And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is also called Peter,

who will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'

Therefore if God gave them the same gift as also to us [when we] believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I [to be] able to hinder God?"

Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, proclaiming the message to no one except Jews alone.

But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, [when they] came to Antioch, began to speak to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

who, [when he] arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and encouraged [them] all to remain true to the Lord with {devoted hearts},

So from the disciples, {according to their ability to give}, each one of them determined to send [financial aid] for support to the brothers who lived in Judea,

And [when he] realized [this], he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John (who is also called Mark), where many [people] were gathered together and were praying.

So Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem [when they] had completed [their] service, having taken along with [them] John (who is also called Mark).

Now there were prophets and teachers in Antioch in the church that was there: Barnabas, and Simeon (who was called Niger), and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.

who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul [and] wished to hear the word of God.

[and] said, "O [you who are] full of all deceit and of all unscrupulousness, [you] son of the devil, [you] enemy of all righteousness! Will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord!

So Paul stood up, and motioning with [his] hand, he said, "Israelite men, and those who fear God, listen!

And [after] removing him, he raised up David for their king, about whom he also said, testifying, 'I have found David the [son] of Jesse [to be] a man in accordance with my heart, who will carry out all my will.'

But while John was completing [his] mission, he said, 'What do you suppose me to be? I am not [he]! But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of [his] feet!'

"Men [and] brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who fear God--to us the message of this salvation has been sent!

For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, [because they] did not recognize this one, and the voices of the prophets that are read on every Sabbath, fulfilled [them] [by] condemning [him].

who appeared for many days to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem--who are now his witnesses to the people.

But he whom God raised up did not experience decay.

by this one everyone who believes is justified!

And [after] the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them [and] were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.

And [when] the Gentiles heard [this], they began to rejoice and to glorify the word of the Lord. And all those who were designated for eternal life believed.

But the Jews who were disobedient stirred up and {poisoned the minds} of the Gentiles against the brothers.

So they stayed [there] for a considerable time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be performed through their hands.

And in Lystra a certain man was sitting powerless in his feet, lame from {birth}, who had never walked.

and saying, "Men, why are you doing these [things]? We also are men with the same nature as you, proclaiming the good news [that] you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things [that are] in them--

who in generations that are past permitted all the nations to go their [own] ways.

And [when they] had appointed elders for them in every church, [after] praying with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.

But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to command [them] to observe the law of Moses!"

And God, who knows the heart, testified to them [by] giving [them] the Holy Spirit, just as he also [did] to us.

so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles {who are called by my name}, says the Lord, who makes these [things]

Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,

For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, [because he] is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

Then it seemed best to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas--Judas who was called Barsabbas and Silas, men [who were] leaders among the brothers--

writing [this letter] {to be delivered by them}: The apostles and the elders, brothers. To the brothers [who are] from among the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Greetings!

Because we have heard that some have gone out from among us--to whom we gave no orders--[and] have thrown you into confusion by words upsetting your {minds},

men who have risked their lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers by a long message.

And [after] spending [some] time, they were sent away in peace from the brothers to those who had sent them.

Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also,

but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work.

who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.

Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took [him] [and] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for [they] all knew that his father was Greek.

And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders [who were] in Jerusalem.

And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul.

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling.

She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!"

But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!"

explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."

And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also,

whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!"

And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these [things].

And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away.

So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

(Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.)

the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands,

because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead."

But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them.

And he found a certain Jew {named} Aquila, {a native} of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy {along with} Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, [and] he went to them.

Now a certain Jew {named} Apollos, {a native} Alexandrian, arrived in Ephesus--an eloquent man who was well-versed in the scriptures.

And [when] he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged [him] [and] wrote to the disciples to welcome him. [When he] arrived, {he} assisted greatly those who had believed through grace.

And Paul said, "John baptized [with] a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him--that is, in Jesus."

And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

so that even handkerchiefs or work aprons {that had touched his skin} were carried away to those who were sick, and [their] diseases left them and the evil spirits came out [of them].

But some itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches!"

But the evil spirit answered [and] said to them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are you?"

And the man {who had the evil spirit} leaped on them, subdued all of them, [and] prevailed against them, so that they ran away from that house naked and wounded.

And this became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was exalted.

And many of those who had believed came, confessing and disclosing their practices,

and many of those who practiced magic brought together [their] books [and] burned [them] up in the sight of everyone. And they counted up their value and found [it was] {fifty thousand silver coins}.

So [after] sending two of those who were assisting him, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed [some] time in Asia.

For someone {named} Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen.

So not only is there a danger this line of business of ours [will] come into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis [will] be regarded as nothing--and [she] is about to be brought down even from her grandeur, [she] whom the whole [of] Asia and the [entire] world worship!"

And the city was filled with the tumult, and with one purpose they rushed into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians [who were] traveling companions of Paul.

And even some of the Asiarchs who were his friends sent [word] to him [and] were urging [him] not to risk himself [by going] into the theater.

And [when] the city secretary had quieted the crowd, he said, "Ephesian men, for who is there among men who does not know the Ephesian city is honorary temple keeper of the great Artemis and of [her] image fallen from heaven?

For you have brought these men [here] [who are] neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.

If then Demetrius and the craftsmen [who are] with him have a complaint against anyone, the court days are observed and there are proconsuls--let them bring charges against one another!

And a certain young man {named} Eutychus who was sitting in the window was sinking into a deep sleep [while] Paul was conversing at length. Being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.

"And now behold, I know that all [of] you, among whom I went about proclaiming the kingdom, will see my face no more.

"And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build [you] up and to give [you] the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

You yourselves know that these hands served [to meet] my needs and [the needs of] those who were with me.

I have shown you [with respect to] all [things] that [by] working hard in this way it is necessary to help those who are in need, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

And we stayed there seven days [after we] found the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

And on the next day we departed [and] came to Caesarea, and entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was [one] of the seven, [and] stayed with him.

({Now this man had} four virgin daughters who prophesied.)

And [some] of the disciples from Caesarea also traveled together with us, bringing [us] to a certain Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to be entertained as guests.

And [when] they heard [this], they began to glorify God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law.

And they have been informed about you that you are teaching all the Jews [who are] among the Gentiles [the] abandonment of Moses, telling them not to circumcise [their] children or to live according to [our] customs.

Therefore do this that we tell you: {we have} four men who have [taken] a vow upon themselves.

But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter [after] deciding they should avoid food sacrificed to idols and blood and [what has been] strangled and sexual immorality."

But when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia who had seen him in the temple [courts] stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,

shouting, "Israelite men, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place! And furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!"

(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they thought that Paul had brought into the temple.)

Then the military tribune came up [and] arrested him and ordered [him] to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what it was that he had done.

Then you are not the Egyptian who before these days raised a revolt and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?"

as indeed the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me, from whom also I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, [and] was traveling [there] to lead away those who were there also tied up to Jerusalem so that they could be punished.

And I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you are persecuting.'

(Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.)