Acts 8 (NMV)
1 Saul approved of his execution. On that day, a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
4 So those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the message of the good news.
5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them.
6 The crowds were paying close attention to what Philip said as they heard him and saw the signs he was performing.
7 For unclean spirits, crying out with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
8 So there was great joy in that city.
9 Now a man named Simon had been practicing sorcery in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.
10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is what is called the Great Power of God!"
11 They paid attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized he stayed close to Philip. He was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles being performed.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 After they went down there, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit,
16 because He had not yet come upon any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
19 saying, "Give me this authority too, so that everyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."
20 But Peter told him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.
22 Turn from your former ways and pray to the Lord, that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven.
23 For I see that you are full of bitter poison and trapped in wickedness."
24 Simon replied, "Please pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me."
25 After they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the good news in many Samaritan villages along the way.
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: "Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)
27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship
28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go and join that chariot."
30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 Now the passage of Scripture he was reading was this: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He did not open His mouth.
33 In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth."
34 The eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?"
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and starting with that Scripture, he proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, here is water. What would keep me from being baptized?"
37 [Some manuscripts add: "Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he replied, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'"]
38 He ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no longer, but he went on his way rejoicing.
40 Philip appeared at Azotus, and as he passed through, he preached the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.