So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

Jesus replied, "You are not permitted to know the [specific] time or date [when this will happen]. For the Father has appointed it [to happen] when He determines [the right time].

but you are going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you must be witnesses for me in Jerusalem and all over Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."

And said, O men of Galilee, why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come again, in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?

How is it then, that we are hearing them speak in our own native languages:

Some of us are Parthians, some Medes, some Elamites; and some of us live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Roman Asia,

Phrygia also, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya, that are along Cyrene, and the strangers of Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

Men of Crete and Arabia, to all of us they are talking in our different languages, of the great works of God.

and others mocking said, -- 'They are full of sweet wine;'

But Peter, getting up, with the eleven, said in a loud voice, O men of Judaea, and all you who are living in Jerusalem, take note of this and give ear to my words.

For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.

Yes, even on the slaves--for they are mine--both men and women, I will in those days pour out my Spirit,

“God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this.

He has been exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, and has caused you to experience what you are seeing and hearing.

Till I put all those who are against you under your feet.

Now when these words came to their ears their hearts were troubled, and they said to Peter and the other Apostles, Brothers, what are we to do?

For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

praising God and enjoying favor with all the people [of the area]. And every day the Lord added to their number [i.e., to the church] those who were being saved [i.e., upon their obedience to the Gospel].

Now Peter and John were going to the Temple at three o'clock one afternoon [Note: Jewish time calculations are employed here], during the regular [Jewish] prayer hour.

And Peter said, Silver and gold are not to me; but what I have, this I give thee: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarite, arise and walk.

And all the people [there in the Temple area] saw him walking and [heard him] praising God.

And as this [former] crippled man stayed close beside Peter and John, all the people rushed toward them at "Solomon's Portico" [Note: This was a large covered area, with rows of columns, on the side of the Temple enclosure], completely astonished [at what had happened].

When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness?

You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.

Who is to be kept in heaven till the time when all things are put right, of which God has given word by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been from the earliest times.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.

Unto you first, God - having raised up his Servant - hath sent him forth, ready to bless you, when ye are turning away, each one, from your wickednesses.

And as they are speaking unto the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees --

If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man—by what means he was healed—

And in no other is the great salvation to be found; for, in fact, there is no second name under Heaven that has been given among men through which we are to be saved."

And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering -- they were taking knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been --

saying, 'What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem is manifest, and we are not able to deny it;

However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name."

for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.

Who has said, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish?

[as] you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

"Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan so filled your heart that you are lying to the Holy Spirit, and keeping back part of the price of the land?

Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!”

Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these things, they were greatly perplexed, wondering what would come of this.

Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple complex and teaching the people.”

“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!”

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

and said unto them, 'Men, Israelites, take heed to yourselves about these men, what ye are about to do,

After this man arose there up one Judas of Galilee, in the time when tribute began, and drew away much people after him. He also perished: and all, even as many as harkened to him, are scattered abroad.

And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to let them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;

and if it be of God, ye are not able to overthrow it, lest perhaps also ye be found fighting against God.'

And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

look out, therefore, brethren, seven men of you who are well testified of, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may set over this necessity,

Then there arose certain of the Synagogue, which are called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and of Alexandria, and of Cilicia, and of Asia: and disputed with Stephen.

Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and went into Haran; and from there, when his father was dead, he was guided by God into this land, where you are living now:

And God said, 'I will judge the nation [i.e., Egypt] that enslaves them and [then] after my people are liberated, they will serve me in this place [i.e., Palestine].'

The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’

Are you going to kill me like you did that Egyptian yesterday?'

“Then the Lord said to him:

Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

{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.'

'The heavens are a throne for me, and the earth a stool for my feet. What manner of House will you build me, says the Lord, or what place is there where I may rest?

“You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your ancestors did, so do you.

So, repent [i.e., change your heart and life] of such a terrible thing and pray for the Lord to forgive you for even thinking of such a thing. Perhaps He will [if you are really sincere].

For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

So Philip ran up to [it] [and] heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet and said, "So then, do you understand what you are reading?"

And the Ethiopian said to Philip, About whom are these words said by the prophet? about himself, or some other?

Philip, however, found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through the area, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

“Who are You, Lord?” he said.

“I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied.

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."

And the men who are journeying with him stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice but seeing no one,

For I am going to show him how great are the sufferings he must endure for my name's sake."

And so Saul began proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God in the synagogues [of the Damascus area].

And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

And on the morrow, as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing nigh to the city, Peter went up upon the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour,

While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit told him, “Three men are here looking for you.

"Three men are now looking for you. Rise, go down and go with them, nothing doubting; 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?

But Peter, lifting him up, said, Get up, for I am a man as you are.

"You are doubtless aware that it is forbidden for a Jew to be intimate with a foreigner, or even to enter his house; and yet God has shown me that I ought not to call any man 'defiled' or 'unclean.'

And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

but that in every nation those who fear Him and live good lives are acceptable to 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:

And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He [i.e., Jesus] is the One whom God ordained to be the Judge of people who are [now] alive and those who have [already] died.

And the apostles and the brethren who are in Judea heard that also the nations did receive the word of God,

"You went into the houses of men who are not Jews," they said, "and you ate with them."

And the Spirit told me to accompany them without any misgivings. There also went with me these six brethren who are now present, and we reached the Centurion's house.

he will tell you how you and all your household are to be saved.'

are you mad? said they. but she persisting that it was even so, they reply'd, it is then his angel.

[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!

Now, look! The Lord’s hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Suddenly a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Then after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogues sent to them, saying, Men and brethren, if ye are disposed to give a word of exhortation to the people, speak.

And, as John was fulfilling his course, he was saying - Whom are ye supposing that I am? I, am not he! But lo! there cometh, after me, one of whom I am not worthy, the sandals of his feet, to loosen.

It is to you, my brethren, who are the children of Abraham, and to all who fear God among you, that this salutary news is sent.

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

fulfilled the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath; and having found no cause of death, asked Pilate that he should be executed;

And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

to you therefore we declare, that the promise which God had made to the fathers, he has now perform'd to us, who are their children, by his having raised up Jesus again.

God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:

You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father.

But that he raised him from the dead, no more in future to return to corruption, he hath thus spoken, "I will give you the holy things of David, which are sure."

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.