8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 8:5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria ¹  and began proclaiming ²  the Christ ³  to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, ⁴  as they heard and saw the miraculous signs ⁵  he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, ⁶  crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, ⁷  and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was ⁸  great joy ⁹  in that city.

8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic ¹⁰  and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, ¹¹  from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” ¹²  8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God ¹³  and the name of Jesus Christ, ¹⁴  they began to be baptized, ¹⁵  both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to ¹⁶  Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. ¹⁷ 

8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem ¹⁸  heard that Samaria had accepted the word ¹⁹  of God, they sent ²⁰  Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two ²¹  went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit ²²  had not yet come upon ²³  any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ²⁴  8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, ²⁵  and they received the Holy Spirit. ²⁶ 

8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit ²⁷  was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power ²⁸  too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, ²⁹  because you thought you could acquire ³⁰  God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part ³¹  in this matter ³²  because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord ³³  that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. ³⁴  8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious ³⁵  and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, ³⁶  “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to ³⁷  me.”

8:25 So after Peter and John ³⁸  had solemnly testified ³⁹  and spoken the word of the Lord, ⁴⁰  they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming ⁴¹  the good news to many Samaritan villages ⁴²  as they went. ⁴³ 

8:26 Then an angel of the Lord ⁴⁴  said to Philip, ⁴⁵  “Get up and go south ⁴⁶  on the road that goes down from Jerusalem ⁴⁷  to Gaza.” (This is a desert ⁴⁸  road.) ⁴⁹  8:27 So ⁵⁰  he got up ⁵¹  and went. There ⁵²  he met ⁵³  an Ethiopian eunuch, ⁵⁴  a court official of Candace, ⁵⁵  queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He ⁵⁶  had come to Jerusalem to worship, ⁵⁷  8:28 and was returning home, sitting ⁵⁸  in his chariot, reading ⁵⁹  the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up ⁶⁰  to it ⁶¹  and heard the man ⁶²  reading Isaiah the prophet. He ⁶³  asked him, ⁶⁴  “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man ⁶⁵  replied, “How in the world can I, ⁶⁶  unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man ⁶⁷  was reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did ⁶⁸  not open his mouth.

8:33 In humiliation ⁶⁹  justice was taken from him. ⁷⁰ 

Who can describe his posterity? ⁷¹ 

For his life was taken away ⁷²  from the earth.” ⁷³ 

8:34 Then the eunuch said ⁷⁴  to Philip, “Please tell me, ⁷⁵  who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” ⁷⁶  8:35 So Philip started speaking, ⁷⁷  and beginning with this scripture ⁷⁸  proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 8:36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me ⁷⁹  from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] ⁸⁰  8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, ⁸¹  and Philip baptized ⁸²  him. 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but ⁸³  went on his way rejoicing. ⁸⁴  8:40 Philip, however, found himself ⁸⁵  at Azotus, ⁸⁶  and as he passed through the area, ⁸⁷  he proclaimed the good news ⁸⁸  to all the towns ⁸⁹  until he came to Caesarea. ⁹⁰ 

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ⁹¹  to murder ⁹²  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ⁹³  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ⁹⁴  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ⁹⁵  to Jerusalem. ⁹⁶  9:3 As he was going along, approaching ⁹⁷  Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed ⁹⁸  around him. 9:4 He ⁹⁹  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ¹⁰⁰  why are you persecuting me?” ¹⁰¹  9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 9:6 But stand up ¹⁰²  and enter the city and you will be told ¹⁰³  what you must do.” 9:7 (Now the men ¹⁰⁴  who were traveling with him stood there speechless, ¹⁰⁵  because they heard the voice but saw no one.) ¹⁰⁶  9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ¹⁰⁷  he could see nothing. ¹⁰⁸  Leading him by the hand, his companions ¹⁰⁹  brought him into Damascus. 9:9 For ¹¹⁰  three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. ¹¹¹ 

9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The ¹¹²  Lord ¹¹³  said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, ¹¹⁴  Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ ¹¹⁵  and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 9:12 and he has seen in a vision ¹¹⁶  a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 9:13 But Ananias replied, ¹¹⁷  “Lord, I have heard from many people ¹¹⁸  about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison ¹¹⁹  all who call on your name!” ¹²⁰  9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument ¹²¹  to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ¹²²  9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ¹²³  9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed ¹²⁴  his hands on Saul ¹²⁵  and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, ¹²⁶  has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹²⁷  9:18 Immediately ¹²⁸  something like scales ¹²⁹  fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He ¹³⁰  got up and was baptized, 9:19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.

