So, when they came together, they began to ask him, "Master, are you at this time about to restore the kingdom of Israel?"

When he had said this, and while they were looking at him, he was lifted up, and a cloud received him up out of their sight.

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."

"Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man accredited to you by God, through mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, as you yourselves know;

him, delivered up by the settled purpose and fore-knowledge of God, you crucified and killed at the hands of lawless men;

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

For David says of him. "I beheld the Lord always before my face; For he is at my right hand lest I be shaken.

"Because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that of the fruit of his loins he would set one on his throne,

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

Peter fixed his eyes upon him, as did John, and said, "Look at us."

Then taking his right hand he lifted him up. Instantly his feet and ankle-bones were strengthened;

When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

and recognized that this was the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, they were filled with awe and amazement at what had happened to him.

"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.

"It was for you first that God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you in turning every one of you away from your wicked ways."

"be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand before you strong and well.

"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."

"After him Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some of the people after him. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered.

They gave in to him; and called the apostles in, and after flogging them, released them, with instructions not to speak about the name of Jesus.

Then they instigated some to say, "We have heard him speaking blasphemy against Moses and against God;" and in this way they excited the people.

The elders and the scribes rushed upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the Sanhedrin.

"For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which were handed down to us by Moses."

Then all who were sitting in the council at once fixed their eyes upon him, and saw his face like the face of an angel.

and said to him, "Leave your country and your kindred, and come to whatever land I will show you.

"So he left Chaldea and settled in Haran, and from there, after his father's death, God moved him to this land which you inhabit.

"But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground; yet he promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity??e at that time being childless.

"Then he gave him a covenant of circumcision, and under this covenant he became the father of Isaac, whom he circumcised on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve Patriarchs.

"But God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him grace and wisdom, when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him Governor over Egypt, and over all the royal household.

"Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his family, numbering seventy-five souls, to come to him;

"When he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and brought him up as her own son.

"But the man who was ill-treating his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, "'Who made you a magistrate and ruler over us?

"But at the end of forty years there appeared to him, in the desert of Mt. Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire, in a bush.

"This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness along with the angel who spoke to him in Mt. Sinai, and with our ancestors to whom he gave living words to hand down to us.

"To him our ancestors would not be obedient, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt.

"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.

"But it was Solomon who built him a house.

As they heard these words they became furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

dragged him outside the city, and stoned him, the witnesses throwing off their outer garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentations over him.

Many from all classes would give heed to him, declaring, "This man is the Power of God, known as the Great Power."

They were giving heed to him because, for a long time, he had amazed them with his sorceries.

But Peter said to him. "Your money perish with you, because you have supposed that with money you can obtain God's free gift!"

So Philip ran up, and heard him reading Isaiah the Prophet, and said to him. "Do you understand what you are reading?"

The eunuch answered, "Why, how can I unless someone shall show me the way?" And he begged Philip to get up and sit with him.

In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will declare his posterity? For his life is cut off from the earth.

Then Philip opened his lips, and beginning from that same scripture, he preached the gospel of Jesus to him.

And he ordered the chariot to stop; and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.

and begged of him letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any that were of the Way, either men or women, he could bind them and bring them to Jerusalem.

And as he journeyed, when he was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed round him.

He fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

And Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he continued to perceive nothing; so they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, "Ananias!" And he answered, "Lo, I am here, Lord."

And the Lord said to him. "Arise, go into the street named 'Straight,' and make inquiries in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus, one Saul.

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

"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."

but information of their plot was given Saul, and although they kept watch day and night on the gates, in order to make away with him,

his disciples took him by night, and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.

So he came to Jerusalem, and attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and told them how Saul had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him; and also how he had preached the Name of the Lord Jesus boldly at Damascus.

He also used to hold conversations and debates with the Grecian Jews, but they kept trying to kill him.

When they learned this the brothers took him down to Caesarea, and then sent him forth to Tarsus.

Peter said to him. "Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you! Rise and make your own bed!"

At once he rose to his feet. All the people of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

And as Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, when they heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the entreaty, "Delay not to come to us."

So Peter arose and went with them. On his arrival they took him up-stairs, and all the widows stood near him, weeping, and showing him the cloaks and garments which Dorcas used to make, while she was still with them.

About three o'clock one afternoon he had a vision, and distinctly saw an angel of God enter his house and say to him, "Cornelius."

He stared at him in terror, and said, "What is it, Lord?" "Your prayers and your alms have risen for a memorial before God," answered the angel;

And after the angel who was speaking to him was gone, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier who was in constant attendance upon him,

A voice came to him, saying, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat."

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

When Peter entered the house Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him;

but Peter lifted him up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man, myself."

And as he talked with him, he went in and found a large company assembled.

"but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about everywhere doing good, and curing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with him.

"And we were witnesses of all that he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him, hanging him on a tree.

"But him God raised up on the third day, and permitted him to be made manifest,

"not to all the people, but to witnesses??en previously chosen by God??hat is, to us, who ate and drank with him after he had risen from the dead;

"To him all the prophets bear witness, testifying that through his name every one that believes on him will receive remission of sins."

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for a time.

so, when Peter came up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party disputed with him,

and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch, where for a whole year they were guests of the church, and taught many people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples first received the name of "Christians."

He had him arrested and thrown in prison, and put under guard of sixteen soldiers. He intended, after the Passover, to bring him forth to the people.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God was made by the church for him.

Now when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that very night, while Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison,

suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him saying, "Rise up quickly." At once the chains dropped from his hands.

"Gird yourself," said the angel, "and put on your sandals." He did so. Then he said unto him, "Throw your cloak about you, and follow me."

So Peter went out, following him, but did not realize that what the angel was doing was real, but supposed that he was seeing a vision.

And when they had passed the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate that led to the city. This opened to them of its own accord; and they went out passed on through one street; and suddenly the angel left him.

He motioned to them to keep quiet, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell all this to James," he said, "and to the brothers," and away he went to another place.

Then Herod had search made for him, and could not find him. After sharply questioning the guards, he ordered them off to execution. He then went down from Judea to Caesarea, where he stayed for some time.

Now Herod was violently displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him, with one accord, and after conciliating Blastus, the royal chamberlain, they begged for peace because their country depended upon the king's country for its food supply.

Instantly an angel of the Lord smote him, because he had not given God the glory, and being eaten up by worms, he died.

So Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily at him, and said: