And once when he was eating with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. "Of this," he said, "you have heard from me.

and they said: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into the sky will come back in just the same way as you have seen him going into the sky."

"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Then Peter, with the Eleven, stood up and addresses them in a loud voice. "Men of Judea and dwellers in Jerusalem, have no doubt about this matter, but listen to what I say.

"Therefore let the whole House of Israel know assuredly that Gods has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified."

"I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have, this I am going to give to you; in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, walk!"

"Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and his successors, all that have spoken, have also told of those days.

Then they made the men stand before them and demanded, "By what power, or in what name, have you fellows done this?"

but for our part, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

"While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was not the price at your own disposal? How could you conceive this act in your heart? You have not lied unto men, but unto God."

"We strictly forbade you, did we not, to teach about this Name, and here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

Then they instigated some to say, "We have heard him speaking blasphemy against Moses and against God;" and in this way they excited the people.

"For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which were handed down to us by Moses."

"Truly I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groans, and am come down to rescue them; and now, come, I will send you into Egypt.

"The heaven is my throne, And the earth the footstool of my feet; What kind of house will you build for me? saith the Lord. Or what resting-place shall I have?

"Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become??53 "you who received the law, given through angels, and obeyed it not."

But Peter said to him. "Your money perish with you, because you have supposed that with money you can obtain God's free gift!"

"You have no part or lot in this matter." Your heart is not right in the sight of God.

And Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me, both of you, that nothing which you have said may happen to me."

"But, Lord," said Ananias, "I have heard from many about that man, and how much evil he did to the saints at Jerusalem!

He stared at him in terror, and said, "What is it, Lord?" "Your prayers and your alms have risen for a memorial before God," answered the angel;

"Not so, my Lord," answered Peter, "for I have never yet eaten anything common and unclean."

"Three men are now looking for you. Rise, go down and go with them, nothing doubting; for it is I who have sent them."

"So I sent for you without delay, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to listen to what the Lord has commanded you to speak."

Then Peter said, "Can any one refuse water for the baptism of these men who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?"

When morning came there was no small stir among the soldiers as to what could possibly have become of Peter.

And as they were worshiping the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

And, after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the wardens of the synagogue sent word to them. "Brothers," they said, "if you have any word of encouragement to the people, say it."

After deposing him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also bore witness, when he said, "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, and who will obey all my will.

"how that God fulfilled it for us their children in raising up Jesus; as it is also written in the second Psalm, "Thou art my son, today have I become thy Father.

"For such is God's command to us, saying, "I have set thee for a light to the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth."

"Now then, why are you tempting God by laying on the necks of these disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?

"as we have heard that some of your number who went out from us have troubled you with words and upset your souls, without having received any such instruction from us;

"we have unanimously decided to select certain men, and to send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul;

"men who have risked their very lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"So we have sent Judas and Silas to tell you the same things by word of mouth.

And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let is go back and visit the brothers in every city in which we have proclaimed the word of the Lord. Let us see how they fare."

The jailer reported the words to Paul, saying. "The praetors have sent to release you; so come out, and go in peace."

But Paul said: "They have flogged us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Roman citizens; and have thrown us into prison. Are they now going to get rid of us secretly? No, indeed! Let them come here, themselves and take us out."

And when they had failed to find Paul and Silas, they began to drag Jason and some of the brethren before the politarchs, shouting. "These fellows who have upset the habitable earth are come hither also.

"for in him we live and move and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, "'For we also are his offspring.'

And the Lord said to Paul in a vision, by night. "Have no fear; go on speaking, and do not keep silent;

"for I am with you, and no one shall set upon you to injure you; for I have very many people in this city."

Paul was about to open his mouth, when Gallio said to the Jews. "If it had been some misdemeanor or wicked villainy, it would have been within reason for me to listen to you Jews;

But the evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?"

And they brought Alexander out of the crowd, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, would have made a defense to the people,

"For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.

If then Demetrius and his craftsmen have a grievance against any one, the courts are open and there are the proconsuls; let them accuse one another.

"In all things I have set you an example, how that so toiling, you ought to help the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

And they, when they heard it, glorified God, and said to him. "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews, of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law.

"Now what they have been told about you, again and again, is that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, and not to circumcise their children, nor to follow the old customs.

"We have four men here under a vow; associate yourself with them, purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so that they may have their heads shaved; then every one will know that there is no truth in the rumors that they have heard about you; but that you yourself walk orderly obeying the law.

"'For before the face of all men you will be a witness for him of what you have seen and heard.

With a stedfast gaze at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived with a good conscience before God to this day."

And the following night the Lord stood by him and said: "Be of good courage; for as you have borne faithful witness concerning me at Jerusalem, so you must testify at Rome also."

They went to the high priests and elders, and said to them. "We have bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul.

And the tribune took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

"The Jews," he answered, "have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow to the Sanhedrin, as though they wish to examine his case in detail.

"Now do not let them persuade, for more than forty men are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse, not to eat nor drink until they have killed him; even now they are all ready, awaiting your consent."

So the tribune sent the young man home with the injunction, "Tell no man that you have given me this information."

"For we have found this fellow a pest, an inciter of insurrection among all the Jews of the empire, and a ringleader in the heresy of the Nazarenes.

Then at a nod from the governor, Paul spoke. "Because I know that for many years you have been a judge in this nation, I feel encouraged to make my defense.

"For you have it in your power to know that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to Jerusalem to worship;

"Hence I too endeavor to have a conscience void of offense toward God and men alway.

"who ought to have been here before you, and to have made accusations if they had anything against me.

Paul said in his defense, "I have committed no crime against the Law of the Jews, against the Temple, or against Caesar."

"I am standing before Caesar's tribunal," answered Paul, "where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know.

"If I am a criminal and have done anything for which I ought to die, I do not object to die. But if none of their charges is true, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar."

Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered. "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."

But when Paul appealed to have his case reviewed for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered him to be detained until I could send him up to Caesar."

"I could not find that he had done anything for which he ought to die; but as he himself has appealed to the Emperor, I have determined to send him.

"Now I have nothing very definite to tell our sovereign about him. So I have brought the man before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, in order that, after examination, I may have something to write.

"The kind of life I have lived from my youth upward among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all that early life of mine, is well known to all the Jews.

"'But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you my minister and my witness both of what you have already seen and of those things in which I will appear to you.

And Agrippa said to Festus, "If he had not appealed to Caesar, he might have been set free."

When for a long time they had been without food, Paul stood among them and said: "Men, you ought to have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and so have spared yourselves this injury and loss.

And while day was dawning, Paul kept urging them all to take some food. "This is the fourteenth day," he said, "that you have been on the watch, fasting, having eaten nothing.

For this people's heart is grown obtuse, Their ears are heavy of hearing, Their eyes have they closed, Lest they should see with their eyes And hear with their ears, Lest they understand with their heart, And turn again, and heal them.