For several days ¹³¹  he was with the disciples in Damascus, 9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, ¹³²  saying, “This man is the Son of God.” ¹³³  9:21 All ¹³⁴  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ¹³⁵  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ¹³⁶  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ¹³⁷  to the chief priests?” 9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, ¹³⁸  and was causing consternation ¹³⁹  among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ¹⁴⁰  that Jesus ¹⁴¹  is the Christ. ¹⁴² 

9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted ¹⁴³  together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. ¹⁴⁴  They were also watching ¹⁴⁵  the city gates ¹⁴⁶  day and night so that they could kill him. 9:25 But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening ¹⁴⁷  in the wall by lowering him in a basket. ¹⁴⁸ 

9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, ¹⁴⁹  he attempted to associate ¹⁵⁰  with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe ¹⁵¹  that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took ¹⁵²  Saul, ¹⁵³  brought ¹⁵⁴  him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that ¹⁵⁵  the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly ¹⁵⁶  in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them ¹⁵⁷  in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating ¹⁵⁸  with the Greek-speaking Jews, ¹⁵⁹  but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea ¹⁶⁰  and sent him away to Tarsus.

9:31 Then ¹⁶¹  the church throughout Judea, Galilee, ¹⁶²  and Samaria experienced ¹⁶³  peace and thus was strengthened. ¹⁶⁴  Living ¹⁶⁵  in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church ¹⁶⁶  increased in numbers.

9:32 Now ¹⁶⁷  as Peter was traveling around from place to place, ¹⁶⁸  he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. ¹⁶⁹  9:33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because ¹⁷⁰  he was paralyzed. 9:34 Peter ¹⁷¹  said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ ¹⁷²  heals you. Get up and make your own bed!” ¹⁷³  And immediately he got up. 9:35 All ¹⁷⁴  those who lived in Lydda ¹⁷⁵  and Sharon ¹⁷⁶  saw him, and they ¹⁷⁷  turned ¹⁷⁸  to the Lord.

9:36 Now in Joppa ¹⁷⁹  there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means ¹⁸⁰  Dorcas). ¹⁸¹  She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. ¹⁸²  9:37 At that time ¹⁸³  she became sick ¹⁸⁴  and died. When they had washed ¹⁸⁵  her body, ¹⁸⁶  they placed it in an upstairs room. 9:38 Because Lydda ¹⁸⁷  was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Come to us without delay.” ¹⁸⁸  9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and ¹⁸⁹  when he arrived ¹⁹⁰  they brought him to the upper room. All ¹⁹¹  the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him ¹⁹²  the tunics ¹⁹³  and other clothing ¹⁹⁴  Dorcas used to make ¹⁹⁵  while she was with them. 9:40 But Peter sent them all outside, ¹⁹⁶  knelt down, ¹⁹⁷  and prayed. Turning ¹⁹⁸  to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ¹⁹⁹  9:41 He gave ²⁰⁰  her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called ²⁰¹  the saints and widows and presented her alive. 9:42 This became known throughout all ²⁰²  Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ²⁰³  9:43 So ²⁰⁴  Peter ²⁰⁵  stayed many days in Joppa with a man named ²⁰⁶  Simon, a tanner. ²⁰⁷ 

10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea ²⁰⁸  named Cornelius, a centurion ²⁰⁹  of what was known as the Italian Cohort. ²¹⁰  10:2 He ²¹¹  was a devout, God-fearing man, ²¹²  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ²¹³  and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon ²¹⁴  he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God ²¹⁵  who came in ²¹⁶  and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ²¹⁷  replied, ²¹⁸  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ²¹⁹  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ²²⁰  have gone up as a memorial ²²¹  before God. 10:5 Now ²²²  send men to Joppa ²²³  and summon a man named Simon, ²²⁴  who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, ²²⁵  whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius ²²⁶  called two of his personal servants ²²⁷  and a devout soldier from among those who served him, ²²⁸  10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 About noon ²²⁹  the next day, while they were on their way and approaching ²³⁰  the city, Peter went up on the roof ²³¹  to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. ²³²  10:11 He ²³³  saw heaven ²³⁴  opened ²³⁵  and an object something like a large sheet ²³⁶  descending, ²³⁷  being let down to earth ²³⁸  by its four corners. 10:12 In it ²³⁹  were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ²⁴⁰  of the earth and wild birds. ²⁴¹  10:13 Then ²⁴²  a voice said ²⁴³  to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter ²⁴⁴  and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” ²⁴⁵  10:15 The voice ²⁴⁶  spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ²⁴⁷  ritually unclean!” ²⁴⁸  10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. ²⁴⁹ 

