1. Now Saul was consenting to his execution. On that day, there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
3. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.
4. Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
5. Thus Philip went down to [the] city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
6. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
7. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
8. There was great joy in that city.
9. A man named Simon used to practice magic in the city and astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.
10. All of them, from the least to the greatest, paid attention to him, saying, “This man is the ‘Power of God’ that is called ‘Great.’”
11. They paid attention to him because he had astounded them by his magic for a long time,
12. but once they began to believe Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized.
13. Even Simon himself believed and, after being baptized, became devoted to Philip; and when he saw the signs and mighty deeds that were occurring, he was astounded.