Acts 8 – NIV & CCB

New International Version

Acts 8:1-40

1And Saul approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

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

25After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

Philip and the Ethiopian

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian8:27 That is, from the southern Nile region eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

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

32This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth.”8:33 Isaiah 53:7,8 (see Septuagint)

34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 378:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

使徒行传 8:1-40

教会受迫害

1当时,扫罗也赞成杀死司提凡。从那天起,耶路撒冷的教会开始遭到极大的迫害。除了使徒之外,门徒都分散到犹太撒玛利亚各地。 2有些虔诚人将司提凡埋葬了,为他大声痛哭。

3扫罗却在摧毁教会,他挨家挨户搜寻,把男女信徒抓进监里。

腓利传扬福音

4但那些逃往各地的信徒逃到哪里,就将福音传到哪里。 5腓利来到撒玛利亚城宣讲基督。 6城里的人耳闻目睹他所行的神迹,都聚精会神地听他讲道。 7当时有许多人被污鬼附身,那些污鬼大声喊叫着被赶了出来。还有不少瘫子和瘸子也被医好了。 8城里洋溢着欢乐的气氛。

术士归主

9有个名叫西门的术士,向来妄自尊大,曾用邪术使撒玛利亚人惊奇不已。 10无论贵贱,众人都听从他,称他为“上帝的大能者”。 11他们听从他,因为他长期用邪术迷惑他们。 12后来,他们相信了腓利传的有关上帝的国度和耶稣基督的福音,男男女女都接受了洗礼。 13西门本人也信了基督,接受了洗礼,并常常追随腓利左右。腓利所行的神迹奇事令他非常惊奇。

14耶路撒冷的使徒听说撒玛利亚人接受了上帝的道,就派彼得约翰去那里。 15二人到了,为那些信徒祷告,好让他们领受圣灵, 16因为他们只是奉耶稣的名受了洗,圣灵还没有降在他们身上。 17使徒把手按在他们身上,他们就领受了圣灵。

18西门看见使徒把手一按在人身上,就有圣灵赐下来,便拿钱给使徒, 19说:“请把这能力也给我吧,以便我把手按在谁身上,就使谁领受圣灵。”

20彼得责备他说:“你和你的钱都一同毁灭吧!因为你以为可以用钱买上帝的恩赐! 21你在上帝面前心术不正,休想在我们的事工上有份。 22你要悔改,离弃邪恶,向主祷告,或许主会赦免你心中的邪念。 23我看得出你正因为嫉妒而心里充满了苦涩,被罪恶捆绑。”

24西门说:“请为我求求主,免得我遭受你们所说的刑罚。”

25彼得约翰为主做见证,传讲主的道。之后,他们启程回耶路撒冷,沿途又在撒玛利亚各村庄传扬福音。

太监归主

26有一天,主的天使对腓利说:“起来,向南走,往耶路撒冷通往迦萨的路去。”那条路很荒凉。 27腓利立刻动身,结果在那条路上遇见一个埃塞俄比亚的太监。他是埃塞俄比亚女王甘大基手下的重臣,负责管理国库。他刚从耶路撒冷参加敬拜回来, 28正坐在车上诵读以赛亚先知的书。 29圣灵吩咐腓利:“赶上去,贴近那辆马车!”

30腓利跑上前,听见太监在诵读以赛亚先知的书,就问:“你明白所读的经文吗?”

31他说:“没有人为我解释,我怎能明白呢?”他就请腓利上车和他一起坐。 32他刚才念的那段经文是:

“祂默然不语,

像被人牵去宰杀的羔羊,

又如在剪毛人手下一声不吭的绵羊。

33祂忍受耻辱,

无人为祂主持公道,

谁能明白那个世代呢?

因为祂的生命竟然被夺去。”

34太监问腓利:“请问先知是在说谁?在说他自己还是在说别人?” 35腓利就从这段经文入手向他传耶稣的福音。 36他们往前走的时候,经过一处有水的地方,太监说:“你看,这里有水,我可以在这里接受洗礼吗?” 37腓利说:“只要你全心相信,当然可以。”太监说:“我相信耶稣基督是上帝的儿子!”

38于是,太监吩咐停车,二人一同下到水里,腓利为他施洗。 39他们从水里上来时,主的灵把腓利带走了。太监看不见腓利了,就继续前行,满心欢喜。 40后来,腓利出现在亚锁都。他走遍那里,在各城各乡传扬福音,直到凯撒利亚