10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over ²⁵⁰  what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was ²⁵¹  and approached ²⁵²  the gate. 10:18 They ²⁵³  called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, ²⁵⁴  was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about ²⁵⁵  the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, ²⁵⁶  go down, and accompany them without hesitation, ²⁵⁷  because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down ²⁵⁸  to the men and said, “Here I am, ²⁵⁹  the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, ²⁶⁰  a righteous ²⁶¹  and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, ²⁶²  was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message ²⁶³  from you.” 10:23 So Peter ²⁶⁴  invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out ²⁶⁵  with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa ²⁶⁶  accompanied him. 10:24 The following day ²⁶⁷  he entered Caesarea. ²⁶⁸  Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously ²⁶⁹  for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when ²⁷⁰  Peter came in, Cornelius met ²⁷¹  him, fell ²⁷²  at his feet, and worshiped ²⁷³  him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, ²⁷⁴  saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” ²⁷⁵  10:27 Peter ²⁷⁶  continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. ²⁷⁷  10:28 He said to them, “You know that ²⁷⁸  it is unlawful ²⁷⁹  for a Jew ²⁸⁰  to associate with or visit a Gentile, ²⁸¹  yet God has shown me that I should call no person ²⁸²  defiled or ritually unclean. ²⁸³  10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, ²⁸⁴  I came without any objection. Now may I ask why ²⁸⁵  you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius ²⁸⁶  replied, ²⁸⁷  “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, ²⁸⁸  I was praying in my house, and suddenly ²⁸⁹  a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity ²⁹⁰  have been remembered before God. ²⁹¹  10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, ²⁹²  by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ²⁹³  So now we are all here in the presence of God ²⁹⁴  to listen ²⁹⁵  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ²⁹⁶ 

10:34 Then Peter started speaking: ²⁹⁷  “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, ²⁹⁸  10:35 but in every nation ²⁹⁹  the person who fears him ³⁰⁰  and does what is right ³⁰¹  is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know ³⁰²  the message ³⁰³  he sent to the people ³⁰⁴  of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace ³⁰⁵  through ³⁰⁶  Jesus Christ ³⁰⁷  (he is Lord ³⁰⁸  of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁰⁹  10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, ³¹⁰  that ³¹¹  God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He ³¹²  went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ³¹³  because God was with him. ³¹⁴  10:39 We ³¹⁵  are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea ³¹⁶  and in Jerusalem. ³¹⁷  They ³¹⁸  killed him by hanging him on a tree, ³¹⁹  10:40 but ³²⁰  God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, ³²¹  10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, ³²²  who ate and drank ³²³  with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He ³²⁴  commanded us to preach to the people and to warn ³²⁵  them ³²⁶  that he is the one ³²⁷  appointed ³²⁸  by God as judge ³²⁹  of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, ³³⁰  that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins ³³¹  through his name.”

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on ³³²  all those who heard the message. ³³³  10:45 The ³³⁴  circumcised believers ³³⁵  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ³³⁶  that ³³⁷  the gift of the Holy Spirit ³³⁸  had been poured out ³³⁹  even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ³⁴⁰  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ³⁴¹  can he?” ³⁴²  10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized ³⁴³  in the name of Jesus Christ. ³⁴⁴  Then they asked him to stay for several days.

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ³⁴⁵  the word of God. ³⁴⁶  11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ³⁴⁷  the circumcised believers ³⁴⁸  took issue with ³⁴⁹  him, 11:3 saying, “You went to ³⁵⁰  uncircumcised men and shared a meal with ³⁵¹  them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, ³⁵²  saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, ³⁵³  an object something like a large sheet descending, ³⁵⁴  being let down from heaven ³⁵⁵  by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared ³⁵⁶  I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, ³⁵⁷  and wild birds. ³⁵⁸  11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter ³⁵⁹  and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean ³⁶⁰  has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider ³⁶¹  ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, ³⁶²  three men sent to me from Caesarea ³⁶³  approached ³⁶⁴  the house where we were staying. ³⁶⁵  11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers ³⁶⁶  also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message ³⁶⁷  to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on ³⁶⁸  them just as he did ³⁶⁹  on us at the beginning. ³⁷⁰  11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, ³⁷¹  as he used to say, ³⁷²  ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁷³  11:17 Therefore if God ³⁷⁴  gave them the same gift ³⁷⁵  as he also gave us after believing ³⁷⁶  in the Lord Jesus Christ, ³⁷⁷  who was I to hinder ³⁷⁸  God?” 11:18 When they heard this, ³⁷⁹  they ceased their objections ³⁸⁰  and praised ³⁸¹  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ³⁸²  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ³⁸³