4:1 While Peter and John ¹  were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander ²  of the temple guard ³  and the Sadducees ⁴  came up ⁵  to them, 4:2 angry ⁶  because they were teaching the people and announcing ⁷  in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 4:3 So ⁸  they seized ⁹  them and put them in jail ¹⁰  until the next day (for it was already evening). 4:4 But many of those who had listened to ¹¹  the message ¹²  believed, and the number of the men ¹³  came to about five thousand.

4:5 On the next day, ¹⁴  their rulers, elders, and experts in the law ¹⁵  came together ¹⁶  in Jerusalem. ¹⁷  4:6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family. ¹⁸  4:7 After ¹⁹  making Peter and John ²⁰  stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name ²¹  did you do this?” 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ²²  replied, ²³  “Rulers of the people and elders, ²⁴  4:9 if ²⁵  we are being examined ²⁶  today for a good deed ²⁷  done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed ²⁸  – 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ ²⁹  the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. 4:11 This Jesus ³⁰  is the stone that was rejected by you, ³¹  the builders, that has become the cornerstone. ³²  4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people ³³  by which we must ³⁴  be saved.”

4:13 When they saw the boldness ³⁵  of Peter and John, and discovered ³⁶  that they were uneducated ³⁷  and ordinary ³⁸  men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. 4:14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this. ³⁹  4:15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, ⁴⁰  they began to confer with one another, 4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain ⁴¹  to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign ⁴²  has come about through them, ⁴³  and we cannot deny it. 4:17 But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more ⁴⁴  to anyone in this name.” 4:18 And they called them in and ordered ⁴⁵  them not to speak or teach at all in the name ⁴⁶  of Jesus. 4:19 But Peter and John replied, ⁴⁷  “Whether it is right before God to obey ⁴⁸  you rather than God, you decide, 4:20 for it is impossible ⁴⁹  for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” 4:21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising ⁵⁰  God for what had happened. 4:22 For the man, on whom this miraculous sign ⁵¹  of healing had been performed, ⁵²  was over forty years old.

4:23 When they were released, Peter and John ⁵³  went to their fellow believers ⁵⁴  and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. 4:24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind ⁵⁵  and said, “Master of all, ⁵⁶  you who made the heaven, the earth, ⁵⁷  the sea, and everything that is in them, 4:25 who said by the Holy Spirit through ⁵⁸  your servant David our forefather, ⁵⁹ 

‘Why do the nations ⁶⁰  rage, ⁶¹ 

and the peoples plot foolish ⁶²  things?

4:26 The kings of the earth stood together, ⁶³ 

and the rulers assembled together,

against the Lord and against his ⁶⁴  Christ.’ ⁶⁵ 

4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against ⁶⁶  your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ⁶⁷  4:28 to do as much as your power ⁶⁸  and your plan ⁶⁹  had decided beforehand ⁷⁰  would happen. 4:29 And now, Lord, pay attention to ⁷¹  their threats, and grant ⁷²  to your servants ⁷³  to speak your message ⁷⁴  with great courage, ⁷⁵  4:30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs ⁷⁶  and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 4:31 When ⁷⁷  they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, ⁷⁸  and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak ⁷⁹  the word of God ⁸⁰  courageously. ⁸¹ 

4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, ⁸²  and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. ⁸³  4:33 With ⁸⁴  great power the apostles were giving testimony ⁸⁵  to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. 4:34 For there was no one needy ⁸⁶  among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling ⁸⁷  them ⁸⁸  and bringing the proceeds from the sales 4:35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds ⁸⁹  were distributed to each, as anyone had need. 4:36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), ⁹⁰  4:37 sold ⁹¹  a field ⁹²  that belonged to him and brought the money ⁹³  and placed it at the apostles’ feet.

5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 5:2 He ⁹⁴  kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought ⁹⁵  only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet. 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled ⁹⁶  your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of ⁹⁷  the land? 5:4 Before it was sold, ⁹⁸  did it not ⁹⁹  belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money ¹⁰⁰  not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? ¹⁰¹  You have not lied to people ¹⁰²  but to God!”

5:5 When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped ¹⁰³  all who heard about it. 5:6 So the young men came, ¹⁰⁴  wrapped him up, ¹⁰⁵  carried him out, and buried ¹⁰⁶  him. 5:7 After an interval of about three hours, ¹⁰⁷  his wife came in, but she did not know ¹⁰⁸  what had happened. 5:8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you ¹⁰⁹  paid this amount ¹¹⁰  for the land?” Sapphira ¹¹¹  said, “Yes, that much.” 5:9 Peter then told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!” 5:10 At once ¹¹²  she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 5:11 Great ¹¹³  fear gripped ¹¹⁴  the whole church ¹¹⁵  and all who heard about these things.

5:12 Now many miraculous signs ¹¹⁶  and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By ¹¹⁷  common consent ¹¹⁸  they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. ¹¹⁹  5:13 None of the rest dared to join them, ¹²⁰  but the people held them in high honor. ¹²¹  5:14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, ¹²²  crowds of both men and women. 5:15 Thus ¹²³  they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 5:16 A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem ¹²⁴  also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. ¹²⁵  They ¹²⁶  were all ¹²⁷  being healed.

5:17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees ¹²⁸ ), ¹²⁹  and they were filled with jealousy. ¹³⁰  5:18 They ¹³¹  laid hands on ¹³²  the apostles and put them in a public jail. 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord ¹³³  opened ¹³⁴  the doors of the prison, ¹³⁵  led them out, ¹³⁶  and said, 5:20 “Go and stand in the temple courts ¹³⁷  and proclaim ¹³⁸  to the people all the words of this life.” 5:21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts ¹³⁹  at daybreak and began teaching. ¹⁴⁰ 

Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin ¹⁴¹  – that is, the whole high council ¹⁴²  of the Israelites ¹⁴³  – and sent to the jail to have the apostles ¹⁴⁴  brought before them. ¹⁴⁵  5:22 But the officers ¹⁴⁶  who came for them ¹⁴⁷  did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ¹⁴⁸  5:23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, ¹⁴⁹  we found no one inside.” 5:24 Now when the commander ¹⁵⁰  of the temple guard ¹⁵¹  and the chief priests heard this report, ¹⁵²  they were greatly puzzled concerning it, ¹⁵³  wondering what this could ¹⁵⁴  be. 5:25 But someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts ¹⁵⁵  and teaching ¹⁵⁶  the people!” 5:26 Then the commander ¹⁵⁷  of the temple guard ¹⁵⁸  went with the officers ¹⁵⁹  and brought the apostles ¹⁶⁰  without the use of force ¹⁶¹  (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people). ¹⁶² 

5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, ¹⁶³  and the high priest questioned ¹⁶⁴  them, 5:28 saying, “We gave ¹⁶⁵  you strict orders ¹⁶⁶  not to teach in this name. ¹⁶⁷  Look, ¹⁶⁸  you have filled Jerusalem ¹⁶⁹  with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood ¹⁷⁰  on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, ¹⁷¹  “We must obey ¹⁷²  God rather than people. ¹⁷³  5:30 The God of our forefathers ¹⁷⁴  raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. ¹⁷⁵  5:31 God exalted him ¹⁷⁶  to his right hand as Leader ¹⁷⁷  and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ¹⁷⁸  5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, ¹⁷⁹  and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey ¹⁸⁰  him.”

