Acts 8
Open in the reader1And Asked-For was there, giving approval to Crown’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the assembly in Foundation-of-Peace, and all except the emissaries were scattered throughout Land-of-the-Praised and Watch-Mountain.
2God-fearing men buried Crown and mourned deeply over him.
3But Asked-For began to destroy the assembly. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
5Horse-Lover went down to a city in Watch-Mountain and proclaimed the The-Anointed-One to them.
6The crowds all paid close attention to Horse-Lover’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.
7With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
8So there was great joy in that city.
9Prior to that time, a man named Heard had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Watch-Mountain. He claimed to be someone great,
10and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”
11They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.
12But when they believed Horse-Lover as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of He-Who-Is-Saves The-Anointed-One, they were baptized, both men and women.
13Even Heard himself believed and was baptized. He followed Horse-Lover closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.
14When the emissaries in Foundation-of-Peace heard that Watch-Mountain had received the word of God, they sent Stone and He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor to them.
15On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Devoted Spirit.
16For the Devoted Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord He-Who-Is-Saves.
17Then Stone and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Devoted Spirit.
18When Heard saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the emissaries’ hands, he offered them money.
19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Devoted Spirit.”
20But Stone replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
22Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.
23For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”
24Then Heard answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25And after Stone and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Foundation-of-Peace, preaching the good news in many of the Watch-Station-Ones villages.
26Now a messenger of the Lord said to Horse-Lover, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Foundation-of-Peace to Stronghold.”
27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Foundation-of-Peace to worship,
28and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Salvation-of-He-Who-Is the prophet.
29The Spirit said to Horse-Lover, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”
30So Horse-Lover ran up and heard the man reading Salvation-of-He-Who-Is the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Horse-Lover asked.
31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Horse-Lover to come up and sit with him.
32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
33In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”
34“Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”
35Then Horse-Lover began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about He-Who-Is-Saves.
36As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”
38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Horse-Lover and the eunuch went down into the water, and Horse-Lover baptized him.
39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Horse-Lover away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
40But Horse-Lover appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the good news in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.