---
title: "Acts 8 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/acts/8/
description: "Philip converts the Samaritans and baptizes the eunuch. Acts 8 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Acts 8

Acts 8 is chapter 8 of 28 in the Acts of the Apostles. Here are all 40 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Philip converts the Samaritans and baptizes the eunuch.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Acts 8 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. Now in those days, there occurred a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem. And they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.
2. But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.
3. Then Saul was laying waste to the Church by entering throughout the houses, and dragging away men and women, and committing them to prison.
4. Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.
5. Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.
6. And the crowd was listening intently and with one accord to those things which were being said by Philip, and they were watching the signs which he was accomplishing.
7. For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.
8. And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.
9. Therefore, there was great gladness in that city. Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, claiming himself to be someone great.
10. And to all those who would listen, from the least even to the greatest, he was saying: “Here is the power of God, which is called great.”
11. And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.
12. Yet truly, once they had believed Philip, who was evangelizing the kingdom of God, both men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
13. Then Simon himself also believed and, when he had been baptized, he adhered to Philip. And now, seeing also the greatest signs and miracles being wrought, he was amazed and stupefied.
14. Now when the Apostles who were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15. And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16. For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18. But when Simon had seen that, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19. saying, “Give this power to me also, so that on whomever I will lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him:
20. “Let your money be with you in perdition, for you have supposed that a gift of God might be possessed by money.
21. There is no part or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God.
22. And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you.
23. For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
24. Then Simon responded by saying, “Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
25. And indeed, after testifying and speaking the Word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and they evangelized the many regions of the Samaritans.
26. Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Rise up and go toward the south, to the way which descends from Jerusalem into Gaza, where there is a desert.”
27. And rising up, he went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, powerful under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, had arrived in Jerusalem to worship.
28. And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.
29. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”
30. And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”
31. And he said, “But how can I, unless someone will have revealed it to me?” And he asked Philip to climb up and sit with him.
32. Now the place in Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter. And like a lamb silent before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth.
33. He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”
34. Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?”
35. Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
36. And while they were going along the way, they arrived at a certain water source. And the eunuch said: “There is water. What would prevent me from being baptized?”
37. Then Philip said, “If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted.” And he responded by saying, “I believe the Son of God to be Jesus the Christ.”
38. And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.
39. And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore. Then he went on his way, rejoicing.
40. Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.

