Parallel
Acts 8
Berean Standard Bible · Westminster Leningrad Codex
And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
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But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
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The crowds all paid close attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.
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With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
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Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,
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and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”
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They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.
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But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
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Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.
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When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
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For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
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When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.
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“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
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But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
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Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.
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Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
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And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.
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Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
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So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace (note: Greek Kandakē), queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
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So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
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“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
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The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
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In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth (note: Isaiah 53:7–8 (see also LXX)).”
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As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”
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And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
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When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
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But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
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