While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me;

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words.

And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.

I will even pour out My Spirit
on My male and female slaves in those days,
and they will prophesy.

For David says of Him:

I saw the Lord ever before me;
because He is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart was glad,
and my tongue rejoiced.
Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,

because You will not leave me in Hades
or allow Your Holy One to see decay.

You have revealed the paths of life to me;
You will fill me with gladness
in Your presence.

For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at My right hand

Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

and that He may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah.

Moses said:

The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He will say to you.

And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness,

“Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the field for this price?”

“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”

but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” So they were persuaded by him.

I will judge the nation
that they will serve as slaves, God said.
After this, they will come out
and worship Me in this place.

Do you want to kill me, the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?

I have observed the oppression of My people in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to rescue them. And now, come, I will send you to Egypt.

“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers.

Then God turned away and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

House of Israel, did you bring Me offerings and sacrifices
40 years in the wilderness?

Heaven is My throne,
and earth My footstool.
What sort of house will you build for Me?
says the Lord,
or what is My resting place?

Did not My hand make all these things?

They were stoning Stephen as he called out: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

saying, “Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought the gift of God could be obtained with money!

Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

“Please pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?”

[And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]

Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.”

But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites.

I will show him how much he must suffer for My name!”

So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner. But God has shown me that I must not call any person common or unclean.

That’s why I came without any objection when I was sent for. So I ask: Why did you send for me?”

Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house. Just then a man in a dazzling robe stood before me

“I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me.

Then I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat!’

“‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing common or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth!’

At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were.

Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.

“Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did so. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.”

Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.”

As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.”

After removing him, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man loyal to Me, who will carry out all My will.’

Then as John was completing his life’s work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the One. But look! Someone is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on His feet.’

God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:

You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father.

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe.

After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me!

so the rest of humanity
may seek the Lord—
even all the Gentiles
who are called by My name,
declares the Lord who does these things,

Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God,

After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of?

As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of a crime or of moral evil, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews.

So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world adore.”

serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews—

“And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there,

except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.

But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

“And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again—everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to.

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me.

Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem.

“As I was traveling and near Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.

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

“I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!’

Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

“Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that is assigned for you to do.’

“Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him.

and saw Him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me!’

“Then He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

The commander came and said to him, “Tell me—are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day.”

Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?”

The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”

Then the commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”

So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”

When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.

When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied: “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.

They didn’t find me disputing with anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple complex or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city.

Neither can they provide evidence to you of what they now bring against me.

But I confess this to you: I worship my fathers’ God according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing all the things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

I always do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and men.

After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my nation,

and while I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.

It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me.

Either let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin,

“Therefore,” he said, “let the men of authority among you go down with me and accuse him, if there is any wrong in this man.”

Then Festus, wanting to do a favor for the Jews, replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before me on these charges?”

If then I am doing wrong, or have done anything deserving of death, I do not refuse to die, but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.

I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write.