Acts:8
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And Saul was consenting unto his death .
And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem ;
and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria ,
except the apostles .
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And devout men carried Stephen to his burial ,
and made great lamentation over him .
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As for Saul ,
he made havock of the church ,
entering into every house ,
and haling men and women committed them to prison .
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Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word .
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Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria ,
and preached Christ unto them .
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And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake ,
hearing and seeing the miracles which he did .
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For unclean spirits ,
crying with loud voice ,
came out of many that were possessed with them :
and many taken with palsies ,
and that were lame ,
were healed .
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And there was great joy in that city .
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But there was a certain man ,
called Simon ,
which beforetime in the same city used sorcery ,
and bewitched the people of Samaria ,
giving out that himself was some great one :
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To whom they all gave heed ,
from the least to the greatest ,
saying ,
This man is the great power of God .
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And to him they had regard ,
because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries .
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But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God ,
and the name of Jesus Christ ,
they were baptized ,
both men and women .
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Then Simon himself believed also :
and when he was baptized ,
he continued with Philip ,
and wondered ,
beholding the miracles and signs which were done .
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Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God ,
they sent unto them Peter and John :
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Who ,
when they were come down ,
prayed for them ,
that they might receive the Holy Ghost :
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For as yet he was fallen upon none of them :
only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus .)
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Then laid they their hands on them ,
and they received the Holy Ghost .
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And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles '
hands the Holy Ghost was given ,
he offered them money ,
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Saying ,
Give me also this power ,
that on whomsoever I lay hands ,
he may receive the Holy Ghost .
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But Peter said unto him ,
Thy money perish with thee ,
because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money .
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Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter :
for thy heart is not right in the sight of God .
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Repent therefore of this thy wickedness ,
and pray God ,
if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee .
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For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness ,
and in the bond of iniquity .
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Then answered Simon ,
and said ,
Pray ye to the Lord for me ,
that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me .
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And they ,
when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord ,
returned to Jerusalem ,
and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans .
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And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip ,
saying ,
Arise ,
and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza ,
which is desert .
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And he arose and went :
and ,
behold ,
a man of Ethiopia ,
an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians ,
who had the charge of all her treasure ,
and had come to Jerusalem for to worship ,
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Was returning ,
and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet .
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Then the Spirit said unto Philip ,
Go near ,
and join thyself to this chariot .
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And Philip ran thither to him ,
and heard him read the prophet Esaias ,
and said ,
Understandest thou what thou readest ?
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And he said ,
How can I ,
except some man should guide me ?
And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him .
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The place of the scripture which he read was this ,
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter ;
and like a lamb dumb before his shearer ,
so opened he not his mouth :
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In his humiliation his judgment was taken away :
and who shall declare his generation ?
for his life is taken from the earth .
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And the eunuch answered Philip ,
and said ,
I pray thee ,
of whom speaketh the prophet this ?
of himself ,
or of some other man ?
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Then Philip opened his mouth ,
and began at the same scripture ,
and preached unto him Jesus .
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And as they went on their way ,
they came unto a certain water :
and the eunuch said ,
See ,
here is water ;
what doth hinder me to be baptized ?
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And Philip said ,
If thou believest with all thine heart ,
thou mayest .
And he answered and said ,
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God .
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And he commanded the chariot to stand still :
and they went down both into the water ,
both Philip and the eunuch ;
and he baptized him .
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And when they were come up out of the water ,
the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip ,
that the eunuch saw him no more :
and he went on his way rejoicing .
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But Philip was found at Azotus :
and passing through he preached in all the cities ,
till he came to Caesarea .