But when he had completed his fortieth year, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children 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 40 years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush.

This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, 'Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?'--this man God sent [as] both ruler and redeemer with {the help} of the angel who appeared to him in the 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.

No, you offered me the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rompha, the images you had made to worship! So I will now remove you beyond Babylon.'

“Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.

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

Which of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? They killed the men who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and killed??53 you who had the Law given to you by angels, and did not obey it!"

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.

Now those who had been scattered went about proclaiming the good news [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.

A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and astounded the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.

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

They were attentive to him because he had astounded them with his sorceries for a long time.

but when they had embraced the doctrine of Philip, concerning the kingdom of the Messias, and the authority of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

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.

When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them.

Who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit:

For He had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in 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.

Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing 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).

So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem

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.

And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

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.

When he got up from the ground and opened his eyes he could see nothing. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus,

He has had a vision and seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, to restore 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 those hearing were amazed, and said, 'Is not this he who laid waist in Jerusalem those calling on this name, and hither to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?'

After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he essayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he 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,

Preaching in the name of the Lord without fear; and he had discussions with the Greek Jews; but they were working for his death.

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.

At Joppa there was a woman, a disciple, whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek means Dorcas, that is, Gazelle. She had filled her life with good deeds and works of charity, which she was always doing.

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.

So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that 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.

a religious man, too, who revered God with all his household, who was always liberal in his many deeds of charity to the people, and who had the habit of praying to God.

One afternoon about three o'clock he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God come to him and say, "Cornelius!"

When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he called two of his household slaves and a devout soldier, who was one of those who attended 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."

and being seiz'd with hunger, he would have had something to eat: but while they were making it ready, 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?"

they answered, Cornelius the centurion, a man of probity and piety, one that has an universal good character among the Jews, was divinely admonish'd by an holy angel to send for you to his house, to hear what you had to say to him.

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 those witnesses, which God had before chosen: to us, I say, who did eat and drink 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 his message.

The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

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

And when Peter came to Jerusalem, those who kept the rule of circumcision had an argument 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.

At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were.

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;

So when I had begun to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, just as on us at the beginning.

Then I remembered what the Lord had said [See 1:4-5]: 'John immersed you [people] in water but you [apostles] will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.'

if therefore God has bestow'd the same favour upon them, as on us, after we had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I make any opposition to the divine will?

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."

Those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one except Jews.

And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Grecians, 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.

And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.

He had James the brother of John murdered with a sword,