Acts 8:17-40

17Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Ruach ha-Kodesh.

18Now when Simon saw that the Ruach ha-Kodesh was given through the laying on of hands by the emissaries, he offered them money,

19saying, “Give this power to me, too—so that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Ruach ha-Kodesh.”

20Peter said to him, “May your silver go to ruin, and you with it—because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money!

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

22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be pardoned.

23For I see in you the poison of bitterness and the bondage of unrighteousness!”

24Simon replied, “Pray for me, so that none of what you have said may come upon me.”

25So when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the Good News to many Samaritan villages.

26Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up, and go south on the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.)

27So he got up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian eunuch—an official who was responsible for all the treasure of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians—had traveled to Jerusalem to worship

28and was now returning. Sitting in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29The Ruach said to Philip, “Go, catch up with this chariot.”

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

31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opens not His Mouth.

33In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who shall recount His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth.”

34The eunuch replied to Philip, “Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about—himself or someone else?”

35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he proclaimed the Good News about Yeshua.

36Now as they were going down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, water! What’s to prevent me from being immersed?”

38He ordered the chariot to stop. They both got down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and Philip immersed him.

39When they came up out of the water, the Ruach Adonai snatched Philip away. The eunuch saw no more of him, for he went on his way, rejoicing.

40But Philip found himself at Azotus. And as he passed through, he kept proclaiming the Good News to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.