5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious ¹⁸¹  and wanted to execute them. ¹⁸²  5:34 But a Pharisee ¹⁸³  whose name was Gamaliel, ¹⁸⁴  a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up ¹⁸⁵  in the council ¹⁸⁶  and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 5:35 Then he said to the council, ¹⁸⁷  “Men of Israel, ¹⁸⁸  pay close attention to ¹⁸⁹  what you are about to do to these men. 5:36 For some time ago ¹⁹⁰  Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He ¹⁹¹  was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. ¹⁹²  5:37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, ¹⁹³  and incited people to follow him in revolt. ¹⁹⁴  He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. 5:38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, ¹⁹⁵  it will come to nothing, ¹⁹⁶  5:39 but if ¹⁹⁷  it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found ¹⁹⁸  fighting against God.” He convinced them, ¹⁹⁹  5:40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. ²⁰⁰  Then ²⁰¹  they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 5:41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy ²⁰²  to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. ²⁰³  5:42 And every day both in the temple courts ²⁰⁴  and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news ²⁰⁵  that Jesus was the Christ. ²⁰⁶ 

6:1 Now in those ²⁰⁷  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ²⁰⁸  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ²⁰⁹  against the native Hebraic Jews, ²¹⁰  because their widows ²¹¹  were being overlooked ²¹²  in the daily distribution of food. ²¹³  6:2 So the twelve ²¹⁴  called ²¹⁵  the whole group ²¹⁶  of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. ²¹⁷  6:3 But carefully select from among you, brothers, ²¹⁸  seven ²¹⁹  men who are well-attested, ²²⁰  full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge ²²¹  of this necessary task. ²²²  6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 6:5 The ²²³  proposal pleased the entire group, so ²²⁴  they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with ²²⁵  Philip, ²²⁶  Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism ²²⁷  from Antioch. ²²⁸  6:6 They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed ²²⁹  and placed ²³⁰  their hands on them. 6:7 The word of God continued to spread, ²³¹  the number of disciples in Jerusalem ²³²  increased greatly, and a large group ²³³  of priests became obedient to the faith.

6:8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs ²³⁴  among the people. 6:9 But some men from the Synagogue ²³⁵  of the Freedmen (as it was called), ²³⁶  both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, ²³⁷  stood up and argued with Stephen. 6:10 Yet ²³⁸  they were not able to resist ²³⁹  the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 6:11 Then they secretly instigated ²⁴⁰  some men to say, “We have heard this man ²⁴¹  speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 6:12 They incited the people, the ²⁴²  elders, and the experts in the law; ²⁴³  then they approached Stephen, ²⁴⁴  seized him, and brought him before the council. ²⁴⁵  6:13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place ²⁴⁶  and the law. ²⁴⁷  6:14 For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs ²⁴⁸  that Moses handed down to us.” 6:15 All ²⁴⁹  who were sitting in the council ²⁵⁰  looked intently at Stephen ²⁵¹  and saw his face was like the face of an angel. ²⁵² 

7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” ²⁵³  7:2 So he replied, ²⁵⁴  “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather ²⁵⁵  Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 7:3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ ²⁵⁶  7:4 Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God ²⁵⁷  made him move ²⁵⁸  to this country where you now live. 7:5 He ²⁵⁹  did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, ²⁶⁰  not even a foot of ground, ²⁶¹  yet God ²⁶²  promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, ²⁶³  even though Abraham ²⁶⁴  as yet had no child. 7:6 But God spoke as follows: ‘Your ²⁶⁵  descendants will be foreigners ²⁶⁶  in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. ²⁶⁷  7:7 But I will punish ²⁶⁸  the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there ²⁶⁹  and worship ²⁷⁰  me in this place.’ ²⁷¹  7:8 Then God ²⁷²  gave Abraham ²⁷³  the covenant ²⁷⁴  of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, ²⁷⁵  and Isaac became the father of ²⁷⁶  Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. ²⁷⁷  7:9 The ²⁷⁸  patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold ²⁷⁹  him into Egypt. But ²⁸⁰  God was with him, 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made ²⁸¹  him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 7:11 Then a famine occurred throughout ²⁸²  Egypt and Canaan, causing ²⁸³  great suffering, and our ²⁸⁴  ancestors ²⁸⁵  could not find food. 7:12 So when Jacob heard that there was grain ²⁸⁶  in Egypt, he sent our ancestors ²⁸⁷  there ²⁸⁸  the first time. 7:13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family ²⁸⁹  became known to Pharaoh. 7:14 So Joseph sent a message ²⁹⁰  and invited ²⁹¹  his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people ²⁹²  in all. 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, ²⁹³  along with our ancestors, ²⁹⁴  7:16 and their bones ²⁹⁵  were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money ²⁹⁶  from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

7:17 “But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, ²⁹⁷  the people increased greatly in number ²⁹⁸  in Egypt, 7:18 until another king who did not know about ²⁹⁹  Joseph ruled ³⁰⁰  over Egypt. ³⁰¹  7:19 This was the one who exploited ³⁰²  our people ³⁰³  and was cruel to our ancestors, ³⁰⁴  forcing them to abandon ³⁰⁵  their infants so they would die. ³⁰⁶  7:20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful ³⁰⁷  to God. For ³⁰⁸  three months he was brought up in his father’s house, 7:21 and when he had been abandoned, ³⁰⁹  Pharaoh’s daughter adopted ³¹⁰  him and brought him up ³¹¹  as her own son. 7:22 So Moses was trained ³¹²  in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful ³¹³  in his words and deeds. 7:23 But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind ³¹⁴  to visit his fellow countrymen ³¹⁵  the Israelites. ³¹⁶  7:24 When ³¹⁷  he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, ³¹⁸  Moses ³¹⁹  came to his defense ³²⁰  and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. 7:25 He thought his own people ³²¹  would understand that God was delivering them ³²²  through him, ³²³  but they did not understand. ³²⁴  7:26 The next day Moses ³²⁵  saw two men ³²⁶  fighting, and tried to make peace between ³²⁷  them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’ 7:27 But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed ³²⁸  Moses ³²⁹  aside, saying, ‘Who made ³³⁰  you a ruler and judge over us? 7:28 You don’t want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ ³³¹  7:29 When the man said this, ³³²  Moses fled and became a foreigner ³³³  in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

7:30 “After ³³⁴  forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert ³³⁵  of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³³⁶  7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers, ³³⁷  the God of Abraham, Isaac, ³³⁸  and Jacob.’ ³³⁹  Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. ³⁴⁰  7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴¹  7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering ³⁴²  of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. ³⁴³  Now ³⁴⁴  come, I will send you to Egypt.’ ³⁴⁵  7:35 This same ³⁴⁶  Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ ³⁴⁷  God sent as both ruler and deliverer ³⁴⁸  through the hand of the angel ³⁴⁹  who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs ³⁵⁰  in the land of Egypt, ³⁵¹  at ³⁵²  the Red Sea, and in the wilderness ³⁵³  for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ³⁵⁴  ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ ³⁵⁵  7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation ³⁵⁶  in the wilderness ³⁵⁷  with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, ³⁵⁸  and he ³⁵⁹  received living oracles ³⁶⁰  to give to you. ³⁶¹  7:39 Our ³⁶²  ancestors ³⁶³  were unwilling to obey ³⁶⁴  him, but pushed him aside ³⁶⁵  and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 7:40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt ³⁶⁶  – we do not know what has happened to him!’ ³⁶⁷  7:41 At ³⁶⁸  that time ³⁶⁹  they made an idol in the form of a calf, ³⁷⁰  brought ³⁷¹  a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing ³⁷²  in the works of their hands. ³⁷³  7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over ³⁷⁴  to worship the host ³⁷⁵  of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices ³⁷⁶  forty years in the wilderness, was it, ³⁷⁷  house of Israel? 7:43 But you took along the tabernacle ³⁷⁸  of Moloch ³⁷⁹  and the star of the ³⁸⁰  god Rephan, ³⁸¹  the images you made to worship, but I will deport ³⁸²  you beyond Babylon.’ ³⁸³  7:44 Our ancestors ³⁸⁴  had the tabernacle ³⁸⁵  of testimony in the wilderness, ³⁸⁶  just as God ³⁸⁷  who spoke to Moses ordered him ³⁸⁸  to make it according to the design he had seen. 7:45 Our ³⁸⁹  ancestors ³⁹⁰  received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, ³⁹¹  until the time ³⁹²  of David. 7:46 He ³⁹³  found favor ³⁹⁴  with ³⁹⁵  God and asked that he could ³⁹⁶  find a dwelling place ³⁹⁷  for the house ³⁹⁸  of Jacob. 7:47 But Solomon built a house ³⁹⁹  for him. 7:48 Yet the Most High ⁴⁰⁰  does not live in houses made by human hands, ⁴⁰¹  as the prophet says,

7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is my resting place? ⁴⁰² 

7:50 Did my hand ⁴⁰³  not make all these things?’ ⁴⁰⁴ 

7:51 “You stubborn ⁴⁰⁵  people, with uncircumcised ⁴⁰⁶  hearts and ears! ⁴⁰⁷  You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors ⁴⁰⁸  did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors ⁴⁰⁹  not persecute? ⁴¹⁰  They ⁴¹¹  killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, ⁴¹²  whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! ⁴¹³  7:53 You ⁴¹⁴  received the law by decrees given by angels, ⁴¹⁵  but you did not obey ⁴¹⁶  it.” ⁴¹⁷ 

7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious ⁴¹⁸  and ground their teeth ⁴¹⁹  at him. 7:55 But Stephen, ⁴²⁰  full ⁴²¹  of the Holy Spirit, looked intently ⁴²²  toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing ⁴²³  at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. ⁴²⁴  “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 7:57 But they covered their ears, ⁴²⁵  shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When ⁴²⁶  they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, ⁴²⁷  and the witnesses laid their cloaks ⁴²⁸  at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They ⁴²⁹  continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell ⁴³⁰  to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” ⁴³¹  When ⁴³²  he had said this, he died. ⁴³³  8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing ⁴³⁴  him.

