So [when] they had come together, they began asking him, saying, "Lord, [is it] at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

And [after he] had said these [things], [while] they were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud received him from their sight.

And as they were staring into the sky [while] he was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood by them

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain that is called Olive Grove which is near Jerusalem, {a Sabbath day's journey away}.

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

And they proposed two [men], Joseph called Barsabbas (who was called Justus) and Matthias.

And they prayed [and] said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show clearly which one of these two you have chosen

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added [to serve] with the eleven apostles.

And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in the same [place].

And suddenly a sound like a violent rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them [ability] to speak out.

And they were astounded and astonished, saying, "Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

But others jeered [and] said, "They are full of sweet new wine!"

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

Now [when they] heard [this], they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "What should we do, men [and] brothers?"

And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

And they began selling [their] possessions and property, and distributing these [things] to all, to the degree that anyone had need.

And every day, devoting themselves [to meeting] with one purpose in the temple [courts] and breaking bread from house [to house], they were eating [their] food with joy and simplicity of heart,

And they recognized him, that this one was the one who used to sit [asking] for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

And [while] they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees approached them,

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

And they laid hands on them and put [them] in custody until the next day, because it was already evening.

And they made them stand in [their] midst [and] began to ask, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

Now [when they] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished, and recognized them, that they had been with Jesus.

And [because they] saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in return.

But [after they] had ordered them to go outside the Sanhedrin, they began to confer with one another,

And they called them [back] [and] commanded [them] not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus.

So [after] threatening [them] further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.

And [when they] were released, they went to their own [people] and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And [when they] heard [it], they lifted [their] voices with one mind to God and said, "Master, you [are] the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them,

And [when] they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

So Peter [said] to her, "How [is it] that it was agreed by you [two] to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband [are] at the door, and they will carry you out!"

And immediately she fell down at his feet and died. So [when] the young men came in, they found her dead, and carried [her] out [and] buried [her] with her husband.

Now many signs and wonders were being performed among the people through the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.

so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and put [them] on cots and mats so that [when] Peter came by, at least [his] shadow would fall on some of them.

Now the high priest rose up and all those [who were] with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), [and] they were filled with jealousy.

And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison.

And [when they] heard [this], they entered at daybreak into the temple [courts] and began teaching. Now [when] the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin--even the whole council of elders of the sons of Israel--and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But the officers who came did not find them in the prison, and they returned [and] reported,

Now when both the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed concerning them, [as to] what this might be.

Then the captain went with the officers [and] brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned [by them]).

And [when they] had brought them, they made [them] stand in the Sanhedrin, and the high priest put a question to them,

Now [when] they heard [this], they were infuriated, and were wanting to execute them.

But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest you even be found fighting against God." So they were persuaded by him.

And they summoned the apostles, beat [them], commanded [them] not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released [them].

So they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin rejoicing, because they had been considered worthy to be dishonored for the sake of the name.

Every day, both in the temple [courts] and from house [to house], they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news [that] the Christ [was] Jesus.

And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch),

whom they stood before the apostles. And they prayed [and] placed [their] hands on them.

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!"

And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up [and] seized him and brought [him] to the Sanhedrin.

And they put forward false witnesses who said, "This man does not stop speaking words against the holy place and the law!

And [as they] looked intently at him, all those who were sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face [was] like the face of an angel.

But God spoke like this: 'His descendants will be foreigners in a foreign land, and they will enslave them and mistreat [them] four hundred years,

and the nation {that} they will serve as slaves, I will judge,' God said, 'and after these [things] they will come out and will worship me in this place.'

And the patriarchs, [because they] were jealous of Joseph, sold [him] into Egypt. And God was with him,

And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

This man deceitfully took advantage of our people [and] mistreated our ancestors, {causing them to abandon their infants} so that they would not be kept alive.

And he thought his brothers would understand that God was granting deliverance to them by his hand, but they did not understand.

And on the following day, he made an appearance to them [while they] were fighting and was attempting to reconcile them in peace, saying, 'Men [and] brothers, why are you doing wrong to one another?'

This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, 'Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?'--this man God sent [as] both ruler and redeemer with {the help} of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

And they manufactured a calf in those days, and offered up a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing in the works of their hands.

and which, [after] receiving [it] in turn, our fathers brought in with Joshua {when they dispossessed the} nations that God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David,

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become,

Now [when they] heard these [things], they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed [their] teeth at him.

But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and rushed at him with one purpose.

And [after they] had driven [him] out of the city, they began to stone [him], and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

And they kept on stoning Stephen [as he] was calling out and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

And Saul was agreeing with his murder. Now there happened on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And the crowds with one mind were paying attention to what was being said by Philip, [as] they heard [him] and saw the signs that he was performing.

For many of those who had unclean spirits, they were coming out [of them], crying out with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

They were all paying attention to {him}, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called 'Great.'"

And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astonished them with [his] magic.

But when they believed Philip [as he] was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being baptized.

Now [when] the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

who went down [and] prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit.

(For he had not yet fallen on any of them, {but they had only been baptized} in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Then they placed [their] hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

So [when] they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they turned back toward Jerusalem, and were proclaiming the good news [to] many villages of the Samaritans.

And as they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"

And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water--Philip and the eunuch--and he baptized him.

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer, for he went on his way rejoicing.

(Now the men who were traveling together with him stood speechless, [because they] heard the voice but saw no one.)

So Saul got up from the ground, but [although] his eyes were open he could see nothing. And leading him by the hand, they brought [him] into Damascus.

But their plot became known to Saul, and they were also watching the gates both day and night so that they could do away with him.

And [when he] arrived in Jerusalem, he was attempting to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, [because they] did not believe that he was a disciple.

And he was speaking and debating with the {Greek-speaking Jews}, but they were trying to do away with him.

And [when] the brothers found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

Now it happened that in those days [after] becoming sick, she died. And [after] washing [her], they placed her in an upstairs room.

And [because] Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, [when they] heard that Peter was in {Lydda}, sent two men to him, urging, "Do not delay to come to us!"

So Peter got up [and] accompanied them. [When he] arrived, they brought [him] up to the upstairs room, and all the widows came to him, weeping and showing [him] tunics and [other] clothing that Dorcas used to make [while she] was with them.

And the next day, [as] they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray [at] about the sixth hour.

And he became hungry and wanted to eat. But [while] they were preparing [the food], a trance came over him.

And they called out [and] asked if Simon who was also called Peter was staying there as a guest.

And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man--and well spoken of by the whole nation of the Jews--was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you."

And we [are] witnesses of all [the things] that he did both in the land of the Judeans and in Jerusalem, whom they also executed [by] hanging [him] on a tree.

for they heard them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter said,

So he ordered [that] they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for several days.

And [when they] heard these [things], they became silent and praised God, saying, "Then God has granted the repentance [leading] to life to the Gentiles also!"