Acts 8:9–24

THE RESPONSE OF SIMON

⁹A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.^{f 10}They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”^{Bg 11}They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. ¹²But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.^{h 13}Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miraclesⁱ that were being performed.

SIMON’S SIN

¹⁴When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.^{j 15}After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. ¹⁶(They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^k) ¹⁷Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸When Simon saw that the Spirit^C was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!^{l 21}You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.^{m 22}Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. ²³For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”ⁿ

²⁴“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”^o