span><span class="v44_8_8"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.8" class="v44_8_8">8</span>So there was great joy in that city.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_9"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.9" class="v44_8_9">9</span>A man named Simon lived there, who for some time had astounded the Samaritans with his magic. He claimed that he was someone great, </span><span class="v44_8_10"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.10" class="v44_8_10">10</span>and everyone in the city, from all classes of society, paid close attention to him. “He is that power of God known as ‘The Great Power,’” they said. </span><span class="v44_8_11"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.11" class="v44_8_11">11</span>They paid this attention to him because for such a long time he had astonished them with his magic. </span><span class="v44_8_12"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.12" class="v44_8_12">12</span>But when they believed Philip's message about the good news of the Kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. </span><span class="v44_8_13"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.13" class="v44_8_13">13</span>Simon himself also believed; and after being baptized, he stayed close to Philip and was astounded when he saw the great wonders and miracles that were being performed.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_14"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.14" class="v44_8_14">14</span>The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them. </span><span class="v44_8_15"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.15" class="v44_8_15">15</span>When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit. </span><span class="v44_8_16"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.16" class="v44_8_16">16</span>For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. </span><span class="v44_8_17"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.17" class="v44_8_17">17</span>Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_18"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.18" class="v44_8_18">18</span>Simon saw that the Spirit had been given to the believers when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered money to Peter and John, </span><span class="v44_8_19"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.19" class="v44_8_19">19</span>and said, “Give this power to me too, so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_20"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.20" class="v44_8_20">20</span>But Peter answered him, “May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God's gift with money! </span><span class="v44_8_21"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.21" class="v44_8_21">21</span>You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God's sight. </span><span class="v44_8_22"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.22" class="v44_8_22">22</span>Repent, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will forgive you for thinking such a thing as this. </span><span class="v44_8_23"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.23" class="v44_8_23">23</span>For I see that you are full of bitter envy and are a prisoner of sin.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_24"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.24" class="v44_8_24">24</span>Simon said to Peter and John, “Please pray to the Lord for me, so that none of these things you spoke of will happen to me.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_25"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.25" class="v44_8_25">25</span>After they had given their testimony and proclaimed the Lord's message, Peter and John went back to Jerusalem. On their way they preached the Good News in many villages of Samaria.</span></p><h3 class="s">Philip and the Ethiopian Official</h3><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_26"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.26" class="v44_8_26">26</span>An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get ready and go south<a href="#fn" id="link_Acts.8.26!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This road is not used nowadays.)<a href="#fn" id="link_Acts.8.26!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v44_8_27"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.27-Acts.8.28" class="v44_8_27">27-28</span>So Philip got ready and went. Now an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia, was on his way home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God and was going back home in his carriage. As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. </span><span class="v44_8_29"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.29" class="v44_8_29">29</span>The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that carriage and stay close to it.” </span><span class="v44_8_30"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.30" class="v44_8_30">30</span>Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_31"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.31" class="v44_8_31">31</span>The official replied, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” And he invited Philip to climb up and sit in the carriage with him. </span><span class="v44_8_32"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.32" class="v44_8_32">32</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Acts.8.32!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> The passage of scripture which he was reading was this:</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v44_8_32">“He was like a sheep that is taken to be slaughtered,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v44_8_32">like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off.</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v44_8_32">He did not say a word.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v44_8_33"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.33" class="v44_8_33">33</span>He was humiliated, and justice was denied him.</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v44_8_33">No one will be able to tell about his descendants,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v44_8_33">because his life on earth has come to an end.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_34"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.34" class="v44_8_34">34</span>The official asked Philip, “Tell me, of whom is the prophet saying this? Of himself or of someone else?” </span><span class="v44_8_35"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.35" class="v44_8_35">35</span>Then Philip began to speak; starting from this passage of scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus. </span><span class="v44_8_36"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.36" class="v44_8_36">36</span>As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water, and the official said, “Here is some water. What is to keep me from being baptized?”<a href="#fn" id="link_Acts.8.36!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_8_38"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.38" class="v44_8_38">38</span>The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. </span><span class="v44_8_39"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.39" class="v44_8_39">39</span>When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The official did not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy. </span><span class="v44_8_40"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.8.40" class="v44_8_40">40</span>Philip found himself in Azotus; he went on to Caesarea, and on the way he preached the Good News in every town.</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">8.5: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">the principal city; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">some manuscripts have </char><char style="fq" closed="false">a city.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">8.26: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">south; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">at midday.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">8.26: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">This road is not used nowadays; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">This is the desert road.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">8.36: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Some manuscripts add verse 37: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Philip said to him, “You may be baptized if you believe with all your heart.” “I do,” he answered; “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. 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