By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Now the large group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.

For there was not a needy person among them, because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

among the rest one Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (that is to say, the son of consolation) a Levite, and a native of Cyprus,

sold a field that belonged to him [and] brought the money and placed [it] at the feet of the apostles.

But Peter said, "Ananias, for what [reason] has Satan filled your heart, [that] you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself [some] of the proceeds of the piece of land?

Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!”

And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

And it came to pass, about three hours after, that his wife, not knowing what hath happened, came in,

“Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the field for this price?”

“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

which affected the whole assembly, and all that heard of it with great dread.

The number of them that believed in the Lord, both of men and women, grew more and more

As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round about Jerusalem, bring sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,

And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But the officers that came found them not in the prison; and they returned, and told,

Saying, That we truly found the prison shut with all security, and the watch standing without before the doors: and having opened, we found none within.

Then came one and showed them, "Behold, the men that ye put in prison stand in the temple, and teach the people."

Then the captain and some of the police went and took them, but not violently, for fear that they might be stoned by the people.

Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.

for before these days rose up Theudas, saying, that himself was some one, to whom a number of men did join themselves, as it were four hundred, who was slain, and all, as many as were obeying him, were scattered, and came to nought.

After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. That man also perished, and all his partisans were scattered.

but if it has its origin in God, you can never stop it. It is to be feared that you may find yourselves fighting God."

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.

Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.

Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.

Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch.

So, the message of God increased [in its influence] and the disciples multiplied in number greatly in Jerusalem, [so that even] a large number of [Jewish] priests became obedient to [the message of] the faith.

But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.

but as they were not able to withstand the force of that sublime knowledge which appeared in his discourse,

Then they bribed men, saying, that we have heard him speaking words blasphemous against Moses and God.

For we heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

And, upon that, Stephen spoke as follows: "Brothers and Fathers, hear what I have to say. God, who manifests himself in the Glory, appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, and before he settled in Haran, and said to him--

and said to him:

Get out of your country
and away from your relatives,
and come to the land
that I will show you.

Then came he out of the land of Chaldea and dwelt in Haran. And after that, as soon as his father was dead, he brought him into this land, in which ye now dwell,

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 spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

I will judge the nation
that they will serve as slaves, God said.
After this, they will come out
and worship Me in this place.

"[And when] these patriarchs, [still living in Canaan as young men], became jealous of [their brother] Joseph, they sold him [as a slave to traveling merchants who took him] to Egypt. But God was with him [during all that time],

in the mean time a famine spread over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, so that our fathers did not know where to get provisions.

But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

“As the time was drawing near to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt

The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

It was at this time that Moses was born. He was a wonderfully beautiful child, and for three months he was taken care of in his father's house.

But when he was about forty years old he felt led to visit his relatives, the Israelites [i.e., called Hebrews at that time].

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

He assumed his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

the next day seeing some that were fighting, he would have persuaded them to agree, saying, sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye injure one another?

But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Do you mean to kill me as you did that Egyptian yesterday?'

Then fled Moses at that saying, and was a stranger in the land of Midian; Where he begat two sons.

'I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses was so terrified that he did not dare to look at the bush.

seeing I have seen the affliction of My people that is in Egypt, and their groaning I did hear, and came down to deliver them; and now come, I will send thee to Egypt.

this Moses whom they refused, saying, who made thee a ruler and a judge? the very same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the angel that 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 that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Yet our ancestors refused him obedience; more than that, they rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.

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

then God left them, and abandon'd them to the worship of the celestial army; as it is written in the book of the prophets, "O ye house of Israel, is it to me that ye have offered victims, and sacrifices, for the space of forty years in the wilderness?

No, you took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship.
So I will deport 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.

Our ancestors in turn received it and with Joshua brought it in when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers, until the days of David.

He found favor in God’s sight and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

it was Solomon however that built him a temple.

Howbeit, he that is highest of all dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet,

'Heaven is my seat, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build for me, saith the Lord? Or what place is it that I should rest in?

Was it not my hand that made them all?"'

was there ever any prophet whom your fathers did not persecute? have they not slain those who predicted the coming of that just person whom you have so lately betrayed and murder'd?

You received the law that was ordained through [the medium of] angels [See Gal. 3:19] and yet have not obeyed its requirements."

When they heard that, they were enraged and ground their teeth at him.

Saul agreed with putting him to death.

On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.

Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

the multitudes also were giving heed to the things spoken by Philip, with one accord, in their hearing and seeing the signs that he was doing,

For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

So there was great joy in that city.

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

that they all followed him, both old and young. this man, said they, is the plenipotentiary of God.

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

Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with Philip and was astounded as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.

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

After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.

For up to that time he had not come on any of them; only baptism had been given to them in the name of the Lord Jesus.

When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

saying, “Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

“Please pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.)