So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.

They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,
I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit
And they shall prophesy.

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.

and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,

being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.

When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another,

And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;

When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”

And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico.

to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.

Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.

They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach.Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought.

But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back,

Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this.

Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them,

But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them.

They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council.

They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law;

But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.’

From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive.

And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’

“This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.

Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.

But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.

When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.

For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”

And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.

But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,

who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.

Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.

but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;

When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death.

But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.

So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.

On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance;

and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.”

We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.

For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,