Now on that day a great ⁴³⁵  persecution began ⁴³⁶  against the church in Jerusalem, ⁴³⁷  and all ⁴³⁸  except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ⁴³⁹  of Judea and Samaria. 8:2 Some ⁴⁴⁰  devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation ⁴⁴¹  over him. ⁴⁴²  8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy ⁴⁴³  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ⁴⁴⁴  both men and women and put them in prison. ⁴⁴⁵ 

8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 8:5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria ⁴⁴⁶  and began proclaiming ⁴⁴⁷  the Christ ⁴⁴⁸  to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, ⁴⁴⁹  as they heard and saw the miraculous signs ⁴⁵⁰  he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, ⁴⁵¹  crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, ⁴⁵²  and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was ⁴⁵³  great joy ⁴⁵⁴  in that city.

8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic ⁴⁵⁵  and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, ⁴⁵⁶  from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” ⁴⁵⁷  8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God ⁴⁵⁸  and the name of Jesus Christ, ⁴⁵⁹  they began to be baptized, ⁴⁶⁰  both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to ⁴⁶¹  Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. ⁴⁶² 

8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem ⁴⁶³  heard that Samaria had accepted the word ⁴⁶⁴  of God, they sent ⁴⁶⁵  Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two ⁴⁶⁶  went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit ⁴⁶⁷  had not yet come upon ⁴⁶⁸  any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ⁴⁶⁹  8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, ⁴⁷⁰  and they received the Holy Spirit. ⁴⁷¹ 

8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit ⁴⁷²  was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power ⁴⁷³  too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, ⁴⁷⁴  because you thought you could acquire ⁴⁷⁵  God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part ⁴⁷⁶  in this matter ⁴⁷⁷  because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord ⁴⁷⁸  that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. ⁴⁷⁹  8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious ⁴⁸⁰  and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, ⁴⁸¹  “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to ⁴⁸²  me.”

8:25 So after Peter and John ⁴⁸³  had solemnly testified ⁴⁸⁴  and spoken the word of the Lord, ⁴⁸⁵  they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming ⁴⁸⁶  the good news to many Samaritan villages ⁴⁸⁷  as they went. ⁴⁸⁸ 

8:26 Then an angel of the Lord ⁴⁸⁹  said to Philip, ⁴⁹⁰  “Get up and go south ⁴⁹¹  on the road that goes down from Jerusalem ⁴⁹²  to Gaza.” (This is a desert ⁴⁹³  road.) ⁴⁹⁴  8:27 So ⁴⁹⁵  he got up ⁴⁹⁶  and went. There ⁴⁹⁷  he met ⁴⁹⁸  an Ethiopian eunuch, ⁴⁹⁹  a court official of Candace, ⁵⁰⁰  queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He ⁵⁰¹  had come to Jerusalem to worship, ⁵⁰²  8:28 and was returning home, sitting ⁵⁰³  in his chariot, reading ⁵⁰⁴  the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up ⁵⁰⁵  to it ⁵⁰⁶  and heard the man ⁵⁰⁷  reading Isaiah the prophet. He ⁵⁰⁸  asked him, ⁵⁰⁹  “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man ⁵¹⁰  replied, “How in the world can I, ⁵¹¹  unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man ⁵¹²  was reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did ⁵¹³  not open his mouth.

8:33 In humiliation ⁵¹⁴  justice was taken from him. ⁵¹⁵ 

Who can describe his posterity? ⁵¹⁶ 

For his life was taken away ⁵¹⁷  from the earth.” ⁵¹⁸ 

8:34 Then the eunuch said ⁵¹⁹  to Philip, “Please tell me, ⁵²⁰  who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” ⁵²¹  8:35 So Philip started speaking, ⁵²²  and beginning with this scripture ⁵²³  proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 8:36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me ⁵²⁴  from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] ⁵²⁵  8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, ⁵²⁶  and Philip baptized ⁵²⁷  him. 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but ⁵²⁸  went on his way rejoicing. ⁵²⁹  8:40 Philip, however, found himself ⁵³⁰  at Azotus, ⁵³¹  and as he passed through the area, ⁵³²  he proclaimed the good news ⁵³³  to all the towns ⁵³⁴  until he came to Caesarea. ⁵³⁵ 

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ⁵³⁶  to murder ⁵³⁷  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ⁵³⁸  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ⁵³⁹  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ⁵⁴⁰  to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴¹  9:3 As he was going along, approaching ⁵⁴²  Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed ⁵⁴³  around him. 9:4 He ⁵⁴⁴  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ⁵⁴⁵  why are you persecuting me?” ⁵⁴⁶  9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 9:6 But stand up ⁵⁴⁷  and enter the city and you will be told ⁵⁴⁸  what you must do.” 9:7 (Now the men ⁵⁴⁹  who were traveling with him stood there speechless, ⁵⁵⁰  because they heard the voice but saw no one.) ⁵⁵¹  9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ⁵⁵²  he could see nothing. ⁵⁵³  Leading him by the hand, his companions ⁵⁵⁴  brought him into Damascus. 9:9 For ⁵⁵⁵  three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. ⁵⁵⁶ 

9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The ⁵⁵⁷  Lord ⁵⁵⁸  said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, ⁵⁵⁹  Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ ⁵⁶⁰  and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 9:12 and he has seen in a vision ⁵⁶¹  a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 9:13 But Ananias replied, ⁵⁶²  “Lord, I have heard from many people ⁵⁶³  about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison ⁵⁶⁴  all who call on your name!” ⁵⁶⁵  9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument ⁵⁶⁶  to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ⁵⁶⁷  9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ⁵⁶⁸  9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed ⁵⁶⁹  his hands on Saul ⁵⁷⁰  and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, ⁵⁷¹  has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ⁵⁷²  9:18 Immediately ⁵⁷³  something like scales ⁵⁷⁴  fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He ⁵⁷⁵  got up and was baptized, 9:19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.

For several days ⁵⁷⁶  he was with the disciples in Damascus, 9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, ⁵⁷⁷  saying, “This man is the Son of God.” ⁵⁷⁸  9:21 All ⁵⁷⁹  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ⁵⁸⁰  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ⁵⁸¹  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ⁵⁸²  to the chief priests?” 9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, ⁵⁸³  and was causing consternation ⁵⁸⁴  among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ⁵⁸⁵  that Jesus ⁵⁸⁶  is the Christ. ⁵⁸⁷ 

9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted ⁵⁸⁸  together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. ⁵⁸⁹  They were also watching ⁵⁹⁰  the city gates ⁵⁹¹  day and night so that they could kill him. 9:25 But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening ⁵⁹²  in the wall by lowering him in a basket. ⁵⁹³ 

9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, ⁵⁹⁴  he attempted to associate ⁵⁹⁵  with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe ⁵⁹⁶  that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took ⁵⁹⁷  Saul, ⁵⁹⁸  brought ⁵⁹⁹  him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that ⁶⁰⁰  the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly ⁶⁰¹  in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them ⁶⁰²  in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating ⁶⁰³  with the Greek-speaking Jews, ⁶⁰⁴  but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea ⁶⁰⁵  and sent him away to Tarsus.

9:31 Then ⁶⁰⁶  the church throughout Judea, Galilee, ⁶⁰⁷  and Samaria experienced ⁶⁰⁸  peace and thus was strengthened. ⁶⁰⁹  Living ⁶¹⁰  in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church ⁶¹¹  increased in numbers.

