The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XIII) 119 [a’] 24 Simon answered and said to 24 Simon answered and said to them, ‘I beg you yourselves to them, ‘I beg you yourselves to pray pray to God about me so that all to God for me so that all these bad these bad things which you have things which you have spoken might spoken to me might not happen not happen to me’. to me’, and he did not cease cry- ing. [A’a] 25 Now when they had borne 25 Now when they had borne wit- witness and spoken the word ness and spoken the word of the of the Lord, they started to re- Lord, they started to return to Hier- turn to Hierosoluma. They also osoluma and also evangelized many evangelized many villages of villages of the Samaritans. the Samaritans. [b] 26 The angel of the Lord spoke 26 The angel of the Lord spoke to to Philip saying, ‘Get up, go Philip saying, ‘Get up and start go- down towards the south on the ing down towards the south on the road that goes down from Ier- road that goes down from Ierousa- ousalem to Gaza. It is a desert lem to Gaza. It is a desert road’. road’. [c] 27a And he got up and went. 27a And he got up and went. [d] 27b And what did he find? A 27b And what did he find? A eu- eunuch, a court ruler of a cer- nuch, a court ruler of Queen Can- tain Queen Candace of Ethio- dace of Ethiopia who was in charge pia who was in charge in all his in all her treasure. He had come treasure. He had come worship- worshipping in Ierousalem 28 and ping Ierousalem 28 and was re- was returning, and seated on his turning seated on the chariot chariot he was reading the proph- reading the prophet Isaiah. et Isaiah. [e] 29a The Spirit said to Philip, 29a The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Western Text’ Codex Vaticanus B03 29b ‘Go and join this chariot’. 29b ‘Go and join this chariot’. [f] 30 So Philip went and heard him 30 So Philip ran and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and he reading Isaiah the prophet and he said, ‘Do you really understand said, ‘Do you really understand what you are reading?’ what you are reading?’ [g] 31 He said, ‘However can I, 31 He said, ‘However can I, unless unless someone shows me?’, and someone will show me?’, and he he begged Philip to come up and begged Philip to come up and sit sit with him. with him.