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

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, about a Sabbath Day's journey distant.

"This fact became known to the people of Jerusalem so that the place was called in their language, Acheldamach, The Field of Blood.

So they placed two in nomination, Joseph called Bar-Sabbas (surnamed Justas) and Matthias;

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

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.

"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;

"For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades, Nor give up thy Holy One to see corruption.

"he, foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of Christ that neither was he left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

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.

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the Temple, he kept asking them for alms;

So he waited, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said:

When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people crowded awe-struck around them, in what was known as Solomon's Portico.

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.

"Repent then! and reform, from the blotting out of your sins, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;

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

So they bade them withdraw from the Sanhedrin, while they conferred together.

So they summoned them, and ordered them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus.

So when they had further threatened them they let the apostles go, being quite unable to find any way of punishing them because of the people, for everybody was glorifying God over what had happened.

And when they heard it they all lifted up their voices in prayer to God, saying. "O Sovereign Lord, who madest heaven and earth and sea, and all that in them is,

Now the multitude of the believers was of one heart and one soul, nor did any one of them say that any of his possessions was his own; but they had all things common.

"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?

and Peter said to her, "Tell me if you got so much for the land." "Yes," she said, "so much."

Many signs and wonders continued to be wrought among the people by the hands of the apostles, and by common consent they all would meet in Solomon's Porch,

But the officers who went did not find them in the prison; so they came back and reported,

So they brought them, and stood them before the Sanhedrin. Then the high priest questioned 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."

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

"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 they left Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been deemed worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name;

"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.

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,

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.

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

"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.

"Then there came a famine over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress, so that our ancestors could not find food.

"On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's parentage.

"He dealt craftily with our race, and oppressed our forefathers, by making them expose their infants so that they should not live.

"In this time Moses was born, a divinely beautiful child, who was brought up for three months in his father's house.

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

"So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and works.

"and when he saw one of them wronged he wrought redress for the one overpowered, by striking down the Egyptian.

"When Moses saw it he was astonished at the sight. But when he drew near to look, the voice of the Lord said,

"So God turned from them, and gave them up to the worship of the heavenly host, as it is written in the book of the Prophets. "Did you offer unto me slain beasts as sacrifices during the forty years in the wilderness, O House of Israel?

No, it was the Tabernacle of Moloch and the star-symbol of the god Rempha that you lifted up??he images which you made in order to worship them; so I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

"Stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Ghost! As your fathers did, so do you.

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

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

So they stoned Stephen while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

So those who were scattered abroad were going everywhere preaching the word.

The crowd with one accord were giving heed to what he said, when they heard and saw the signs that he did.

"Give me, too, this power, so that on whomever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit."

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 the apostles, after bearing solemn witness, and declaring the message of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, evangelizing many Samaritan villages as they went.

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

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

Now the portion of Scripture which he was reading was as follows. He was led a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, So he opened not his mouth.

And as they were going on their way they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said: "See, here is water! What hinders my being baptized?"

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 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.

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."

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?"

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.

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

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.

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.

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 is staying as a guest with Simon, a tanner, whose house is near the sea."

"Not so, my Lord," answered Peter, "for I have never yet eaten anything common and unclean."

So the Spirit said to Peter, who was still pondering over the vision.

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

So he invited them in and gave them lodging. The next day he rose, and went off with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied them;

"'So send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. He is lodging with Simon the tanner, in a house by the seaside.'

"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."

Then Peter began to speak. "Of a truth I begin to see quite plainly that God is no respecter of persons;

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

"I was in the city of Joppa, praying, and while in a trance I saw a vision; a certain vessel descending, what seemed to be an enormous sail let down to me,

and while I gazed at it, I examined it carefully, and saw the quadrupeds of the earth and the wild beasts and creeping things and the wild birds.

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

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

"Then I remembered the words of the Lord, how he used to say, "John indeed baptized in water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

"So if God gave them the same gift as he gave to us, when we first believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

When he arrived, and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord, with full purpose of heart;

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

And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.)

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

"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.

So, after he had thought things over, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, surnamed Mark, where a large number of people were assembled, praying.

And when she recognized Peter's voice, for very joy she did not open the door, but ran in and told them that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

"You are mad," they said. But she confidently insisted that it was so. "It is his angel," they said.

Meanwhile Peter continued to knock, until at last they opened the door, and were amazed to see that it was really he.

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.

So on the appointed day, Herod put on his royal robes, and after taking his seat upon the throne, began to harangue them.

So after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them, and let them go.