9:32 Now ⁶¹²  as Peter was traveling around from place to place, ⁶¹³  he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. ⁶¹⁴  9:33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because ⁶¹⁵  he was paralyzed. 9:34 Peter ⁶¹⁶  said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ ⁶¹⁷  heals you. Get up and make your own bed!” ⁶¹⁸  And immediately he got up. 9:35 All ⁶¹⁹  those who lived in Lydda ⁶²⁰  and Sharon ⁶²¹  saw him, and they ⁶²²  turned ⁶²³  to the Lord.

9:36 Now in Joppa ⁶²⁴  there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means ⁶²⁵  Dorcas). ⁶²⁶  She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. ⁶²⁷  9:37 At that time ⁶²⁸  she became sick ⁶²⁹  and died. When they had washed ⁶³⁰  her body, ⁶³¹  they placed it in an upstairs room. 9:38 Because Lydda ⁶³²  was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Come to us without delay.” ⁶³³  9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and ⁶³⁴  when he arrived ⁶³⁵  they brought him to the upper room. All ⁶³⁶  the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him ⁶³⁷  the tunics ⁶³⁸  and other clothing ⁶³⁹  Dorcas used to make ⁶⁴⁰  while she was with them. 9:40 But Peter sent them all outside, ⁶⁴¹  knelt down, ⁶⁴²  and prayed. Turning ⁶⁴³  to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁶⁴⁴  9:41 He gave ⁶⁴⁵  her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called ⁶⁴⁶  the saints and widows and presented her alive. 9:42 This became known throughout all ⁶⁴⁷  Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁶⁴⁸  9:43 So ⁶⁴⁹  Peter ⁶⁵⁰  stayed many days in Joppa with a man named ⁶⁵¹  Simon, a tanner. ⁶⁵² 

10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea ⁶⁵³  named Cornelius, a centurion ⁶⁵⁴  of what was known as the Italian Cohort. ⁶⁵⁵  10:2 He ⁶⁵⁶  was a devout, God-fearing man, ⁶⁵⁷  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ⁶⁵⁸  and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon ⁶⁵⁹  he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God ⁶⁶⁰  who came in ⁶⁶¹  and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ⁶⁶²  replied, ⁶⁶³  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ⁶⁶⁴  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ⁶⁶⁵  have gone up as a memorial ⁶⁶⁶  before God. 10:5 Now ⁶⁶⁷  send men to Joppa ⁶⁶⁸  and summon a man named Simon, ⁶⁶⁹  who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, ⁶⁷⁰  whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius ⁶⁷¹  called two of his personal servants ⁶⁷²  and a devout soldier from among those who served him, ⁶⁷³  10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 About noon ⁶⁷⁴  the next day, while they were on their way and approaching ⁶⁷⁵  the city, Peter went up on the roof ⁶⁷⁶  to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. ⁶⁷⁷  10:11 He ⁶⁷⁸  saw heaven ⁶⁷⁹  opened ⁶⁸⁰  and an object something like a large sheet ⁶⁸¹  descending, ⁶⁸²  being let down to earth ⁶⁸³  by its four corners. 10:12 In it ⁶⁸⁴  were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ⁶⁸⁵  of the earth and wild birds. ⁶⁸⁶  10:13 Then ⁶⁸⁷  a voice said ⁶⁸⁸  to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter ⁶⁸⁹  and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” ⁶⁹⁰  10:15 The voice ⁶⁹¹  spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ⁶⁹²  ritually unclean!” ⁶⁹³  10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. ⁶⁹⁴ 

10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over ⁶⁹⁵  what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was ⁶⁹⁶  and approached ⁶⁹⁷  the gate. 10:18 They ⁶⁹⁸  called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, ⁶⁹⁹  was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about ⁷⁰⁰  the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, ⁷⁰¹  go down, and accompany them without hesitation, ⁷⁰²  because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down ⁷⁰³  to the men and said, “Here I am, ⁷⁰⁴  the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, ⁷⁰⁵  a righteous ⁷⁰⁶  and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, ⁷⁰⁷  was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message ⁷⁰⁸  from you.” 10:23 So Peter ⁷⁰⁹  invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out ⁷¹⁰  with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa ⁷¹¹  accompanied him. 10:24 The following day ⁷¹²  he entered Caesarea. ⁷¹³  Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously ⁷¹⁴  for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when ⁷¹⁵  Peter came in, Cornelius met ⁷¹⁶  him, fell ⁷¹⁷  at his feet, and worshiped ⁷¹⁸  him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, ⁷¹⁹  saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” ⁷²⁰  10:27 Peter ⁷²¹  continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. ⁷²²  10:28 He said to them, “You know that ⁷²³  it is unlawful ⁷²⁴  for a Jew ⁷²⁵  to associate with or visit a Gentile, ⁷²⁶  yet God has shown me that I should call no person ⁷²⁷  defiled or ritually unclean. ⁷²⁸  10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, ⁷²⁹  I came without any objection. Now may I ask why ⁷³⁰  you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius ⁷³¹  replied, ⁷³²  “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, ⁷³³  I was praying in my house, and suddenly ⁷³⁴  a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity ⁷³⁵  have been remembered before God. ⁷³⁶  10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, ⁷³⁷  by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ⁷³⁸  So now we are all here in the presence of God ⁷³⁹  to listen ⁷⁴⁰  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ⁷⁴¹ 

10:34 Then Peter started speaking: ⁷⁴²  “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, ⁷⁴³  10:35 but in every nation ⁷⁴⁴  the person who fears him ⁷⁴⁵  and does what is right ⁷⁴⁶  is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know ⁷⁴⁷  the message ⁷⁴⁸  he sent to the people ⁷⁴⁹  of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace ⁷⁵⁰  through ⁷⁵¹  Jesus Christ ⁷⁵²  (he is Lord ⁷⁵³  of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ⁷⁵⁴  10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, ⁷⁵⁵  that ⁷⁵⁶  God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He ⁷⁵⁷  went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ⁷⁵⁸  because God was with him. ⁷⁵⁹  10:39 We ⁷⁶⁰  are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea ⁷⁶¹  and in Jerusalem. ⁷⁶²  They ⁷⁶³  killed him by hanging him on a tree, ⁷⁶⁴  10:40 but ⁷⁶⁵  God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, ⁷⁶⁶  10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, ⁷⁶⁷  who ate and drank ⁷⁶⁸  with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He ⁷⁶⁹  commanded us to preach to the people and to warn ⁷⁷⁰  them ⁷⁷¹  that he is the one ⁷⁷²  appointed ⁷⁷³  by God as judge ⁷⁷⁴  of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, ⁷⁷⁵  that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins ⁷⁷⁶  through his name.”

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on ⁷⁷⁷  all those who heard the message. ⁷⁷⁸  10:45 The ⁷⁷⁹  circumcised believers ⁷⁸⁰  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ⁷⁸¹  that ⁷⁸²  the gift of the Holy Spirit ⁷⁸³  had been poured out ⁷⁸⁴  even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ⁷⁸⁵  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ⁷⁸⁶  can he?” ⁷⁸⁷  10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized ⁷⁸⁸  in the name of Jesus Christ. ⁷⁸⁹  Then they asked him to stay for several days.

