Acts 8:17-40

17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them [one by one], and they received the Holy Spirit.

18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

19saying, “Give me this authority and power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20But Peter said to him, “May your money be destroyed along with you, because you thought you could buy the [free] gift of God with money!

21You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart (motive, purpose) is not right before God.

22So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, this thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

23For I see that you are provoked by bitterness and bound by sin.”

24But Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me both of you, so that nothing of what you have said will come upon me.”

25So, when Peter and John had given their testimony and preached the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, preaching the good news [about salvation] in many Samaritan villages [along the way].

26But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” (This is a desert road).

27So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch [a man of great authority], a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship,

28and he was returning, and sitting in his chariot he was reading [the scroll of] the prophet Isaiah.

29Then the [Holy] Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”

30Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31And he said, “Well, how could I [understand] unless someone guides me [correctly]?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32Now this was the passage of Scripture which he was reading: “Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth.

33In humiliation His judgment was taken away [justice was denied Him]. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”

34The eunuch replied to Philip, “Please tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself or about someone else?”

35Then Philip spoke and beginning with this Scripture he preached Jesus to him [explaining that He is the promised Messiah and the source of salvation].

36As they continued along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch exclaimed, “Look! Water! What forbids me from being baptized?”

37[Philip said to him, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]

38And he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord [suddenly] took Philip [and carried him] away [to a different place]; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but he went on his way rejoicing.

40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the good news [of salvation] to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea [Maritima].