8. Everyone in that city was very glad because of what was happening.
9. For some time a man named Simon had lived in the city of Samaria and had amazed the people. He practised witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great.
10. Everyone, rich and poor, crowded around him. They said, “This man is the power of God called ‘The Great Power’.”
11. For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him.
12. But when they believed what Philip was saying about God's kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they were all baptized.
13. Even Simon believed and was baptized. He stayed close to Philip, because he marvelled at all the miracles and wonders.
14. The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John.
15. When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit.
16. Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.