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ⁷⁹⁰  the word of God. ⁷⁹¹  11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ⁷⁹²  the circumcised believers ⁷⁹³  took issue with ⁷⁹⁴  him, 11:3 saying, “You went to ⁷⁹⁵  uncircumcised men and shared a meal with ⁷⁹⁶  them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, ⁷⁹⁷  saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, ⁷⁹⁸  an object something like a large sheet descending, ⁷⁹⁹  being let down from heaven ⁸⁰⁰  by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared ⁸⁰¹  I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, ⁸⁰²  and wild birds. ⁸⁰³  11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter ⁸⁰⁴  and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean ⁸⁰⁵  has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider ⁸⁰⁶  ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, ⁸⁰⁷  three men sent to me from Caesarea ⁸⁰⁸  approached ⁸⁰⁹  the house where we were staying. ⁸¹⁰  11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers ⁸¹¹  also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message ⁸¹²  to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on ⁸¹³  them just as he did ⁸¹⁴  on us at the beginning. ⁸¹⁵  11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, ⁸¹⁶  as he used to say, ⁸¹⁷  ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ⁸¹⁸  11:17 Therefore if God ⁸¹⁹  gave them the same gift ⁸²⁰  as he also gave us after believing ⁸²¹  in the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸²²  who was I to hinder ⁸²³  God?” 11:18 When they heard this, ⁸²⁴  they ceased their objections ⁸²⁵  and praised ⁸²⁶  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ⁸²⁷  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ⁸²⁸ 

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen ⁸²⁹  went as far as ⁸³⁰  Phoenicia, ⁸³¹  Cyprus, ⁸³²  and Antioch, ⁸³³  speaking the message ⁸³⁴  to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus ⁸³⁵  and Cyrene ⁸³⁶  among them who came ⁸³⁷  to Antioch ⁸³⁸  and began to speak to the Greeks ⁸³⁹  too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The ⁸⁴⁰  hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ⁸⁴¹  turned ⁸⁴²  to the Lord. 11:22 A report ⁸⁴³  about them came to the attention ⁸⁴⁴  of the church in Jerusalem, ⁸⁴⁵  and they sent Barnabas ⁸⁴⁶  to Antioch. ⁸⁴⁷  11:23 When ⁸⁴⁸  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ⁸⁴⁹  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ⁸⁵⁰  11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people ⁸⁵¹  were brought to the Lord. 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. ⁸⁵²  So ⁸⁵³  for a whole year Barnabas and Saul ⁸⁵⁴  met with the church and taught a significant number of people. ⁸⁵⁵  Now it was in Antioch ⁸⁵⁶  that the disciples were first called Christians. ⁸⁵⁷ 

11:27 At that time ⁸⁵⁸  some ⁸⁵⁹  prophets ⁸⁶⁰  came down ⁸⁶¹  from Jerusalem ⁸⁶²  to Antioch. ⁸⁶³  11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up ⁸⁶⁴  and predicted ⁸⁶⁵  by the Spirit that a severe ⁸⁶⁶  famine ⁸⁶⁷  was about to come over the whole inhabited world. ⁸⁶⁸  (This ⁸⁶⁹  took place during the reign of Claudius.) ⁸⁷⁰  11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ⁸⁷¹  decided ⁸⁷²  to send relief ⁸⁷³  to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, ⁸⁷⁴  sending their financial aid ⁸⁷⁵  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

12:1 About that time King Herod ⁸⁷⁶  laid hands on ⁸⁷⁷  some from the church to harm them. ⁸⁷⁸  12:2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. ⁸⁷⁹  12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, ⁸⁸⁰  he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) ⁸⁸¹  12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads ⁸⁸²  of soldiers to guard him. Herod ⁸⁸³  planned ⁸⁸⁴  to bring him out for public trial ⁸⁸⁵  after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ⁸⁸⁶  praying to God for him. ⁸⁸⁷  12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, ⁸⁸⁸  Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while ⁸⁸⁹  guards in front of the door were keeping watch ⁸⁹⁰  over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly ⁸⁹¹  an angel of the Lord ⁸⁹²  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ⁸⁹³  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ⁸⁹⁴  wrists. ⁸⁹⁵  12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt ⁸⁹⁶  and put on your sandals.” Peter ⁸⁹⁷  did so. Then the angel ⁸⁹⁸  said to him, “Put on your cloak ⁸⁹⁹  and follow me.” 12:9 Peter ⁹⁰⁰  went out ⁹⁰¹  and followed him; ⁹⁰²  he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, ⁹⁰³  but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ⁹⁰⁴  they came to the iron ⁹⁰⁵  gate leading into the city. It ⁹⁰⁶  opened for them by itself, ⁹⁰⁷  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ⁹⁰⁸  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ⁹⁰⁹  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ⁹¹⁰  me from the hand ⁹¹¹  of Herod ⁹¹²  and from everything the Jewish people ⁹¹³  were expecting to happen.”

12:12 When Peter ⁹¹⁴  realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, ⁹¹⁵  where many people had gathered together and were praying. 12:13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. ⁹¹⁶  12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told ⁹¹⁷  them ⁹¹⁸  that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” ⁹¹⁹  But she kept insisting that it was Peter, ⁹²⁰  and they kept saying, ⁹²¹  “It is his angel!” ⁹²²  12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door ⁹²³  and saw him, they were greatly astonished. ⁹²⁴  12:17 He motioned to them ⁹²⁵  with his hand to be quiet and then related ⁹²⁶  how the Lord had brought ⁹²⁷  him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. ⁹²⁸ 

12:18 At daybreak ⁹²⁹  there was great consternation ⁹³⁰  among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod ⁹³¹  had searched ⁹³²  for him and did not find him, he questioned ⁹³³  the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. ⁹³⁴  Then ⁹³⁵  Herod ⁹³⁶  went down from Judea to Caesarea ⁹³⁷  and stayed there.

12:20 Now Herod ⁹³⁸  was having an angry quarrel ⁹³⁹  with the people of Tyre ⁹⁴⁰  and Sidon. ⁹⁴¹  So they joined together ⁹⁴²  and presented themselves before him. And after convincing ⁹⁴³  Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, ⁹⁴⁴  to help them, ⁹⁴⁵  they asked for peace, ⁹⁴⁶  because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod ⁹⁴⁷  put on his royal robes, ⁹⁴⁸  sat down on the judgment seat, ⁹⁴⁹  and made a speech ⁹⁵⁰  to them. 12:22 But the crowd ⁹⁵¹  began to shout, ⁹⁵²  “The voice of a god, ⁹⁵³  and not of a man!” 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord ⁹⁵⁴  struck ⁹⁵⁵  Herod ⁹⁵⁶  down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. ⁹⁵⁷  12:24 But the word of God ⁹⁵⁸  kept on increasing ⁹⁵⁹  and multiplying.

12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to ⁹⁶⁰  Jerusalem ⁹⁶¹  when they had completed ⁹⁶²  their mission, ⁹⁶³  bringing along with them John Mark. ⁹⁶⁴ 

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ⁹⁶⁵  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ⁹⁶⁶  Lucius the Cyrenian, ⁹⁶⁷  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ⁹⁶⁸  the tetrarch ⁹⁶⁹  from childhood ⁹⁷⁰ ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ⁹⁷¹  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ⁹⁷²  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 13:3 Then, after they had fasted ⁹⁷³  and ⁹⁷⁴  prayed and placed their hands ⁹⁷⁵  on them, they sent them off.

13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, ⁹⁷⁶  sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, ⁹⁷⁷  and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁹⁷⁸  13:5 When ⁹⁷⁹  they arrived ⁹⁸⁰  in Salamis, ⁹⁸¹  they began to proclaim ⁹⁸²  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ⁹⁸³  (Now they also had John ⁹⁸⁴  as their assistant.) ⁹⁸⁵  13:6 When they had crossed over ⁹⁸⁶  the whole island as far as Paphos, ⁹⁸⁷  they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ⁹⁸⁸  13:7 who was with the proconsul ⁹⁸⁹  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ⁹⁹⁰  summoned ⁹⁹¹  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ⁹⁹²  the word of God. 13:8 But the magician Elymas ⁹⁹³  (for that is the way his name is translated) ⁹⁹⁴  opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul ⁹⁹⁵  away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ⁹⁹⁶  filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁹⁹⁷  stared straight ⁹⁹⁸  at him 13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ⁹⁹⁹  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹⁰⁰⁰  13:11 Now ¹⁰⁰¹  look, the hand of the Lord is against ¹⁰⁰²  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ¹⁰⁰³  and darkness came over ¹⁰⁰⁴  him, and he went around seeking people ¹⁰⁰⁵  to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then when the proconsul ¹⁰⁰⁶  saw what had happened, he believed, ¹⁰⁰⁷  because he was greatly astounded ¹⁰⁰⁸  at the teaching about ¹⁰⁰⁹  the Lord.