## Acts 8 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Facta est autem in illa die persecutio magna in ecclesia quæ erat Jerosolymis, et omnes dispersi sunt per regiones Judææ et Samariæ præter Apostolos.
2. Curaverunt autem Stephanum viri timorati, et fecerunt planctum magnum super eum.
3. Saulus autem devastabat ecclesiam per domos intrans, et trahens viros ac mulieres, tradebat in custodiam.
4. Igitur qui dispersi erant pertransibant, evangelizantes verbum Dei.
5. Philippus autem descendens in civitatem Samariæ, prædicabat illis Christum.
6. Intendebant autem turbæ his quæ a Philippo dicebantur, unanimiter audientes, et videntes signa quæ faciebat.
7. Multi enim eorum qui habebant spiritus immundos, clamantes voce magna exibant. Multi autem paralytici et claudi curati sunt.
8. Factum est ergo gaudium magnum in illa civitate.
9. Vir autem quidam nomine Simon, qui ante fuerat in civitate magus, seducens gentem Samariæ, dicens se esse aliquem magnum:
10. cui auscultabant omnes a minimo usque ad maximum, dicentes: Hic est virtus Dei, quæ vocatur magna.
11. Attendebant autem eum: propter quod multo tempore magiis suis dementasset eos.
12. Cum vero credidissent Philippo evangelizanti de regno Dei, in nomine Jesu Christi baptizabantur viri ac mulieres.
13. Tunc Simon et ipse credidit: et cum baptizatus esset, adhærebat Philippo. Videns etiam signa et virtutes maximas fieri, stupens admirabatur.
14. Cum autem audissent Apostoli qui erant Jerosolymis, quod recepisset Samaria verbum Dei, miserunt ad eos Petrum et Joannem.
15. Qui cum venissent, oraverunt pro ipsis ut acciperent Spiritum Sanctum:
16. nondum enim in quemquam illorum venerat, sed baptizati tantum erant in nomine Domini Jesu.
17. Tunc imponebant manus super illos, et accipiebant Spiritum Sanctum.
18. Cum vidisset autem Simon quia per impositionem manus Apostolorum daretur Spiritus Sanctus, obtulit eis pecuniam,
19. dicens: Date et mihi hanc potestatem, ut cuicumque imposuero manus, accipiat Spiritum Sanctum. Petrus autem dixit ad eum:
20. Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditionem: quoniam donum Dei existimasti pecunia possideri.
21. Non est tibi pars neque sors in sermone isto: cor enim tuum non est rectum coram Deo.
22. Pœnitentiam itaque age ab hac nequitia tua: et roga Deum, si forte remittatur tibi hæc cogitatio cordis tui.
23. In felle enim amaritudinis, et obligatione iniquitatis, video te esse.
24. Respondens autem Simon, dixit: Precamini vos pro me ad Dominum, ut nihil veniat super me horum quæ dixistis.
25. Et illi quidem testificati, et locuti verbum Domini, redibant Jerosolymam, et multis regionibus Samaritanorum evangelizabant.
26. Angelus autem Domini locutus est ad Philippum, dicens: Surge, et vade contra meridianum, ad viam quæ descendit ab Jerusalem in Gazam: hæc est deserta.
27. Et surgens abiit. Et ecce vir Æthiops, eunuchus, potens Candacis reginæ Æthiopum, qui erat super omnes gazas ejus, venerat adorare in Jerusalem:
28. et revertebatur sedens super currum suum, legensque Isaiam prophetam.
29. Dixit autem Spiritus Philippo: Accede, et adjunge te ad currum istum.
30. Accurrens autem Philippus, audivit eum legentem Isaiam prophetam, et dixit: Putasne intelligis quæ legis?
31. Qui ait: Et quomodo possum, si non aliquis ostenderit mihi? Rogavitque Philippum ut ascenderet, et sederet secum.
32. Locus autem Scripturæ quem legebat, erat hic: Tamquam ovis ad occisionem ductus est: et sicut agnus coram tondente se, sine voce, sic non aperuit os suum.
33. In humilitate judicium ejus sublatum est. Generationem ejus quis enarrabit? quoniam tolletur de terra vita ejus.
34. Respondens autem eunuchus Philippo, dixit: Obsecro te, de quo propheta dicit hoc? de se, an de alio aliquo?
35. Aperiens autem Philippus os suum, et incipiens a Scriptura ista, evangelizavit illi Jesum.
36. Et dum irent per viam, venerunt ad quamdam aquam: et ait eunuchus: Ecce aqua: quid prohibet me baptizari?
37. Dixit autem Philippus: Si credis ex toto corde, licet. Et respondens ait: Credo Filium Dei esse Jesum Christum.
38. Et jussit stare currum: et descenderunt uterque in aquam, Philippus et eunuchus, et baptizavit eum.
39. Cum autem ascendissent de aqua, Spiritus Domini rapuit Philippum, et amplius non vidit eum eunuchus. Ibat autem per viam suam gaudens.
40. Philippus autem inventus est in Azoto, et pertransiens evangelizabat civitatibus cunctis, donec veniret Cæsaream.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- cf. CCC ¶ 2121: "You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me" ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 1226: Baptism in the Economy of Salvation ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 1288: Confirmation in the Economy of Salvation ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 699: The Name, Titles, and Symbols of the Holy Spirit ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 2121: "You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me" ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 334: Heaven and Earth ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## The saints

- “I have not stopped since the day I arrived. I conscientiously made the rounds of the villages. I bathed in the sacred waters all the children who had not yet been baptized.” — St. Francis Xavier, Letter from India, 1544 (On this theme: verse 38)

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 17: The apostles administered the sacrament of confirmation, by imposition of hands, and prayer; and the faithful thereby received the Holy Ghost. Not but they had received the grace of the Holy Ghost at their baptism: yet not that plenitude of grace and those spiritual gifts which they afterwards received from bishops in the sacrament of confirmation, which strengthened them to profess their faith publicly.
- Verse 37: The scripture many times mentions only one disposition, as here belief, when others equally necessary are not expressed, viz., a sorrow for sins, a firm hope, and the love of God. Moreover, believing with the whole heart signifies a belief of every thing necessary for salvation.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Tue, Apr 13, 2027: Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter — First Reading, Acts 7:51—8:1a
- Wed, Apr 14, 2027: Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter — First Reading, Acts 8:1b-8
- Thu, Apr 15, 2027: Thursday of the Third Week of Easter — First Reading, Acts 8:26-40
- Tue, May 2, 2028 (computed): St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church — First Reading, Acts 7:51—8:1a

1 more date through December 31, 2028, in the [liturgical calendar](https://blessbible.app/calendar/).

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).