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 this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That his descendants would be aliens (strangers) in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

at length he gave him the covenant of circumcision: accordingly Abraham circumcised his son Isaac eight days after he was born, Isaac was father of Jacob, who was father of the twelve patriarchs.

"[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],

and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household.

And when the time of the promise which God had sworn to Abraham drew near, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, Till another king arose, who had not known Joseph.

until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.

This man, who cunningly victimized our race, mistreated our fathers to make their infants be placed outside in order not to keep alive.

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

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.

The next day Moses came across a couple of his relatives who were fighting and tried to settle their dispute by saying, 'Brothers, since you are fellow-countrymen, why are you hurting each other?'

“But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed him away, saying:

Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us?

I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. But Moses, who developed trembling, dared not examine.

{I have certainly seen} the mistreatment of my people [who are] in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'

“This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?—this one God sent as a ruler and a redeemer by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

he it was, who delivered them by doing prodigies and miracles in the land of Egypt, in the red sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers.

He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors. He received living oracles to give to us.

To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

They told Aaron:

Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.

“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.

Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;

Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

But it was Solomon who built Him a house.

“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.

Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

They threw him out of the city and stoned him [to death]. Those who witnessed [the incident] placed their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

And they stoned Stephen, who was calling and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

and some devout men who carried Stephen to his burial, making great lamentation over him.

So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the message of good news.

And Philip, who went down to a city of Samaria, proclaimed the Christ to them.

For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

And many who were paralyzed or lame were cured, so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.

One Simon was then resident in that place, who pretended to be something extra-ordinary, and by his magical practices had so enchanted the people of Samaria,

To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

no wonder they were so attach'd to one, who had for a long time infatuated them with his arts.

But when they believed Philip, who preached the glad tidings of the things which related to the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised both men and women.

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 were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

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

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:

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

And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

and falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

The voice said, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up, go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one.

Now there was a disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, to whom the Lord said in a vision, Ananias! and he said, Lord, here I am.

And he saw in a vision a man named Ananias who came in and laid a hand on him, so that he might receive sight.

And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”

So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

and, having received food, got strength. And he was with the disciples who were in Damascus certain days.

He lost no time in preaching throughout the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God ??21 to the amazement of all his hearers, who said, "Is this not the man who in Jerusalem harried those who invoke this Name, the man who came here for the express purpose of carrying them all in chains to the high priests?"

But all who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man who, in Jerusalem, was destroying those who called on this name and then came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

But Saul grew more capable and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this One is the Messiah.

Barnabas, however, introduced Saul to the apostles, telling them how on the road Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how courageously he had spoken in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

and he openly preach'd in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Hellenists, who therefore plotted against his life:

As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda.

There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.

Peter said to him, Eneas, Jesus, who is the Messiah, gives thee health: rise, and make your bed your self: upon which he immediately rose.

So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, who by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms-deeds 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.

Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.”

And Peter having risen, went with them, whom having come, they brought into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing coats and garments, as many as Dorcas was making while she was with them.

And Peter lived for some time in Joppa with Simon, who was an [animal hide] tanner.

a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

About three in the afternoon he distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius!”

Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter.

Who is living with Simon, a leather-worker, whose house is by the sea.

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.

While Peter was deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon’s house, stood at the gate.

They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.

As Peter was still pondering upon the vision, the spirit said to him, there are people below, who enquire for you.

Come, get up and go down, and have no hesitation about accompanying them, for it is I who have sent them."

Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely directed by a holy angel to call you to his house and to hear a message from you.”

Inviting them in, therefore, he entertained them; but, on the morrow, he rose up and went forth with them, and certain of the brethren who were from Joppa went with him;

And as he conversed with him, he went in and found many who came together.

And he said to them, You yourselves have knowledge that it is against the law for a man who is a Jew to be in the company of one who is of another nation; but God has made it clear to me that no man may be named common or unclean:

Who said, Cornelius, your prayer has come to the ears of God, and your offerings are kept in his memory.

Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.

So Peter opened [his] mouth [and] said, "In truth I understand that God is not one who shows partiality,

but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him.

this was what he communicated to the children of Israel, proclaiming salvation by Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of all mankind.

Ye yourselves, know what hath come to pass throughout the whole of Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the immersion which John proclaimed, respecting Jesus who was of Nazareth: -

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

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

and he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify fully that it is he who hath been ordained by God judge of living and dead --

All the prophets testify about Him that through His name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.”

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who heard the 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.

“Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

The apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had welcomed God’s message also.