13:13 Then Paul and his companions put out to sea ¹⁰¹⁰  from Paphos ¹⁰¹¹  and came to Perga ¹⁰¹²  in Pamphylia, ¹⁰¹³  but John ¹⁰¹⁴  left them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁰¹⁵  13:14 Moving on from ¹⁰¹⁶  Perga, ¹⁰¹⁷  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ¹⁰¹⁸  and on the Sabbath day they went into ¹⁰¹⁹  the synagogue ¹⁰²⁰  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ¹⁰²¹  the leaders of the synagogue ¹⁰²²  sent them a message, ¹⁰²³  saying, “Brothers, ¹⁰²⁴  if you have any message ¹⁰²⁵  of exhortation ¹⁰²⁶  for the people, speak it.” ¹⁰²⁷  13:16 So Paul stood up, ¹⁰²⁸  gestured ¹⁰²⁹  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ¹⁰³⁰  and you Gentiles who fear God, ¹⁰³¹  listen: 13:17 The God of this people Israel ¹⁰³²  chose our ancestors ¹⁰³³  and made the people great ¹⁰³⁴  during their stay as foreigners ¹⁰³⁵  in the country ¹⁰³⁶  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ¹⁰³⁷  he led them out of it. 13:18 For ¹⁰³⁸  a period of about forty years he put up with ¹⁰³⁹  them in the wilderness. ¹⁰⁴⁰  13:19 After ¹⁰⁴¹  he had destroyed ¹⁰⁴²  seven nations ¹⁰⁴³  in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance. ¹⁰⁴⁴  13:20 All this took ¹⁰⁴⁵  about four hundred fifty years. After this ¹⁰⁴⁶  he gave them judges until the time of ¹⁰⁴⁷  Samuel the prophet. 13:21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled ¹⁰⁴⁸  forty years. 13:22 After removing him, God ¹⁰⁴⁹  raised up ¹⁰⁵⁰  David their king. He testified about him: ¹⁰⁵¹  ‘I have found David ¹⁰⁵²  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ¹⁰⁵³  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ¹⁰⁵⁴  13:23 From the descendants ¹⁰⁵⁵  of this man ¹⁰⁵⁶  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ¹⁰⁵⁷  13:24 Before ¹⁰⁵⁸  Jesus ¹⁰⁵⁹  arrived, John ¹⁰⁶⁰  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ¹⁰⁶¹  to all the people of Israel. 13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ¹⁰⁶²  he said repeatedly, ¹⁰⁶³  ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’ ¹⁰⁶⁴  13:26 Brothers, ¹⁰⁶⁵  descendants ¹⁰⁶⁶  of Abraham’s family, ¹⁰⁶⁷  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ¹⁰⁶⁸  the message ¹⁰⁶⁹  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ¹⁰⁷⁰  him, ¹⁰⁷¹  and they fulfilled the sayings ¹⁰⁷²  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ¹⁰⁷³  him. ¹⁰⁷⁴  13:28 Though ¹⁰⁷⁵  they found ¹⁰⁷⁶  no basis ¹⁰⁷⁷  for a death sentence, ¹⁰⁷⁸  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ¹⁰⁷⁹  everything that was written ¹⁰⁸⁰  about him, they took him down ¹⁰⁸¹  from the cross ¹⁰⁸²  and placed him ¹⁰⁸³  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ¹⁰⁸⁴  him from the dead, 13:31 and ¹⁰⁸⁵  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ¹⁰⁸⁶  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ¹⁰⁸⁷  are now his witnesses to the people. 13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ¹⁰⁸⁸  13:33 that this promise ¹⁰⁸⁹  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ¹⁰⁹⁰  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ¹⁰⁹¹  today I have fathered you.’ ¹⁰⁹²  13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ¹⁰⁹³  from the dead, never ¹⁰⁹⁴  again to be ¹⁰⁹⁵  in a state of decay, God ¹⁰⁹⁶  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ¹⁰⁹⁷  the holy and trustworthy promises ¹⁰⁹⁸  made to David.’ ¹⁰⁹⁹  13:35 Therefore he also says in another psalm, ¹¹⁰⁰  ‘You will not permit your Holy One ¹¹⁰¹  to experience ¹¹⁰²  decay.’ ¹¹⁰³  13:36 For David, after he had served ¹¹⁰⁴  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ¹¹⁰⁵  was buried with his ancestors, ¹¹⁰⁶  and experienced ¹¹⁰⁷  decay, 13:37 but the one ¹¹⁰⁸  whom God raised up did not experience ¹¹⁰⁹  decay. 13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ¹¹¹⁰  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ¹¹¹¹  everyone who believes is justified ¹¹¹²  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ¹¹¹³  you. ¹¹¹⁴  13:40 Watch out, ¹¹¹⁵  then, that what is spoken about by ¹¹¹⁶  the prophets does not happen to you:

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! ¹¹¹⁷ 

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’” ¹¹¹⁸ 

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ¹¹¹⁹  were going out, ¹¹²⁰  the people ¹¹²¹  were urging ¹¹²²  them to speak about these things ¹¹²³  on the next Sabbath. 13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ¹¹²⁴  had broken up, ¹¹²⁵  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ¹¹²⁶  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ¹¹²⁷  them ¹¹²⁸  to continue ¹¹²⁹  in the grace of God.

13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord. ¹¹³⁰  13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ¹¹³¹  and they began to contradict ¹¹³²  what Paul was saying ¹¹³³  by reviling him. ¹¹³⁴  13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ¹¹³⁵  “It was necessary to speak the word of God ¹¹³⁶  to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy ¹¹³⁷  of eternal life, we ¹¹³⁸  are turning to the Gentiles. ¹¹³⁹  13:47 For this ¹¹⁴⁰  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ¹¹⁴¹  you to be a light ¹¹⁴²  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ¹¹⁴³  to the ends of the earth.’” ¹¹⁴⁴  13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ¹¹⁴⁵  and praise ¹¹⁴⁶  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ¹¹⁴⁷  believed. 13:49 So the word of the Lord was spreading ¹¹⁴⁸  through the entire region. 13:50 But the Jews incited ¹¹⁴⁹  the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out ¹¹⁵⁰  of their region. 13:51 So after they shook ¹¹⁵¹  the dust off their feet ¹¹⁵²  in protest against them, they went to Iconium. ¹¹⁵³  13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy ¹¹⁵⁴  and with the Holy Spirit.

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ¹¹⁵⁵  when Paul and Barnabas ¹¹⁵⁶  went into the Jewish synagogue ¹¹⁵⁷  and spoke in such a way that a large group ¹¹⁵⁸  of both Jews and Greeks believed. 14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe ¹¹⁵⁹  stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds ¹¹⁶⁰  against the brothers. 14:3 So they stayed there ¹¹⁶¹  for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified ¹¹⁶²  to the message ¹¹⁶³  of his grace, granting miraculous signs ¹¹⁶⁴  and wonders to be performed through their hands. 14:4 But the population ¹¹⁶⁵  of the city was divided; some ¹¹⁶⁶  sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made ¹¹⁶⁷  an attempt to mistreat ¹¹⁶⁸  them and stone them, ¹¹⁶⁹  14:6 Paul and Barnabas ¹¹⁷⁰  learned about it ¹¹⁷¹  and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra ¹¹⁷²  and Derbe ¹¹⁷³  and the surrounding region. 14:7 There ¹¹⁷⁴  they continued to proclaim ¹¹⁷⁵  the good news.

14:8 In ¹¹⁷⁶  Lystra ¹¹⁷⁷  sat a man who could not use his feet, ¹¹⁷⁸  lame from birth, ¹¹⁷⁹  who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul ¹¹⁸⁰  stared ¹¹⁸¹  intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” ¹¹⁸²  And the man ¹¹⁸³  leaped up and began walking. ¹¹⁸⁴  14:11 So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted ¹¹⁸⁵  in the Lycaonian language, ¹¹⁸⁶  “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ¹¹⁸⁷  14:12 They began to call ¹¹⁸⁸  Barnabas Zeus ¹¹⁸⁹  and Paul Hermes, ¹¹⁹⁰  because he was the chief speaker. 14:13 The priest of the temple ¹¹⁹¹  of Zeus, ¹¹⁹²  located just outside the city, brought bulls ¹¹⁹³  and garlands ¹¹⁹⁴  to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them. ¹¹⁹⁵  14:14 But when the apostles ¹¹⁹⁶  Barnabas and Paul heard about ¹¹⁹⁷  it, they tore ¹¹⁹⁸  their clothes and rushed out ¹¹⁹⁹  into the crowd, shouting, ¹²⁰⁰  14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures ¹²⁰¹  just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn ¹²⁰²  from these worthless ¹²⁰³  things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, ¹²⁰⁴  the sea, and everything that is in them. 14:16 In ¹²⁰⁵  past ¹²⁰⁶  generations he allowed all the nations ¹²⁰⁷  to go their own ways, 14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, ¹²⁰⁸  by giving you rain from heaven ¹²⁰⁹  and fruitful seasons, satisfying you ¹²¹⁰  with food and your hearts with joy.” ¹²¹¹  14:18 Even by saying ¹²¹²  these things, they scarcely persuaded ¹²¹³  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch ¹²¹⁴  and Iconium, ¹²¹⁵  and after winning ¹²¹⁶  the crowds over, they stoned ¹²¹⁷  Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead. 14:20 But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got up and went back ¹²¹⁸  into the city. On ¹²¹⁹  the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. ¹²²⁰ 

