So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.

And after he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

And as they were gazing intently into the sky while he was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.

And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying; Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And at this sound the crowd came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

They were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

Cretans and Arabswe hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God."

And they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"

But others were mocking and said, "They are full of sweet wine."

For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day;

'And in the last days it shall be, God says, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know

because you will not abandon my soul to hades, nor let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'

This Jesus God raised up again, and of that we are all witnesses.

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"

And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call to himself."

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Everyone was filled with awe; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common;

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

And taking him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

and they recognized him as the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

And when Peter saw this he addressed the people, "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

but killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Repent therefore, and turn again, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; you shall listen to everything he tells you.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'

For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,

being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;

and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.

And when they had set them in the midst, they began to inquire, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a cripple, as to how this man has been healed,

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for all the people were praising God for what had happened.

who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, said, 'Why did the gentiles rage, and the peoples plot futile things?

The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.'

For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,

while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

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

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common.

For there was not a needy person among them, For all who were owners of land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the sales

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."

Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."

Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Porch.

And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,

The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and they were filled with jealousy.

Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were much perplexed about them, wondering what would come of this.

And someone came and told them, "Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people."

Then the captain went along with the officers and brought them back without violence, for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned.

saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

The God of our fathers raised Jesuswhom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.

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

When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to kill them.

For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered.

So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will fail;

but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God."

Now in those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the native Hebrews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

The word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

The high priest said, "Are these things so?"

And he said: "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

and said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives, and go into the land that I will show you.'

Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.

Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

And Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he and our fathers died.

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

He dealt craftily with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not survive.

On the following day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong each other?'

At this remark Moses fled, and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

And the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.'

This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to us.

But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.

"Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua when they took the land from the nations whom God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the time of David,

'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did.

Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,