Truly the first word had I made of all things, O Theophilus, of which Jesus began to do and also to teach,

up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during a period of 40 days and telling them about the kingdom of God.

being with them when they were assembled, he order'd they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the father had promis'd, which, said he, I mention'd.

For [Jesus had said, Matt. 3:11], "John immersed you [men] in water but [this time] you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit, and [it will happen] in just a few more days."

Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

And, while they were looking steadfastly into heaven as he was going his way, then lo! two men had taken their stand beside them, in white garments, -

When they came into the city, these men went to the upstairs room where they had been staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

"Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus,

For he was reckoned of our number, and had obtained an appointment to this ministry.

This man therefore had possessed himself of a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, - and falling headlong burst asunder in the midst, and forth gushed all his bowels;

And they appointed two, Joseph, who was called Barsabas, who had been surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

AND when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one mind together.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as it had been the coming of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they sat.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as they had been fire, and it sat upon each of them:

When the report of this had gone abroad, the multitude came together; and they were perplexed, for each one heard them speak in his own language.

But there were some who said with a sneer: "They have had too much new wine."

Men of Israel, give ear to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had the approval of God, as was made clear to you by the great works and signs and wonders which God did by him among you, as you yourselves have knowledge,

this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross;

for David says concerning him, "I had the Lord always present before me, he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.

Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him with an oath to put one of his descendants on his throne,

And referred to the resurrection of the Christ when he said that 'he had not been abandoned to the Place of Death, nor had his body undergone corruption.'

So he has been exalted to God's right hand, and has received from his Father and poured over us the holy Spirit that had been promised, as you see and hear.

When the crowd that had gathered heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

Then those who gave hearing to his words had baptism: and about three thousand souls were joined to them that day.

and all those believing were at the same place, and had all things common,

and the possessions and the goods they were selling, and were parting them to all, according as any one had need.

Giving praise to God, and having the approval of all the people; and every day the number of those who had salvation was increased by the Lord.

One day, as Peter and John were going up into the Temple Courts for the three o'clock Prayers, a man, who had been lame from his birth, was being carried by.

Now a man who had been crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day people would lay him at what was called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from those who were going into the Temple.

And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

And as the lame man that was healed had hold of Peter and John, all the people being astonished ran together to them to the porch called Solomon's porch.

When Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Fellow Israelites, why are you so surprised at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though we had by our own power or piety made this man walk?

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you yourselves betrayed and disowned before Pilate, although he had decided to set Him free.

Now I know, brothers, that you acted in ignorance, like your rulers ??18 though this was how God fulfilled what he had announced beforehand by the lips of all the prophets, namely the sufferings of his Christ.

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

And he may send forth him who had been fore-appointed for you - Christ Jesus:

who must be received into heaven until [God's appointed] times when everything will be restored [to its intended purpose]. God had spoken about this through the proclamations of His holy prophets of long ago.

Yes, and all the Prophets from Samuel onwards, and all their successors who had a message to deliver, told of these days.

God, [after he] had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each [of you] back from your wickedness!"

They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people and announcing that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead.

They arrested the Apostles and, as it was already evening, had them placed in custody till the next day.

But a number of those who gave hearing to the word had faith; and they were now about five thousand.

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

He is the stone which you builders had no use for, but which has been made the chief stone of the building.

salvation is not to be had by any other: for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we can be saved.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

and since they saw the man who had been cured standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

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."

And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

for the man on whom the wonderful cure had been performed was more than forty years old.

And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

"For in this city they actually met against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you had consecrated -- Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen and the peoples of Israel,

to do all that your hand and will had predetermined to take place.

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

since none of them needed anything, because everyone who had land or houses would sell them and bring the money received for the things sold

And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

And, Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the Apostles, which is to be translated Son of Exhortation, - a Levite, a Cyprian by nation,

sold the farm he had and brought the money and put it at the disposal of the apostles.

NOW a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, had sold an estate,

and brought [only] a part of the selling price and gave it to the apostles; but the man and his wife had kept this a secret.

While you had it, was it not your property? and after you had given it in exchange, was it not still in your power? how has this purpose come into your mind? you have been false, not to men, but to God.

About three hours later, his wife came in, without having learned what had taken place.

Then great fear came on all the church and on all who had knowledge of these things.

But of the rest no man had the courage to unite himself with them: though the people extolled them.

And a great number of men and women had faith, and were joined to the Lord;

they had the apostles arrested and put into the common jail.

Having received that command they went into the Temple, just before daybreak, and began to teach: So when the High Priest and his party came, and had called together the Sanhedrin as well as all the Elders of the descendants of Israel, they sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles.

Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

And some one came and told them that the very men whom they had put in prison were standing in the Temple, and teaching to the people.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,

The God of our forefathers raised Jesus to life after you had hanged Him on a cross and killed Him.

But when these words came to their ears, they were cut to the heart, and had a mind to put them to death.

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

For, before these days, there rose up one Theudas, affirming, himself, to be somebody, - unto whom was inclined a number of men, about four hundred; who was slain, and, all as many as had been trusting in him, were disbanded, and came to nothing.

After him, rose up Judas the Galilaean, in the days of the enrolling, and drew a people into revolt after him; and, he, perished, and, all, as many as had trusted in him, were scattered.

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

So they went out from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for Jesus' name;

And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew:

Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

But some of those who were of the Synagogue named that of the Libertines, and some of the men of Cyrene and of Alexandria and those from Cilicia and Asia, had arguments with Stephen.

Then they induced some men to assert that they had heard Stephen saying blasphemous things against Moses, and against God;

They had false witnesses stand up and say, "This man never stops saying things against this Holy Place and against the Law.

And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

So he left the country of the Chaldeans and for a time made his home in Haran. Then after the death of his father, God had him move to this country in which you now live.

And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

And God had spoken about this [beforehand] by saying that Abraham's descendants would live in a foreign country and that they would [eventually] be ill-treated as slaves 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.

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.

When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.

And the second time his brothers had a meeting with Joseph, and Pharaoh had knowledge of Joseph's family.

and were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought with a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

Eventually, a different king who had not known Joseph became ruler of Egypt.

and when he had been abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.

at length Moses was instructed in all the sciences of the Egyptians, and had great influence by his counsels and actions.