Acts 8:17–40

¹⁷Then they laid their hands upon them: and they received the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸And when Simon saw that, by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

¹⁹Saying: Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I shall lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said to him:

²⁰Keep thy money to thyself, to perish with thee: because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

²¹Thou hast no part nor lot in this matter. For thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

²²Do penance therefore for this thy wickedness: and pray to God, that perhaps this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.

²³For I see thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.

²⁴Then Simon answering, said: Pray you for me to the Lord that none of these things which you have spoken may come upon me.

²⁵And they indeed, having testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem: and preached the gospel to many countries of the Samaritans.

²⁶Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: Arise, go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza: this is desert.

²⁷And rising up, he went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch, of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge over all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to adore.

²⁸And he was returning, sitting in his chariot and reading Isaias the prophet.

²⁹And the Spirit said to Philip: Go near and join thyself to this chariot.

³⁰And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest?

³¹Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

³²And the place of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter: and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, so openeth he not his mouth.

³³In humility his judgment was taken away. His generation who shall declare, for his life shall be taken from the earth?

³⁴And the eunuch answering Philip, said: I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? Of himself, or of some other man?

³⁵Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.

³⁶And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water. And the eunuch said: See, here is water: What doth hinder me from being baptized?

³⁷And Philip said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answering, said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

³⁸And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch. And he baptized him.

³⁹And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took away Philip: and the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip was found in Azotus: and passing through, he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.