When he had completed his fortieth year, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.

And [when he] saw one of them being unjustly harmed, he defended [him] and {avenged} the one who had been oppressed [by] striking down the Egyptian.

And he was hoping that his brothers would see that God had sent him to be their saviour; but they did not see.

And at these words, Moses went in flight to the land of Midian, and was living there for a time, and had two sons.

“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush.

“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the very one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

"This is the Moses who had said to the Israelites [Deut. 18:15], 'God will raise up a prophet from among your countrymen who will be like me [in some ways].'

This is the man who was with our forefathers and with the assembly [of Hebrews] in the wilderness [after] the angel had spoken to him at Mt. Sinai. He [is the one] who received the living messages [from God at Mt. Sinai] and gave them to us.

They even made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and were celebrating what their hands had made.

You took with you the tabernacle of Moloch and the Star of the god Rephan--the images which you had made to worship. Therefore I will exile you beyond Babylon.'

Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

Who was pleasing to God; and he had a desire to make a holy tent for the God of Jacob.

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;

And [after they] had driven [him] out of the city, they began to stone [him], and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Saul had pleasure in his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the congregation which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Jewry and Samaria, except the apostles.

Those then that had been scattered went through the countries announcing the glad tidings of the word.

When the people heard Philip and saw the signs that he showed they were all interested in what he had to say,

For from many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed.

But a certain man, by name Simon, had been before in the city, using magic arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that himself was some great one.

To whom they had all given heed, from small to great, saying, This is the power of God which is called great.

And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

But when they had faith in the good news given by Philip about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, a number of men and women had baptism.

And Simon himself had faith and, having had baptism, he went with Philip and, seeing the signs and the great wonders which he did, he was full of surprise.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit;

for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

But Peter said, May your money come to destruction with you, because you had the idea that what is freely given by God may be got for a price.

And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip: "Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (It is now deserted).

And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

and had come to Jerusalem to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot, read the prophet Isaiah.

And he said, "How can I, except I had a guide?" And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

The portion of scripture which he had been reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before him who sheareth it is dumb, so he opened not his mouth:

By humbling himself he had his doom removed. Who can tell his family? For his life is cut off from the earth.

But no sooner had they come up out of the water than the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again. With a glad heart he resumed his journey;

And he was going and had come nigh to Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven,

And when he had fallen to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

And the men who traveled with him had stopped, speechless, indeed hearing the voice, but seeing no man.

Then he rose from the ground, but when he had opened his eyes, he could not see, and they led him by the arm and brought him to Damascus.

(Now Saul had seen [in a vision] a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, restoring his sight).

But Ananias said, Lord, I have had accounts of this man from a number of people, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem:

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

And all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havoc of them that called on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests.

After considerable time had passed [about three years or so], the Jews plotted together to kill him,

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

And he had his conversation with them at Jerusalem,

and speaking fearlessly in the name of the Lord. And he often talked with the Hellenists and had discussions with them.

And when the brothers had knowledge of it, they took him to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus.

Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

And there he found a certain man named AEneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.

Then all who lived at Lydda and the plain of Sharon saw [what had happened to] him, and they turned to the Lord.

Among the disciples at Joppa there was a woman named Tabitha, which is in Greek Dorcas, that is, gazelle. She had devoted herself to doing good and to acts of charity.

And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

And Peter rising up went with them, whom, when arrived, they brought up into the upper chamber; and all the widows stood by him weeping and shewing him the body-coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

And news of it went all through Joppa, and a number of people had faith in the Lord.

He was very devoted [to his religious principles] and had great respect for God, along with the members of his household. He gave [money] liberally to poor people and prayed to God regularly.

About three o'clock one afternoon he had a vision, and distinctly saw an angel of God enter his house, who called him by name, saying, "Cornelius!"

And when the angel who was speaking to him had departed, having called two of his household and a pious soldier of those who were constantly with him,

And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

AM], while he was wide awake, he had a vision in which an angel of God came to him [and spoke his name] "Cornelius."

He had become unusually hungry and wished for food; but, while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance.

And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,

had come to the door and had called the servant, and were asking, "Is Simon, surnamed Peter, staying here?"

And they said, Cornelius, a captain, an upright and God-fearing man, respected by all the nation of the Jews, had word from God by an angel to send for you to his house, and to give hearing to your words.

And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

While talking with him, he went on in and found that many had come together there.

And Cornelius said, Four days ago I had been fasting unto this hour, and the ninth I was praying in my house, and lo, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

you know, how his fame spread from Galilee through all Judea, after the baptism which John had preach'd:

How God had anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy ghost, and with power; which Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devils, for God was with him.

not to all the people but to us who had been chosen beforehand by God [as] witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

and he commanded us to publish, and to testify to the people, that he was the person whom God had constituted to be the judge of the living, and of the dead.

Before Peter had finished saying these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message.

All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

On the ground that he had visited people who were not circumcised, and had taken meals with them.

Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said,

I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:

Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

And behold, at once three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea approached the house in which we were [staying].

And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;

"And," said Peter, "no sooner had I begun to speak than the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He fell upon us at the first.

Then I remembered what the Lord had said: "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

If then God has given them the same gift as also to us when we had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who indeed was I to be able to forbid God?

When they heard this, they had no answer to make, but gave God the glory, saying, "So God has given even the heathen the repentance that leads to life."

They then who had been scattered abroad through the tribulation that took place on the occasion of Stephen, passed through the country to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but to Jews alone.

But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

And the power of the Lord was with them, and a great number had faith and were turned to the Lord.

Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

So the disciples decided to send a contribution, each according to his individual ability, to the believers who lived in Judea.

He even had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword.