Truly the first word had I made of all things, O Theophilus, of which Jesus began to do and also to teach,

Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

to whom also he presented himself living, after he had suffered, with many proofs; being seen by them during forty days, and speaking of the things which concern the kingdom of God;

While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Of which,” He said, “you have heard Me speak.

For [Jesus had said, Matt. 3:11], "John immersed you [men] in water but [this time] you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit, and [it will happen] in just a few more days."

So [when] they had come together, they began asking him, saying, "Lord, [is it] at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And, while they were looking steadfastly into heaven as he was going his way, then lo! two men had taken their stand beside them, in white garments, -

When they had entered the city, they went upstairs to the upper room where they were staying [indefinitely]; that is, Peter, and John and [his brother] James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew (Nathanael) and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas (Thaddaeus) the son of James.

“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David spoke in advance about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

This man therefore had possessed himself of a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, - and falling headlong burst asunder in the midst, and forth gushed all his bowels;

And they appointed two, Joseph, who was called Barsabas, who had been surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

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

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as it had been the coming of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they sat.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as they had been fire, and it sat upon each of them:

When the report of this had gone abroad, the multitude came together; and they were perplexed, for each one heard them speak in his own language.

But there were some who said with a sneer: "They have had too much new wine."

Men of Israel, give ear to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had the approval of God, as was made clear to you by the great works and signs and wonders which God did by him among you, as you yourselves have knowledge,

But you, by the fixed purpose and intention of God, handed him over to wicked men, and had him crucified.

Indeed it was to him that David was referring when he said-- 'I have had the Lord ever before my eyes, For he stands at my right hand, that I should not be disquieted.

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

And referred to the resurrection of the Christ when he said that 'he had not been abandoned to the Place of Death, nor had his body undergone corruption.'

So he has been exalted to God's right hand, and has received from his Father and poured over us the holy Spirit that had been promised, as you see and hear.

When the crowd that had gathered heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

Those then who had accepted his word were baptised; and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

Giving praise to God, and having the approval of all the people; and every day the number of those who had salvation was increased by the Lord.

One day, as Peter and John were going up into the Temple Courts for the three o'clock Prayers, a man, who had been lame from his birth, was being carried by.

some men were carrying there one who had been lame from birth, whom they were wont to place every day close to the Beautiful Gate (as it was called)

And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

And as this [former] crippled man stayed close beside Peter and John, all the people rushed toward them at "Solomon's Portico" [Note: This was a large covered area, with rows of columns, on the side of the Temple enclosure], completely astonished [at what had happened].

And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.

Now I know, brothers, that you acted in ignorance, like your rulers ??18 though this was how God fulfilled what he had announced beforehand by the lips of all the prophets, namely the sufferings of his Christ.

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

And he may send forth him who had been fore-appointed for you - Christ Jesus:

who must be received into heaven until [God's appointed] times when everything will be restored [to its intended purpose]. God had spoken about this through the proclamations of His holy prophets of long ago.

Yes, and all the Prophets from Samuel onwards, and all their successors who had a message to deliver, told of these days.

God, [after he] had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each [of you] back from your wickedness!"

They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people and announcing that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead.

They arrested the Apostles and, as it was already evening, had them placed in custody till the next day.

But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men had become about five thousand.

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

He is the stone which you builders had no use for, but which has been made the chief stone of the building.

salvation is not to be had by any other: for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we can be saved.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

And beholding the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to reply;

But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name."

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

So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

for the man on whom this sign of healing had taken place was above forty years old.

And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

For they have assembled here in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you had consecrated??erod and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen and the peoples of Israel,

to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before should come to pass.

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

And no one among them was in need; for everyone who had land or houses, exchanging them for money, took the price of them,

And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

And Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which is, being interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, Cyprian by birth,

sold a farm which he had, and brought the money and gave it to the Apostles.

But a man called Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira had sold some property,

and brought [only] a part of the selling price and gave it to the apostles; but the man and his wife had kept this a secret.

While you had it, was it not your property? and after you had given it in exchange, was it not still in your power? how has this purpose come into your mind? you have been false, not to men, but to God.

And it came to pass about three hours afterwards, that his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in.

Then great fear came on all the church and on all who had knowledge of these things.

But of the rest no man had the courage to unite himself with them: though the people extolled them.

And a great number of men and women had faith, and were joined to the Lord;

Arrested the Apostles, and had them placed in custody.

Having received that command they went into the Temple, just before daybreak, and began to teach: So when the High Priest and his party came, and had called together the Sanhedrin as well as all the Elders of the descendants of Israel, they sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles.

Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

Presently, however, some one came and told them, that the men whom they had put in prison were actually standing in the Temple Courts, teaching the people.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree.

But when these words came to their ears, they were cut to the heart, and had a mind to put them to death.

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody [of importance], and a group of about four hundred men allied themselves with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.

After him, rose up Judas the Galilaean, in the days of the enrolling, and drew a people into revolt after him; and, he, perished, and, all, as many as had trusted in him, were scattered.

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

So they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin rejoicing, because they had been considered worthy to be dishonored for the sake of the name.

And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew:

Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

But some of those who were of the Synagogue named that of the Libertines, and some of the men of Cyrene and of Alexandria and those from Cilicia and Asia, had arguments with Stephen.

Then they induced some men to assert that they had heard Stephen saying blasphemous things against Moses, and against God;

They had false witnesses stand up and say, "This man never stops saying things against this Holy Place and against the Law.

And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

“Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land you now live in.

And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

And God had spoken about this [beforehand] by saying that Abraham's descendants would live in a foreign country and that they would [eventually] be ill-treated as slaves for four hundred years.

And he made with him the agreement of which circumcision was the sign. And so Abraham had a son, Isaac, and gave him circumcision on the eighth day; and Isaac had a son, Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve heads of the families of Israel.

Now there was no food to be had in all Egypt and Canaan, and there was great trouble: and our fathers were not able to get food.

When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.

And the second time his brothers had a meeting with Joseph, and Pharaoh had knowledge of Joseph's family.

and [from Egypt] their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

till another king rose, who had not known Joseph;

and when he had been abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.

at length Moses was instructed in all the sciences of the Egyptians, and had great influence by his counsels and actions.