This suggestion was approved by the whole body, and so they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, who was a convert to Judaism.

And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples was greatly multiplied at Jerusalem, and a great multitude of the priests obeyed the faith.

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

But some men who belonged to the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), as well as some Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and began to debate with Stephen.

and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking;

Then all who were seated in the council fixed their eyes upon him and saw that his face was like that of an angel.

And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

"The glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. God told him, "Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land I'll show you.'

Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

And he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep. And he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, although there was no child by him.

"What God said was this. "'His offspring will sojourn in a foreign land where they will be enslaved and oppressed 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.

And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,

"But God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him grace and wisdom, when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him Governor over Egypt, and over all the royal household.

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.

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

And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

And they transported him to Sychem and put him in the tomb which Abraham was satisfied with for a price of silver from the sons of Emmor of Sychem.

'And according as the time of the promise was drawing nigh, which God did swear to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

He, having evil designs against our nation, was cruel to our fathers, and they were forced to put out their young children, so that they might not go on living.

In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:

And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

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

He supposed that his brothers would understand that God through his instrumentality was going to deliver them, but they did not.

And on the following day, he made an appearance to them [while they] were fighting and was attempting to reconcile them in peace, saying, 'Men [and] brothers, why are you doing wrong to one another?'

But the man who was harming his brother pushed him aside, saying, 'Who made you our ruler and referee?

Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

And forty years completed, a messenger of the Lord was seen to him in the desert of mount Sina, in a flame of fire in a bramble.

When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached the bush to look at it, the voice of the Lord said,

'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.

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.

It was he who brought them out of Egypt by performing wonders and signs there and at the Red Sea -- as he did also in the desert for forty years.

It was this Moses who said to the descendants of Israel, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from among you, just as He did me.'

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:

That was the time when they made the Calf and offered sacrifice to their idol, and held festivities in honor of their own handiwork!

But God was turned from them and let them give worship to the stars of heaven, as it says in the book of the prophets, Did you make offerings to me of sheep and oxen for forty years in the waste land, O house of Israel?

No, it was the Tabernacle of Moloch and the star-symbol of the god Rempha that you lifted up??he images which you made in order to worship them; so I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

'The tabernacle of the testimony was among our fathers in the wilderness, according as He did direct, who is speaking to Moses, to make it according to the figure that he had seen;

Our ancestors brought it here with Joshua when they replaced the nations that God drove out in front of our ancestors, and it was here until the time of David.

and was desirous to provide an habitation for the God of Jacob.

but it was Solomon who came to build a house for Him.

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

Which of the prophets was not cruelly attacked by your fathers? and they put to death those who gave them the news of the coming of the Upright One; whom you have now given up and put to death;

ye who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not.

But since he was full of the Holy Spirit, he looked right into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand.

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.

And kneeling down, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And having said this, he fell asleep: And Saul was consenting to his death.

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

and Saul was making havoc of the assembly, into every house entering, and haling men and women, was giving them up to prison;

And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching to them the Christ,

As the crowds continued to listen to his message and continued to see his wonder-works which he was performing, with one mind they became interested in what was said by Philip.

And there was great joy in that city.

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

and all sorts and conditions of people attached themselves to him, declaring he was that Power of God which is known as 'the Great Power.'

But when they believed Philip, who was preaching glad tidings about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.

Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the holy Spirit: (for He was not yet fallen upon any of them,

(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian official, a member of the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, her chief treasurer, who had come to Jerusalem to worship,

Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

And Philip, running up to him, saw that he was reading Isaiah the prophet, and said to him, Is the sense of what you are reading clear to you?

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

then Philip enter'd upon the subject, and show'd how the whole passage was applicable to Jesus.

and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he was going on his way rejoicing;

But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

Now Saul, as he was still breathing threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

to ask for letters [authorizing him to go] to Damascus and to enter [Jewish] synagogues looking for people of "the Way" [Note: This was a designation for Christians at that time]. And if he found any, whether men or women, he would tie them up and take them to Jerusalem.

As Saul traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

"Who art thou, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," was the reply.

And Saul got up from the earth, and when his eyes were open, he saw nothing; and he was guided by the hand into Damascus.

And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

And Ananias went away, and did enter into the house, and having put upon him his hands, said, 'Saul, brother, the Lord hath sent me -- Jesus who did appear to thee in the way in which thou wast coming -- that thou mayest see again, and mayest be filled with the Holy Spirit.'

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 immediately in the synagogues he was preaching the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

Everyone who heard him was astonished and said, "This is the man who harassed those who were calling on Jesus' name in Jerusalem, isn't it? Didn't he come here to bring them in chains to the high priests?"

And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

and Barnabas having taken him, brought him unto the apostles, and did declare to them how in the way he saw the Lord, and that he spake to him, and how in Damascus he was speaking boldly in the name of Jesus.

And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, he was both speaking and disputing with the Hellenists, and they were taking in hand to kill him,

So the church throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied.

Now, as Peter was going here and there among them all, he finally went down to God's people who lived at Lydda.

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

When everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him [i.e., that the man was healed], they turned [their lives over] to the Lord.

Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

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.

Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

And he was living in Joppa for some time with Simon, a leather-worker.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

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.