14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, ¹²²¹  to Iconium, ¹²²²  and to Antioch. ¹²²³  14:22 They strengthened ¹²²⁴  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ¹²²⁵  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ¹²²⁶  of God through many persecutions.” ¹²²⁷  14:23 When they had appointed elders ¹²²⁸  for them in the various churches, ¹²²⁹  with prayer and fasting ¹²³⁰  they entrusted them to the protection ¹²³¹  of the Lord in whom they had believed. 14:24 Then they passed through ¹²³²  Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, ¹²³³  14:25 and when they had spoken the word ¹²³⁴  in Perga, ¹²³⁵  they went down to Attalia. ¹²³⁶  14:26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, ¹²³⁷  where they had been commended ¹²³⁸  to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ¹²³⁹  14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported ¹²⁴⁰  all the things God ¹²⁴¹  had done with them, and that he had opened a door ¹²⁴²  of faith for the Gentiles. 14:28 So they spent ¹²⁴³  considerable ¹²⁴⁴  time with the disciples.

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea ¹²⁴⁵  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ¹²⁴⁶  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ¹²⁴⁷  with them, the church ¹²⁴⁸  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ¹²⁴⁹  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ¹²⁵⁰  about this point of disagreement. ¹²⁵¹  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ¹²⁵²  and Samaria, they were relating at length ¹²⁵³  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ¹²⁵⁴  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ¹²⁵⁵  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ¹²⁵⁶  all the things God had done with them. ¹²⁵⁷  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ¹²⁵⁸  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ¹²⁵⁹  to circumcise the Gentiles ¹²⁶⁰  and to order them to observe ¹²⁶¹  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ¹²⁶²  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ¹²⁶³  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ¹²⁶⁴  God chose ¹²⁶⁵  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ¹²⁶⁶  of the gospel ¹²⁶⁷  and believe. ¹²⁶⁸  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ¹²⁶⁹  has testified ¹²⁷⁰  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ¹²⁷¹  15:9 and he made no distinction ¹²⁷²  between them and us, cleansing ¹²⁷³  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ¹²⁷⁴  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ¹²⁷⁵  that neither our ancestors ¹²⁷⁶  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ¹²⁷⁷  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ¹²⁷⁸ 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ¹²⁷⁹  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ¹²⁸⁰  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ¹²⁸¹  James replied, ¹²⁸²  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ¹²⁸³  has explained ¹²⁸⁴  how God first concerned himself ¹²⁸⁵  to select ¹²⁸⁶  from among the Gentiles ¹²⁸⁷  a people for his name. 15:15 The ¹²⁸⁸  words of the prophets agree ¹²⁸⁹  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ¹²⁹⁰  I ¹²⁹¹  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ¹²⁹²  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ¹²⁹³  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ¹²⁹⁴  may seek the Lord,

namely, ¹²⁹⁵  all the Gentiles ¹²⁹⁶  I have called to be my own,’ ¹²⁹⁷  says the Lord, ¹²⁹⁸  who makes these things 15:18 known ¹²⁹⁹  from long ago. ¹³⁰⁰ 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ¹³⁰¹  that we should not cause extra difficulty ¹³⁰²  for those among the Gentiles ¹³⁰³  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ¹³⁰⁴  telling them to abstain ¹³⁰⁵  from things defiled ¹³⁰⁶  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ¹³⁰⁷  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ¹³⁰⁸  because he is read aloud ¹³⁰⁹  in the synagogues ¹³¹⁰  every Sabbath.”

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ¹³¹¹  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ¹³¹²  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ¹³¹³  with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: ¹³¹⁴ 

From the apostles ¹³¹⁵  and elders, your brothers, ¹³¹⁶  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ¹³¹⁷  in Antioch, ¹³¹⁸  Syria, ¹³¹⁹  and Cilicia, greetings! 15:24 Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused ¹³²⁰  you, upsetting ¹³²¹  your minds ¹³²²  by what they said, ¹³²³  15:25 we have unanimously ¹³²⁴  decided ¹³²⁵  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who ¹³²⁶  have risked their lives ¹³²⁷  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹³²⁸  15:27 Therefore we are sending ¹³²⁹  Judas and Silas ¹³³⁰  who will tell you these things themselves in person. ¹³³¹  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ¹³³²  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ¹³³³  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹³³⁴  and from blood and from what has been strangled ¹³³⁵  and from sexual immorality. ¹³³⁶  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ¹³³⁷  you will do well. Farewell. ¹³³⁸ 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, ¹³³⁹  they went down to Antioch, ¹³⁴⁰  and after gathering the entire group ¹³⁴¹  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, ¹³⁴²  the people ¹³⁴³  rejoiced at its encouragement. ¹³⁴⁴  15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ¹³⁴⁵  15:33 After ¹³⁴⁶  they had spent some time there, ¹³⁴⁷  they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 15:34 [[EMPTY]] ¹³⁴⁸  15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, ¹³⁴⁹  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) ¹³⁵⁰  the word of the Lord. ¹³⁵¹ 

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ¹³⁵²  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ¹³⁵³  to see how they are doing.” ¹³⁵⁴  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted ¹³⁵⁵  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia ¹³⁵⁶  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had ¹³⁵⁷  a sharp disagreement, ¹³⁵⁸  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along ¹³⁵⁹  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, ¹³⁶⁰  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ¹³⁶¹  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ¹³⁶²  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ¹³⁶³  the churches.

16:1 He also came to Derbe ¹³⁶⁴  and to Lystra. ¹³⁶⁵  A disciple ¹³⁶⁶  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ¹³⁶⁷  but whose father was a Greek. ¹³⁶⁸  16:2 The brothers in Lystra ¹³⁶⁹  and Iconium ¹³⁷⁰  spoke well ¹³⁷¹  of him. ¹³⁷²  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ¹³⁷³  to accompany him, and he took ¹³⁷⁴  him and circumcised ¹³⁷⁵  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ¹³⁷⁶  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ¹³⁷⁷  16:4 As they went through the towns, ¹³⁷⁸  they passed on ¹³⁷⁹  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ¹³⁸⁰  for the Gentile believers ¹³⁸¹  to obey. ¹³⁸²  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. ¹³⁸³ 

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ¹³⁸⁴  and Galatia, ¹³⁸⁵  having been prevented ¹³⁸⁶  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ¹³⁸⁷  in the province of Asia. ¹³⁸⁸  16:7 When they came to ¹³⁸⁹  Mysia, ¹³⁹⁰  they attempted to go into Bithynia, ¹³⁹¹  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow ¹³⁹²  them to do this, ¹³⁹³  16:8 so they passed through ¹³⁹⁴  Mysia ¹³⁹⁵  and went down to Troas. ¹³⁹⁶  16:9 A ¹³⁹⁷  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ¹³⁹⁸  urging him, ¹³⁹⁹  “Come over ¹⁴⁰⁰  to Macedonia ¹⁴⁰¹  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul ¹⁴⁰²  saw the vision, we attempted ¹⁴⁰³  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ¹⁴⁰⁴  concluding that God had called ¹⁴⁰⁵  us to proclaim the good news to them.

16:11 We put out to sea ¹⁴⁰⁶  from Troas ¹⁴⁰⁷  and sailed a straight course ¹⁴⁰⁸  to Samothrace, ¹⁴⁰⁹  the next day to Neapolis, ¹⁴¹⁰  16:12 and from there to Philippi, ¹⁴¹¹  which is a leading city of that district ¹⁴¹²  of Macedonia, ¹⁴¹³  a Roman colony. ¹⁴¹⁴  We stayed in this city for some days. 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down ¹⁴¹⁵  and began to speak ¹⁴¹⁶  to the women ¹⁴¹⁷  who had assembled there. ¹⁴¹⁸  16:14 A ¹⁴¹⁹  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ¹⁴²⁰  from the city of Thyatira, ¹⁴²¹  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ¹⁴²²  The Lord opened her heart to respond ¹⁴²³  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ¹⁴²⁴  “If ¹⁴²⁵  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ¹⁴²⁶  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ¹⁴²⁷  us.

