till the day in which, having given command, through the Holy Spirit, to the apostles whom he did choose out, he was taken up,

to whom also he did present himself alive after his suffering, in many certain proofs, through forty days being seen by them, and speaking the things concerning the reign of God.

Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

and as they were looking stedfastly toward heaven, as he mounted up, on a sudden, two men appear'd before them robed in white, who said,

They asked, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven."

On entering the city they went to the upper room where they were in the habit of meeting; there were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus) and Simon who had been a Zealot, with Judas the son of James.

And in those days Peter standing up in the midst of the brothers, said??he multitude together was about a hundred and twenty??16 Men and brothers, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who became a guide to them that apprehended Jesus;

"Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus,

and this became known to all who lived at Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their language Aceldamach, which is Field of blood.

who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,

So they nominated two men Joseph called Barsabbas, who also was called Justus, and Matthias.

and having prayed, they said, 'Thou, Lord, who art knowing the heart of all, shew which one thou didst choose of these two

and having drawn lots; the lot fell upon Matthias, who was added to the eleven apostles.

Now there were in Jerusalem sojourning Jews, reverent men from every nation who were under heaven;

And this sound occurring the throng came together and was thrown into confusion, because each one severally heard in his own language them who were speaking;

Stunned and amazed, they asked, "All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren't they?

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those who live in Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

and Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia adjoining Cyrene, and the sojourners, who are Romans, both Jews and proselytes,

But there were some who said with a sneer: "They have had too much new wine."

But Peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice and said to them, Men of Judea, and all who live at Jerusalem, be this known to you, and attend to my words.

And every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Men of Israel, give ear to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had the approval of God, as was made clear to you by the great works and signs and wonders which God did by him among you, as you yourselves have knowledge,

him have ye taken by the hands of unrighteous persons, after he was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and have crucified and slain him whom God hath raised up:

whom God did raise up, having loosed the pains of the death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it,

men and brethren, let me with assurance tell you of the patriarch David, who died and was buried here, his sepulchre being with us to this day:

"It was this very Jesus whom God raised and we're all witnesses of that.

For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,

Till I put all those who are against you under your feet.

"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"

For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are distant, whom the Lord our God may call to himself."

So those who welcomed his message were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to their number.

Everyone [who saw this happen] was filled with awe at the many miracles and [supernatural] signs performed by the apostles.

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

They made it their practice to sell their possessions and goods and to distribute the proceeds to anyone who was in need.

They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.

One day, as Peter and John were going up into the Temple Courts for the three o'clock Prayers, a man, who had been lame from his birth, was being carried by.

Now a man who had been crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day people would lay him at what was called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from those who were going into the Temple.

who, having seen Peter and John about to go into the temple, was begging to receive a kindness.

and recognized him as the very man who used to sit at The Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg, they were completely astounded and bewildered at what occurred to him.

And at the lame man who was healed holding Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch called Solomon's -- greatly amazed,

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you yourselves betrayed and disowned before Pilate, although he had decided to set Him free.

But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you.

And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

It is His name, that is, on condition of faith in His name, that has made strong again this man whom you see and recognize -- yes, faith inspired by Him has given this man the perfect health you all see.

repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord, who shall send Jesus Christ,

and He may send back Jesus, the Christ who long ago was appointed for you.

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

The result will be, that any person who will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

Yes, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel down, have also foretold these days.

It is you who 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.’

who were annoyed at them teaching the people and proclaiming Jesus as an instance of resurrection from the dead.

But many of those who heard their message believed, and the number of the men grew to about five thousand.

Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest's family.

If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed,

you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well.

This is the stone that was rejected by you who build, which became into the head of the corner.

There is no salvation through anyone else, for there is no one else in the world who has been named to men as their only means of being saved."

and since they saw the man who had been cured standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

Saying, What are we to do with these men? for certainly it is clear to all who are living in Jerusalem that a most important sign has been done by them, and it is not possible to say that it is not so.

so when they had further threatned them, they let them go, not finding it practicable to punish them, because of the people, who all glorified God for that which was done.

for the man on whom the wonderful cure had been performed was more than forty years old.

and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, 'Lord, thou art God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that are in them,

who spoke thus through the Holy Spirit by the lips of our forefather David, your servant: 'Why did the heathen rage, and the peoples make vain designs?

"For in this city they actually met against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you had consecrated -- Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen and the peoples of Israel,

(whom Thou hast anointed,) to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had before determined to be done.

Now there was but one heart and soul in the vast number of those who had become believers, and not one of them claimed that anything that he had was his own, but they shared everything that they had as common property.

since none of them needed anything, because everyone who had land or houses would sell them and bring the money received for the things sold

and lay it at the apostles' feet. Then it was distributed to anyone who needed it.

Now Joseph, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, who by the apostles was named Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement,

and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

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

When Ananias heard these words, he fell dead, and a strange awe seized everybody who heard it.

Peter said to her, "How could both of you agree in such a way to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door; they will carry you out, too."

So a strange awe seized the whole church and everybody who heard it.

Now many signs and wonders were being performed by the apostles among the people, who were gathered together in Solomon's Colonnade.

But none of the rest [of the people, the non-believers] dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteem and were speaking highly of them.

but still a vast number of people, both men and women, who believed in the Lord, continued to join them,

And they even took into the streets people who were ill, and put them on beds, so that when Peter went by, some of them might be in his shade.

Crowds continued coming in even from the towns around Jerusalem bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

Then the high priest and all those from the sect of the Sadducees who were with him were filled with jealousy. So they went out,

After the apostles heard this, they went into the Temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in.

But the attendants who went for them could not find them in the jail, and so came back and

Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

We and the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who practice obedience to Him are witnesses to these things."

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.

For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

After him arose Judas the Galilean, in the days of the census, and drew away people after him; and he was destroyed, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

This suggestion was approved by the whole body, and so they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, who was a convert to Judaism.

Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

And the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].

Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, performed great wonders and miracles among the people.

But some men who belonged to the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), as well as some Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and began to debate with Stephen.

But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

Then they bribed men who said, We heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.

and they stirred up the people, the senators, and the doctors of law, who came and seiz'd him, and brought him to the council,

Then they put up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and against the law,