23 thee: for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitter24 ness, and in the bond of iniquity." Then Simon answer ed, and said, "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of 25 these things which ye have spoken come upon me." So these, when they had borne witness to and declared the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many towns of the Samaritans. 26 Now an angel of the Lord spake to Philip, saying, "Arise, and go toward the south, to the way which goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza ; which is a desert way.” 27 And he arose and went : and behold, there was an Ethiopian, an eunuch of great authority under Candacè queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and who had come to Jerusalem that he might worship: 28 and he was returning, and sitting in his chariot; and he 29 read the prophet Isaiah. Then the spirit said to Philip, 30 "Go near, and join thyself to this chariot." And Philip ran thither, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" 31 And the eunuch said, "How can I, unless some man guide me?" And he desired that Philip would come up, 32 and sit with him. Now the place of the scripture which he read was this, " He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and, as the lamb is dumb before his shearer, so he openeth 33 not his mouth. In his humiliation, his condemnation was extorted* ; and who can describe the wickedness of his generationt? for his life is taken from the earth." 34 And the eunuch spake to Philip, and said, “I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of 35 some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and began from this part of scripture, and preached to him 36 the glad tidings of Jesus. And as they were going on their way, they came to some water: and the eunuch * See Dodson's Isaiah in loc. The just judgement of him was taken away, N. +"So yeved, ch, xiii. 36, is used for the race of men with whom David lived." Newcome. 288 : ACTS VIII. IX. saith, "See, here is water; what hindereth my being 38 baptized?" Then he commanded that the chariot should stand still and they two went down into the water, both 39 Philip and the eunuch; and Philip baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water,f the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him 40 no more for he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and, passing through, he preached the gospel in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea. CH. IX. Now Saul, still breathing out threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high-priest, 2 and desired of him letters to the synagogues at Damascus ; that if he found any of this religion, whether they were men 3 or women,he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And, as he journeyed, he came near Damascus : and suddenly 4 a light from heaven shone round about him: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, 5 Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" And he said, "Who art thou, Sir?" And [the Lord] said, "I am Jesus 6 whom thou persecutest. But rise up, and go into the 7 city; and it shall be told thee what thou must do." And the men who journeyed with him remained mute, hearing 8 a sound, but seeing no one. And Saul arose from the ground||; and, when his eyes were opened, he saw no one but some led him by the hand¶, and brought him * The received text adds ver. 37. “And Philip said, 'If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest." And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God."" This verse is wanting in the Alex. Ephr. and many other manuscripts and versions; and is probably a marginal note, inserted by mistake into the text. See Newcome and Griesbach. The Alex. and some other copies read," the holy spirit fell on the eunuch, and an angel of the Lord," etc. R. T. adds, "It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.' But he trembling and astonished said, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him-'* These words are not found in any Greek manuscript of note, and are wanting in the Syriac, Coptic, and other ancient versions. They were probably added in the Vulgate and other versions from the parallel places, as has been often done in the gospels. See Griesbach and Newcome's note. earth, N. Or, but he was led and brought into. N. m. 9 into Damascus. 10 And he was three days without sight; and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ana11 nias." And he said, "Behold, I am here, Lord." And the Lord said unto him, "Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, of Tarsus*; for, behold, he 12 prayeth; and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias; who came in, and put his hand on him, that he might 13 recover his sight." Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he 14 hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem and here he hath authority from the chief-priests to bind all who are call15 ed by thy name t." But the Lord said unto him, "Go: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before 16 the gentiles, and kings, and the sons of Israel; for I will shew him what things he must suffer because of my 17 name." Then Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and when he had put his hands on him, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus that appeared to thee on the way as thou camest, hath sent me that thou mightest recover thy sight, and be filled with the holy 18 spirit." And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales; and he recovered his sight forthwith, and 19 arose, and was baptized. And when he had taken food, he was strengthened. Then Saul continued some days with the disciples that “Strabo, who lived under Augustus and Tiberius, says of the inhabitants of Tarsus, that they so studied philosophy, and the whole circle of knowledge, as to exceed Athens, Alexandria, and any other place in which philosophy and letters were cultivated. I. xiv. p. 673, marg. ed. Casaub." Newcome. + Or, "who appeal to thy name." See Lindsey's Second Address, p. 107. “Who call on thy name." Newcome. But in his note, he refers to Dr. Hammond on 1 Cor. i. 2. who renders the phrase in the former sense. "Here one, who is not an apostle, is the instrument of communicating the spirit: But this is an extraordinary case." Newcome. 20 were at Damascus. And immediately he preached Jesus* 21 in the synagogues, that he was the son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, "Is not this he who destroyed those who call themselves after † this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for this purpose, that he 22 might bring them bound to the chief-priests?" But Saul increased more in strength, and perplexed the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, proving that this man is the Christ. 23 And after many days were fulfilled, the Jews took 24 counsel to kill him: (but their lying in wait was known by Saul) and they watched the gates day and night, 25 that they might kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. 26 And when Saul came to Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, 27 not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles; and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, who had spoken to him; and how he had spoken freely at Damas28 cus in the name of Jesus. And Saul consorted || with 29 them at Jerusalem; and he spake freely in the name of the Lord Jesus. And he talked and disputed with the 30 Hellenists; but they tried to kill him which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cesarea, and 31 sent him away to Tarsus. Then the churches had quiet Galilee and Samaria, being 32 throughout all Judea and AND it came to pass that, as Peter went through all parts, he came down to the saints also who dwelt at 33 Lydda. And there he met with a certain man named Eneas, that had kept his bed eight years, and was sick 34 of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, "Eneas, Jesus * Christ, R. T. † N. m. called on, N. See ver. 14. this was the Christ, N. See bishop Pearce. Gr. was with them coming in and going out, Symonds, 131. N. m. who is the Christ, cureth thee: arise, and make thy 35 bed." And he arose immediately. And all who dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord. 36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which, being interpreted into Greek, signifieth Dorcas this woman abounded in good works and in 37 alms which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick and died: so when they had washed 38 her, they laid her in an upper-room. And as Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who had heard that Peter was there, sent unto him two men; desiring him that he would 39 not delay coming to them. Then Peter arose, and went with them. And when he was come, they brought him into the upper-room and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the vests and mantles which Dor40 cas made while she was with them. But Peter sent them all out, and kneeled down, and prayed, and turned to the body, and said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened 41 her eyes and, when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and raised her up; and, when he had 42 called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed 43 in the Lord. And it came to pass that he remained many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. CH. X. Now [there was] a certain man in Cesarea, named Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian 2 band; a religious man, and a gentile, who feared God with all his household; who likewise gave much alms to the 3 people, and prayed to God continually: [he] saw in a vision evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God, who came in unto him, and said to him, 4 "Cornelius." And when he had stedfastly looked on the angel, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, Sir?" And the angel said unto him, "Thy prayers and thine *Jesus Christ, N. |