16:16 Now ¹⁴²⁸  as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. ¹⁴²⁹  She ¹⁴³⁰  brought her owners ¹⁴³¹  a great profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁴³²  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ¹⁴³³  “These men are servants ¹⁴³⁴  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ¹⁴³⁵  of salvation.” ¹⁴³⁶  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, ¹⁴³⁷  and turned ¹⁴³⁸  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ ¹⁴³⁹  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. ¹⁴⁴⁰  16:19 But when her owners ¹⁴⁴¹  saw their hope of profit ¹⁴⁴²  was gone, they seized ¹⁴⁴³  Paul and Silas and dragged ¹⁴⁴⁴  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When ¹⁴⁴⁵  they had brought them ¹⁴⁴⁶  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ¹⁴⁴⁷  They are ¹⁴⁴⁸  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ¹⁴⁴⁹  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ¹⁴⁵⁰  or practice, ¹⁴⁵¹  since we are ¹⁴⁵²  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ¹⁴⁵³  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ¹⁴⁵⁴  off Paul and Silas ¹⁴⁵⁵  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ¹⁴⁵⁶  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, ¹⁴⁵⁷  they threw them into prison and commanded ¹⁴⁵⁸  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ¹⁴⁵⁹  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ¹⁴⁶⁰ 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ¹⁴⁶¹  and singing hymns to God, ¹⁴⁶²  and the rest of ¹⁴⁶³  the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds ¹⁴⁶⁴  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ¹⁴⁶⁵  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ¹⁴⁶⁶  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ¹⁴⁶⁷  because he assumed ¹⁴⁶⁸  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ¹⁴⁶⁹  “Do not harm yourself, ¹⁴⁷⁰  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ¹⁴⁷¹  rushed in and fell down ¹⁴⁷²  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ¹⁴⁷³  and asked, “Sirs, what must ¹⁴⁷⁴  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ¹⁴⁷⁵  “Believe ¹⁴⁷⁶  in the Lord Jesus ¹⁴⁷⁷  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ¹⁴⁷⁸  they spoke the word of the Lord ¹⁴⁷⁹  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ¹⁴⁸⁰  that hour of the night he took them ¹⁴⁸¹  and washed their wounds; ¹⁴⁸²  then ¹⁴⁸³  he and all his family ¹⁴⁸⁴  were baptized right away. ¹⁴⁸⁵  16:34 The jailer ¹⁴⁸⁶  brought them into his house and set food ¹⁴⁸⁷  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ¹⁴⁸⁸  that he had come to believe ¹⁴⁸⁹  in God, together with his entire household. ¹⁴⁹⁰  16:35 At daybreak ¹⁴⁹¹  the magistrates ¹⁴⁹²  sent their police officers, ¹⁴⁹³  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ¹⁴⁹⁴  “The magistrates have sent orders ¹⁴⁹⁵  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ¹⁴⁹⁶  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ¹⁴⁹⁷  “They had us beaten in public ¹⁴⁹⁸  without a proper trial ¹⁴⁹⁹  – even though we are Roman citizens ¹⁵⁰⁰  – and they threw us ¹⁵⁰¹  in prison. And now they want to send us away ¹⁵⁰²  secretly? Absolutely not! They ¹⁵⁰³  themselves must come and escort us out!” ¹⁵⁰⁴  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ¹⁵⁰⁵  were Roman citizens ¹⁵⁰⁶  16:39 and came ¹⁵⁰⁷  and apologized to them. After ¹⁵⁰⁸  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ¹⁵⁰⁹  to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then ¹⁵¹⁰  departed.

17:1 After they traveled through ¹⁵¹¹  Amphipolis ¹⁵¹²  and Apollonia, ¹⁵¹³  they came to Thessalonica, ¹⁵¹⁴  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ¹⁵¹⁵  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ¹⁵¹⁶  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ¹⁵¹⁷  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ¹⁵¹⁸  that the Christ ¹⁵¹⁹  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ¹⁵²⁰  saying, ¹⁵²¹  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ¹⁵²²  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ¹⁵²³  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ¹⁵²⁴  of God-fearing Greeks ¹⁵²⁵  and quite a few ¹⁵²⁶  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ¹⁵²⁷  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ¹⁵²⁸  they formed a mob ¹⁵²⁹  and set the city in an uproar. ¹⁵³⁰  They attacked Jason’s house, ¹⁵³¹  trying to find Paul and Silas ¹⁵³²  to bring them out to the assembly. ¹⁵³³  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ¹⁵³⁴  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ¹⁵³⁵  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ¹⁵³⁶  throughout the world ¹⁵³⁷  have come here too, 17:7 and ¹⁵³⁸  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ¹⁵³⁹  are all acting against Caesar’s ¹⁵⁴⁰  decrees, saying there is another king named ¹⁵⁴¹  Jesus!” ¹⁵⁴²  17:8 They caused confusion among ¹⁵⁴³  the crowd and the city officials ¹⁵⁴⁴  who heard these things. 17:9 After ¹⁵⁴⁵  the city officials ¹⁵⁴⁶  had received bail ¹⁵⁴⁷  from Jason and the others, they released them.

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ¹⁵⁴⁸  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ¹⁵⁴⁹  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹⁵⁵⁰  17:11 These Jews ¹⁵⁵¹  were more open-minded ¹⁵⁵²  than those in Thessalonica, ¹⁵⁵³  for they eagerly ¹⁵⁵⁴  received ¹⁵⁵⁵  the message, examining ¹⁵⁵⁶  the scriptures carefully every day ¹⁵⁵⁷  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ¹⁵⁵⁸  prominent ¹⁵⁵⁹  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ¹⁵⁶⁰  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ¹⁵⁶¹  in Berea, ¹⁵⁶²  they came there too, inciting ¹⁵⁶³  and disturbing ¹⁵⁶⁴  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ¹⁵⁶⁵  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ¹⁵⁶⁶  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ¹⁵⁶⁷  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ¹⁵⁶⁸ 

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ¹⁵⁶⁹  his spirit was greatly upset ¹⁵⁷⁰  because he saw ¹⁵⁷¹  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ¹⁵⁷²  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ¹⁵⁷³  in the synagogue, ¹⁵⁷⁴  and in the marketplace every day ¹⁵⁷⁵  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ¹⁵⁷⁶  and Stoic ¹⁵⁷⁷  philosophers were conversing ¹⁵⁷⁸  with him, and some were asking, ¹⁵⁷⁹  “What does this foolish babbler ¹⁵⁸⁰  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ¹⁵⁸¹  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ¹⁵⁸²  17:19 So they took Paul and ¹⁵⁸³  brought him to the Areopagus, ¹⁵⁸⁴  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ¹⁵⁸⁵  to our ears, so we want to know what they ¹⁵⁸⁶  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ¹⁵⁸⁷  in nothing else than telling ¹⁵⁸⁸  or listening to something new.) ¹⁵⁸⁹ 

17:22 So Paul stood ¹⁵⁹⁰  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ¹⁵⁹¹  in all respects. ¹⁵⁹²  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ¹⁵⁹³  I even found an altar with this inscription: ¹⁵⁹⁴  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ¹⁵⁹⁵  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ¹⁵⁹⁶  who is ¹⁵⁹⁷  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ¹⁵⁹⁸  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ¹⁵⁹⁹  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ¹⁶⁰⁰  17:26 From one man ¹⁶⁰¹  he made every nation of the human race ¹⁶⁰²  to inhabit the entire earth, ¹⁶⁰³  determining their set times ¹⁶⁰⁴  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ¹⁶⁰⁵  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ¹⁶⁰⁶  for him and find him, ¹⁶⁰⁷  though he is ¹⁶⁰⁸  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ¹⁶⁰⁹  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ¹⁶¹⁰  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ¹⁶¹¹  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ¹⁶¹²  made by human ¹⁶¹³  skill ¹⁶¹⁴  and imagination. ¹⁶¹⁵  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ¹⁶¹⁶  such times of ignorance, ¹⁶¹⁷  he now commands all people ¹⁶¹⁸  everywhere to repent, ¹⁶¹⁹  17:31 because he has set ¹⁶²⁰  a day on which he is going to judge the world ¹⁶²¹  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ¹⁶²²  having provided proof to everyone by raising ¹⁶²³  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ¹⁶²⁴  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ¹⁶²⁵  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ¹⁶²⁶  17:34 But some people ¹⁶²⁷  joined him ¹⁶²⁸  and believed. Among them ¹⁶²⁹  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ¹⁶³⁰  a woman ¹⁶³¹  named Damaris, and others with them.