So [when] they had come together, they began asking him, saying, "Lord, [is it] at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

And they were astounded and astonished, saying, "Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

But others jeered [and] said, "They are full of sweet new wine!"

For these [men] are not drunk, as you assume, because it is the third hour of the day.

This Jesus God raised up, of which we all are witnesses.

For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all those [who are] far away, as many as the Lord our God calls to himself."

And [when he] saw [it], Peter replied to the people, "Men [and] Israelites, why are you astonished at this? Or why are you staring at us, as [if] by our own power or godliness we have made him walk?

And you killed the originator of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses!

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed.'

if we are being examined today concerning a good deed [done to] a sick man--by what [means] this man was healed--

saying, "What should we do with these men? For that a remarkable sign has taken place through them [is] evident to all those who live [in] Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny [it]!

For we are not able to refrain from speaking about [the things] that we have seen and heard."

And [when they] heard [it], they lifted [their] voices with one mind to God and said, "Master, you [are] the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them,

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

So Peter [said] to her, "How [is it] that it was agreed by you [two] to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband [are] at the door, and they will carry you out!"

But someone came [and] reported to them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple [courts] and teaching the people!"

saying, "{We strictly commanded} you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!"

And we are witnesses of these things, and [so is] the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

And he said to them, "Men [and] Israelites, take care for yourselves what you are about to do to these men!

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?'

And the Lord said to him, 'Untie the sandals from your feet, for the place on which 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.'

For I see you are in {a state of bitter envy} and {bound by unrighteousness}."

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 falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

So he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he [said], "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!

And [while] Peter was reflecting about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, men are looking for you.

So Peter went down to the men [and] said, "Behold, I am [he] whom you are looking for! What [is] the reason for which you have come?"

Therefore I sent for you at once, and you {were kind enough to come}. So now we all are present before God to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by the Lord."

And we [are] witnesses of all [the things] that he did both in the land of the Judeans and in Jerusalem, whom they also executed [by] hanging [him] on a tree.

But they said to her, "You are out of your mind!" But she kept insisting it was so. And they kept saying, "It is 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!

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.

this [promise] God has fulfilled to our children [by] raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son; today I have fathered you.'

Both Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly [and] said, "It was necessary [that] the word of God be spoken first to you, since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life! Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles!

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 some men came down from Judea [and] began teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom [prescribed] by Moses, you cannot be saved."

So now why are you putting God to the test [by] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

But we believe [we] will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in {the same} way those also [are]."

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]

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!

And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come then,[let us] return [and] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [to see] how they are [doing]."

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!"

And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,

and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!"

But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!"

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!"

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

For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}."

So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}.

for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.'

Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought.

because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city."

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

and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this man Paul has persuaded [and] turned away a large crowd [by] saying that the [gods] made by hands are not gods.

Therefore [because] these [things] are undeniable, it is necessary [that] you be quiet and do nothing rash!

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!

For indeed we are in danger of being accused of rioting concerning today, [since there] is no cause in relation to which we will be able to give an account concerning this disorderly gathering!" And [when he] had said these [things], he dismissed the assembly.

"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.

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."

Then Paul replied, "What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus!"

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.

Take these [men] [and] purify yourself along with them and {pay their expenses} so that they can shave [their] heads, and everyone will know that [the things] which they had been informed about you are nothing, but you yourself also agree with observing the law.

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?"

"I am a Jewish man born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the exactness of the law received from our fathers, being zealous for God, just as all [of] you are today.

and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

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

And now why are you delaying? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name!'

And [when] the centurion heard [this], he went to the military tribune [and] reported [it], saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen!"

So the military tribune came [and] said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes."

Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, [you] whitewashed wall! And are you sitting [there] judging me according to the law, and acting contrary to the law do you order me to be struck?"

And those who stood nearby said, "Are you reviling the high priest of God?

Therefore, now you along with the Sanhedrin explain to the military tribune that he should bring him down to you, as [if you] were going to determine more accurately the things concerning him. And we are ready to do away with him before he comes near."

You therefore do not be persuaded by them, because more [than] forty men of {their number} are lying in wait [for] him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have done away with him. And now they are ready, waiting for {you to agree}."

And [when] he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse [him], saying, "We have experienced much peace through you, and reforms are taking place in this nation through your foresight.

[When] you yourself examine [him] you will be able to find out from {him} about all these [things] of which we are accusing him."

Nor can they prove [the things] to you concerning which they are now accusing me.

But I do confess this to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all things [that are] in accordance with the law and that are written in the prophets,

But [there are] some Jews from Asia who ought to be present before you and bring charges against [me], if they have anything against me,

So he said, "Let those among you [who are] prominent go down with [me], [and] if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him."

But Festus, [because he] wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered [and] said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these [things]?"

If then I am doing wrong and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid dying. But if there is nothing [true] of [the things] which these [people] are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole population of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting [that] he must not live any longer.

[because] you are especially acquainted with both all the customs and controversial questions with respect to the Jews. Therefore I beg [you] to listen to me with patience.

having known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that in accordance with the strictest party of our religion I lived [as] a Pharisee.

And [when] we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Aramaic language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? [It is] hard for you to kick against the goads!'

So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

to open their eyes [so that they] may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, [so that] they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

And [as] he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "You are out of your mind, Paul! [Your] great learning {is driving} you {insane}!"

But Agrippa [said] to Paul, "In a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?"

And Paul [replied], "I pray to God, whether in a short time or in a long time, not only you but also all those who are listening to me today may become such [people] as I also am, except for these bonds!"

saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul! It is necessary [for] you to stand before Caesar, and behold, God has graciously granted you all who are sailing with you.'