¹ Now Saul was consenting to the assassination of him. Now a great persecution happened in that day upon the congregation$ which was in Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, other-than the apostles.

² Now devout men entombed Stephen and made$ a great lamentation over him.

³ Now Saul was devastating the congregation$ of believers, traveling into every one of the houses and dragging men and women away, he was giving them up to prison. {37 AD. Samaria. Tiberius Caesar dies March 16. Caligula attempts to put his statue in the Temple.} {Examples of those who are saved in the New Testament: Acts 2:14-42; 8:5-13; 8:30-39; 10:34-48; 16:13-15; 16:25-34; 18:8a; 18:8b; 19:1-7; Saul/Apostle Paul: 9:17-18, 22:6-16, 26:12-18.}

⁴ Therefore indeed, the ones who were dispersed went throughout the land, proclaiming the good-news of the word.

⁵ Now Philip went down to a city of Samaria and was preaching the Christ to them.

⁶ And the crowds united and were taking-heed to the things being spoken by Philip, while$ they were hearing and seeing the signs which he was doing$.

⁷ For$ many of the ones who have unclean spirits, the spirits were coming forth, crying with a loud voice. And many were healed who have been paralyzed and lame.

⁸ And a great joy happened in that city.

⁹ But a certain man, Simon by name, was formerly in the city practicing-magic and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be someone great.

¹⁰ To whom they were taking-heed, from the little to the great, saying, This one is the power of God, the Great.

¹¹ Now they were taking-heed to him because he has astonished them with his various magics for a considerable time.

¹² But when they believed Philip proclaiming the good-news concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being immersed$, both men and women.

¹³ Now Simon himself also believed and was immersed$, and was persevering with Philip. And viewing signs and miracles which were happening, he was astonishing him.

¹⁴ Now after the apostles who were in Jerusalem heard that Samaria has accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them;

¹⁵ who came-down and prayed concerning them so $that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

¹⁶ For$ he has not yet fallen upon any of them, but they were$ only being immersed$ into the name of the Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ Then they were laying their hands upon them and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ But Simon saw that through the laying upon of hands of the apostles is when the Holy Spirit is given, offered them wealth,

¹⁹ saying, Give° to me also this authority in-order-that I may lay the hands upon whomever, and he may receive the Holy Spirit.

²⁰ But Peter said to him, May your silver together-with you be sent into destruction, because you supposed to procure the gift of God through monies!

²¹ There is no part nor inheritance in this word for you, for$ your heart is not straight in God’s sight.

²² Therefore, repent from this, your malice, and beseech God; if, then, the deliberation of your heart will be forgiven to you.

²³ For$ I see you as being in the gall of bitterness and the bond of unrighteousness.

²⁴ But Simon answered and said, You°, beseech° on my behalf to the Lord, $that nothing which you° have said may come upon me.

²⁵ Therefore indeed, after they thoroughly testified and spoke the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem and proclaimed the good-news to many villages of the Samaritans. {Summer 37 AD. Road from Jerusalem to Gaza.}

²⁶ But a messenger of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Stand up and travel according-to the midday {i.e., southward} upon the road which is going-down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is wilderness. {Or: a desolate road; not desert!}

²⁷ And he stood up, and traveled away. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch (a sovereign of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, who was in charge over all her treasure), who had come to Jerusalem to worship, {Literal: to worship = will worship}

²⁸ and who now was returning and sitting in his chariot and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹ Now the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot. {Examples of those who are saved in the New Testament: Acts 2:14-42; 8:5-13; 8:30-39; 10:34-48; 16:13-15; 16:25-34; 18:8a; 18:8b; 19:1-7; Saul/Apostle Paul: 9:17-18, 22:6-16, 26:12-18.}

³⁰ Now Philip ran up and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, Consequently$, do you know then what you are reading?

³¹ But he said, For$ how would I be able, if someone does not guide me? And he pleaded with Philip, after Philip came-up to sit together-with him.

³² Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this: ‘He was led like a sheep at the slaughter, and like a lamb in front of the one shearing him is voiceless, thus he does not open his mouth.

³³ His judgment was taken away in his humbleness. But who will be describing his generation? Because his life is taken from the earth.’ {Isa 53:7, 8}

³⁴ But the eunuch answered and said to Philip, I am beseeching you, concerning whom is the prophet speaking about in this? Is he speaking concerning himself or concerning some other person?

³⁵ Now Philip opened his mouth and began from this Scripture, and proclaimed the good-news of Jesus to him.

³⁶ Now as they were traveling down the road, they came upon some water, and the eunuch says, Behold, here is water; what is preventing me now, to be immersed$?

³⁷ Now Philip said, If you believe from your whole heart, it is legal. But he answered and said I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.

³⁸ And he commanded the chariot to stand still and they both went-down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed$ him.

³⁹ Now when they came-up out-of the water, the Spirit of the Lord seized Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for$ he was traveling on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰ But Philip was found in Azotus and going through, he was proclaiming the good-news to all the cities, until he himself came to Caesarea. {Summer AD 37. Damascus. Saul is around 35 years old. Herod Antipas deposed. Herod Agrippa 1 st king, 5