He answered. "It is not for you to know times and occasions which the Father has fixed in his own authority;

and they said: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into the sky will come back in just the same way as you have seen him going into the sky."

and they prayed, saying. "Thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show clearly which of these two men thou hast chosen to fill the place

we all hear these men telling in our own tongue what great things God has done."

but God has raised him to life, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for death to hold him.

"Thou hast made known to me the paths of life, Thou wilt fill me with gladness in thy presence.

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

Since he is by the mighty hand of God exalted, and has received from his Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this which you now see and hear.

"Therefore let the whole House of Israel know assuredly that Gods has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified."

"The God of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and disowned before Pilate, when he had decided to let him go;

"The Pioneer of Life you put to death. But God has raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses of that fact.

"And his name, on the ground of faith in his name, has made strong this man, whom you now see and know; yes, the faith that is through him has made this man sound and strong again, in the presence of you all.

"But God has thus fulfilled what he foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer.

"Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being examined today concerning a benefit conferred upon a cripple, as to how has this man been cured,

"For he is the Stone, cast aside by you builders, which has become the head stone of the corner.

"What," said they, "shall we do with these men? For it is well known throughout Jerusalem that a notable miracle has been performed by them, and we cannot deny it.

"In this very city they did gather together against thy holy Servant, Jesus whom thou hast anointed??erod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and also the tribes of Israel??28 "to do all that thy power and thy will had predetermined should be done.

"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?

"We must obey God rather than man. The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus, whom you slew by hanging him on a tree.

"Him God has exalted at his right hand as Prince and Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.

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

"Said they to Aaron. "Make Gods for us who shall march in front of us! As for this Moses who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him.

He is now praying, and has seen a man named Ananias enter and lay his hands on him to restore his sight."

"In this city, too, he has authority from the chief priests to arrest all those who call upon thy name."

"for I am going to show him all he has to suffer for the sake of my name."

And so Ananias went and entered into the house, and laying his hands on him, said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared to you on your journey, has sent me that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

And again a second time came to him a voice, saying, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."

To them he said: "You know, yourselves, that it is illegal for a Jew to associate with or to visit one of another nation; but God has taught me that I should not call any man common or unclean. For this reason, when sent for, I came without demur.

"So I sent for you without delay, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to listen to what the Lord has commanded you to speak."

"'Not so, my Lord' said I, 'for nothing common or unclean has ever gone into my mouth.'

"But for the second time a voice spoke from the sky, 'What God has cleansed, you must not call common.'

On hearing this they held their peace and glorified God, saying, "Forsooth then, to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life."

Peter, coming to himself, said, "Now I know for a certainty that the Lord has sent his angel and released me from the hand of Herod, and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating."

"Of this man's descendants God has brought unto Israel, according to his promise, a Savior, Jesus;

"Brothers, sons of Abraham's race, and all among you who reverence God, to us has the word of this salvation been sent.

"And as to his having raised him from among the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has said this, "I will give thee the holy and sure blessings of David.

"Brothers, listen to me. Symeon has told how God first looked graciously upon the Gentiles, to take out from among them a people to be called by his name.

"Says the Lord, who has been making this known from the beginning of the world.

"For Moses from the earliest times has had his preachers in every town where he is read aloud, Sabbath after Sabbath, in the synagogues."

"For it has seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

"that you abstain from food that has been sacrificed to idols, and from tasting blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. Keep yourselves clear from these things and it will be well with you. Farewell."

"Jason has received them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus."

A few of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him again and again. Some were saying, "What has this beggarly fellow to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

"He has made of one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons and the bounds of their habitation,

inasmuch as he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world justly, by the Man whom he has ordained, and he has given proof of all this by raising him from the dead."

"And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but almost throughout all of Asia, this fellow Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, by telling them that they are no gods at all who are made with hands.

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, and be shepherds of the church of God which he has purchased with his own blood.

"Men of Israel, help! This is the man who goes everywhere preaching to everybody against the people, and the Law, and this place. And he has actually brought Gentiles even into the temple, and has desecrated the holy place."

Then the tribune came up and seized him, and ordered that he be bound with two chains. "Who is he?" he began asking, "and what has he done?"

"Then he said: "'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know his will; and to see the righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

Then a great clamor arose; some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisaic party stood up, and contended. "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?"

And Paul called one of the centurions, and said, "Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him."

So he took him, and brought his to the tribune, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me to him, and begged me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."

"owing to your wise care, has been improved in every respect and in every place, we accept it with profound thankfulness.

"I could not find that he had done anything for which he ought to die; but as he himself has appealed to the Emperor, I have determined to send him.

"I am speaking words of sober truth. For the King, to whom I am speaking freely, knows of these matters. I am persuaded that not one of these things has escaped his notice; for these things were not done in a corner.

"'Fear not, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you the lives of all who are sailing with you.'

"So take courage, men! I believe God, I believe that things will turn out exactly as it has been told me.

When the natives saw the reptile hanging on his hand, they began saying to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet justice does not allow him to live."

They said to him. "We neither received any letters about you from Judea nor has any brother come hither to report or speak any harm of you.