|
Acts 8:26-39
Philip and the Ethiopian Official
Good News Bible
An angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get ready and go south to the road
that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This road is not used nowadays.) So
Philip got ready and went. Now an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important
official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia, was on his
way home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God and was going back home
in his carriage. As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the
prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to that carriage
and stay close to it." Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book
of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
The official replied, "How can I understand unless someone explains
it to me?" And he invited Philip to climb up and sit in the carriage with
him. The passage of scripture which he was reading was this:
"Like a sheep that is taken to be slaughtered,
like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off,
he did not say a word.
He was humiliated, and justice was denied him.
No one will be able to tell about his descendants
because his life on earth has come to an end."
The official asked Philip, "Tell me, of whom is the prophet saying this?
Of himself or of someone else?" Then Philip began to speak; starting from
this passage of scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus. As they
travelled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water,
and the official said, "Here is some water. What is to keep me from being
baptized?"'
The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official
went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out
of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The official did
not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy. Philip found
himself in Ashdod; he went on to Caesarea, and on the way he preached the
Good News in every town.
Acts 8:26-39
The Ethiopian eunuch baptized,
King James Bible
And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward
the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which
is desert.
And he arose and went and, behold, a man of Ethiopia an eunuch of great
authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of
all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship
Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this
chariot.
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet
Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired
Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep
to the daughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he
not his mouth:
In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare
his generation ? for his life is taken from the earth
And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh
the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached
unto him Jesus.
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water:
and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to
be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.
And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both
into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord
caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his
way rejoicing.
But Philip was found at Azatus: and passing through he preached in all
the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
|
|