While they were gazing into the sky as he was going up, suddenly there were two men in white garments standing by them,

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 and brothers, it was necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit uttered beforehand by the lips of David in regard to Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.

"Now this man bought a plot of ground with the price of his treachery, and falling there headlong he burst asunder and all his bowels gushed out.

"For it is written in the Book of Psalms, Let his dwelling-place be desolate; Let no man dwell there, also, Let another take his work.

"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

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

So when this noise was heard, the crowd gathered in bewilderment because each man heard them speaking in his own language.

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

All were astonished and bewildered and kept saying to one another, "What can this mean?"

But others were saying with jeer, "These men are full of sweet wine."

Then Peter, with the Eleven, stood up and addresses them in a loud voice. "Men of Judea and dwellers in Jerusalem, have no doubt about this matter, but listen to what I say.

"These men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only nine o'clock in the morning.

"In the last days, God says, it shall come to pass that I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind; "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams;

upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days, will I pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

Into darkness shall the sun be turned, And into blood the moon, Ere the day of the Lord come, that great and terrible day.

"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;

"Men and brothers, I can speak plainly to you concerning the patriarch David, because he not only died and was buried, but his tomb is among us even to this very day.

When they heard these words they were stung to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles. "Men and brothers, what shall we do?"

when a man lame from his birth was carried along, who was wont to be laid each day near the gate of the Temple called the Beautiful Gate, to ask alms of those who were going into the Temple.

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.

When he saw this, Peter said to the people. "Men of Israel, why are you wondering at this? Why do you stare at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made this man to walk?

"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 many of those who had heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Then they made the men stand before them and demanded, "By what power, or in what name, have you fellows done this?"

"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,

"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.

"There is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, in which we must be saved."

But since they saw the man standing with them who had been healed, they had nothing to answer.

"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.

For the man on whom this miracle of healing had been wrought was over forty years old.

But a man named Ananias who, with his wife Sapphira, sold a farm of his,

"While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was not the price at your own disposal? How could you conceive this act in your heart? You have not lied unto men, but unto God."

But the younger men rose, wrapped the body up, and carried it out to bury it.

Instantly she fell down at his feet and expired, and when the young men came in they found her dead, and carried her out and buried her husband.

Yet the people continued to hold them in high honor, and more and more believers in the Lord were joining them, both men and women.

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.

On this the officer went off with his men and fetched them, not, however, by force, for they were afraid that the people would stone them.

"We strictly forbade you, did we not, to teach about this Name, and here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

"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.

He said: "Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.

"Years ago Theudas arose, claiming to be somebody, and was joined by about four hundred men. He was killed, and all of his followers dispersed and annihilated.

"And now, I say to you, hold aloof from these men. Let them alone; for if this scheme or work be of human origin it will come to nothing;

"So, brothers, find from among your own number seven men of good reputation who are full of the Spirit and of wisdom, and we will appoint them over this business.

This plan commended itself to the whole body, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch.

These men they presented to the apostles who, when they had prayed, laid their hands upon them.

But certain men from the so-called "Synagogue of the Freedmen" and certain Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, Cilicians, and men from Roman Asia, started to dispute with Stephen,

"There he died, and our ancestors also, and they were carried across to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

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

"Look, I see heaven open," he said, "And the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."

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.

But Saul was laying waste the church. He was wont to enter into every house, and to drag off men and women, and to commit them to prison.

Now for some time a man named Simon had been practicing sorcery in that city, and had amazed the people of Samaria. He gave himself out to be some great person.

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

But when they believed Philip, who was preaching glad tidings about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.

But when Simon perceived that, by the laying on of the apostles' hands, the Spirit was given, he offered them money saying,

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 he arose and went. And behold an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, who was a high official (a chief treasurer) of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, who had come to Jerusalem to worship

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.

Meanwhile the men who were his fellow travelers stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice, but beholding no one.

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."

"But, Lord," said Ananias, "I have heard from many about that man, and how much evil he did to the saints at Jerusalem!

"Go," answered the Lord, "this man is chosen instrument of mine to bear my name before the nations and their kings, and before the Children of Israel also;

His hearers were all astonished, and began to say. "Is not this the very man who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called upon the Name? Did he not come hither for the express purpose of carrying them all in chains to the high priests?"

Here he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, a paralytic.

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."

Now there was at Caesarea a man named Cornelius, a captain in the Italian regiment.

He was a devout man and God-fearing, and so were all his household. He gave many alms to the people, and constantly prayed to God.

"and now send men to Joppa and fetch one Simon, who is called Peter.

"Three men are now looking for you. Rise, go down and go with them, nothing doubting; for it is I who have sent them."

So Peter went down to the men and said: "I am the man you are looking for. What is the reason of your coming?"

"Cornelius," they answered, "a captain, a devout man, and God-fearing, of whom the whole, Jewish nation speaks well, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to listen to your message."

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

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.

Cornelius answered. "Three days ago, at this very hour, I was praying in my house at three o'clock in the afternoon, when suddenly a man in a shining robe stood by me,

Then Peter said, "Can any one refuse water for the baptism of these men who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?"

"And lo! at that very moment, three men who had been sent for me from Caesarea stood before the house in which I was.

"And the Spirit bade me accompany them without misgiving. There also accompanied me these six brothers, and we went into the man's house.

for he was a good man, and full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.

So the disciples decided to send relief, every man according to his means, to the brothers in Judea.

"The voice of a god, and not of a man," the people kept shouting.

who belonged to the suite of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. He summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand, said: "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

After deposing him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also bore witness, when he said, "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, and who will obey all my will.

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

"Be it known unto you therefore, brothers, that remission of sins is proclaimed to you through this man;

Now at Lystra there used to sit a certain man, lame in his feet, a cripple from birth, who had never walked.

"Men, why are you doing all this? We also are men, with natures like your own! We are bringing you good tidings, that you are to turn from these empty things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is.

But some men came down from Judea and attempted to teach the brethren, saying, "Unless you are circumcised according to Moses' custom, you cannot be saved."

But certain men who had belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, but were now believers, stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise Gentile, and to order them to keep the Law of Moses."

"So that the rest of men may seek after the Lord, Even all the Gentiles, who are called by my name,

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to select some of their number, and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The men chosen were Judas called Bar-Sabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

"we have unanimously decided to select certain men, and to send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul;

"men who have risked their very lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now Paul, wishing that this man should accompany him on his journey, took him and circumcised him because of the local Jews, who all knew that his father was a Greek.

Here a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia, entreating him and saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us!"

She used to follow after Paul and us, crying out again and again, "These men are servants of the most high God, who proclaimed to you the way of salvation."