is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Molech, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. [1]
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David; [2]
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built for him an house.
48 Yet the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build for me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them who showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it .
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him : and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
CHAP. 8.
And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and dragging off men and women committed them to prison.
4 Therefore they that were scattered went every where preaching the word.
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ to them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he was performing.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed and many sick with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, who before in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, saying that he was some great person:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that for a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and was amazed, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. [3]
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:
16 (For as yet he had fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
