Part 11

008:023 For I perceive that you have fallen into the bitterest bondage of unrighteousness."

008:024 "Pray, both of you, to the Lord for me," answered Simon, "that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."

008:025 So the Apostles, after giving a solemn charge and delivering the Lord's Message, travelled back to Jerusalem, making known the Good News also in many of the Samaritan villages.

008:026 And an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and proceed south to the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza, crossing the Desert."

008:027 Upon this he rose and went. Now, as it happened, an Ethiopian eunuch who was in a position of high authority with Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, as her treasurer, had visited Jerusalem to worship there,

008:028 and was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the Prophet Isaiah.

008:029 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go and enter that chariot."

008:030 So Philip ran up and heard the eunuch reading the Prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked.

008:031 "Why, how can I," replied the eunuch, "unless some one explains it to me?" And he earnestly invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

008:032 The passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "Like a sheep He was led to slaughter, and just as a lamb before its shearer is dumb so He opened not His mouth.

008:033 In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will make known His posterity? For He is destroyed from among men."

008:034 "Pray, of whom is the Prophet speaking?" inquired the eunuch; "of himself or of some one else?"

008:035 Then Philip began to speak, and, commencing with that same portion of Scripture, told him the Good News about Jesus.

008:036 So they proceeded on their way till they came to some water; and the eunuch exclaimed, "See, here is water; what is there to prevent my being baptized?"

008:037 []

008:038 So he stopped the chariot; and both of them--Philip and the eunuch-- went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

008:039 But no sooner had they come up out of the water than the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again. With a glad heart he resumed his journey;

008:040 but Philip found himself at Ashdod. Then visiting town after town he everywhere made known the Good News until he reached Caesarea.

009:001 Now Saul, whose every breath was a threat of destruction for the disciples of the Lord,

009:002 went to the High Priest and begged from him letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, in order that if he found any believers there, either men or women, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.

009:003 But on the journey, as he was getting near Damascus, suddenly there flashed round him a light from Heaven;

009:004 and falling to the ground he heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

009:005 "Who art thou, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," was the reply.

009:006 "But rise and go to the city, and you will be told what you are to do.

009:007 Meanwhile the men who travelled with Saul were standing dumb with amazement, hearing a sound, but seeing no one.

009:008 Then he rose from the ground, but when he had opened his eyes, he could not see, and they led him by the arm and brought him to Damascus.

009:009 And for two days he remained without sight, and did not eat or drink anything.

009:010 Now in Damascus there was a disciple of the name of Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, "Ananias!" "I am here, Lord," he answered.