But when he had completed his fortieth year, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

And seeing one of them treated injuriously, he defended him, and executed vengeance for him who had suffered the outrage, smiting 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.

Because of this, Moses fled and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There he had two sons.

When forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush.

That very Moses whom they refused, saying, 'Who made you our ruler and referee?' was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer, by the help of the angel who had 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.

"At that time they even made a calf to be their idol, offered a sacrifice to it, and delighted in what they had made with their hands.

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 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;

When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid 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.

But those who had gone in flight went everywhere preaching the word.

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

Unclean spirits screamed with a loud voice as they came out of the many people they had possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed.

There was a man named Simon in the city, who had kept the Samaritan people thrilled by practicing magic there and by claiming to be a great man.

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 He had not come upon any of them, but they had been baptized merely 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.

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.

And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued 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.

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 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 several days had gone by, the Jews laid a plot to murder him,

And, when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he made attempts to join himself unto the disciples; and all were afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Barnabas, however, took him up and presented him to the apostles, and he told them how on the road he had seen the Lord, and how the Lord had spoken to him, and how courageously he had spoken in the name of Jesus at Damascus.

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 at once got up and went with them. When he reached there, they took him to the room upstairs, and all the widows took their stand around him, crying and showing him the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was still 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!"

After the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants, and a religious soldier who was one of his devoted attendants,

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

And on the next day, as they were pursuing their journey and had come nigh to the city, Peter went upon the house to pray, about the sixth hour.

He had become very hungry and longed 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.

The next day he started off with them, and some of the brothers in Joppa went along with him. The day after that they reached Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for him, as he had invited in his kinsmen and close friends.

As he continued to talk with him he went into the house and found a great crowd had gathered,

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:

respecting Jesus, who was of Nazareth, how God had anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were tyrannically oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

not by all the people but by witnesses whom God had beforehand appointed, namely, by us who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection 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.

Then the Jewish believers who had gone along with Peter were astounded because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been showered upon the heathen too,

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.

Just at that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea for me, stopped at the house where 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;

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: "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

So if God had given them the same gift that He gave us when we believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to try -- and how could I if I tried -- to thwart 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."

Then those who had gone away at the time of the trouble about Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus, preaching to the Jews only.

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

Then the disciples, as everyman had ability, determined every individual of them to send a sum to be distributed among the brethren who dwelt in Judea:

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