until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

And to whom he gave clear and certain signs that he was living, after his death; for he was seen by them for forty days, and gave them teaching about the kingdom of God:

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;

For the baptism of John was with water, but you will have baptism with the Holy Spirit, after a little time.

His answer was: "It is not for you to know times or hours, for the Father has reserved these for his own decision;

After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.

While He was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them.

who also said, 'Men, Galileans, why do ye stand gazing into the heaven? this Jesus who was received up from you into the heaven, shall so come in what manner ye saw him going on to the heaven.'

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the place called "Mount of Olives," which was about three-fourths of a mile from Jerusalem.

They entered the city, and they went up to the upper room which was now their fixed place for meeting. Their names were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother of James.

During these days Peter stood up among the brothers—the number of people who were together was about 120—and said:

and said, men and brethren, the prediction which the holy ghost made, by the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was guide to those that seiz'd Jesus, must have been accomplished.

For he was one of our number and was allotted a share in this ministry.”

And the same hath now possessed a plot of ground with the reward of iniquity. And when he was hanged, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.)

"For it was written [about Judas] in the book of Psalms [69:25]: 'Let the place where he lives become deserted, with no one living there' and [Psa. 109:8] 'Let someone else fill his ministry.'

Wherefore of these men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus was going in and out over us,

beginning from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up from us—from among these, it is necessary that one become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.

To take that position as a servant and Apostle, from which Judas by his sin was shut out, so that he might go to his place.

Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was numbered with the 11 apostles.

When the day of pentecost was come, they all met together with one accord.

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a violent wind, and all the house where they were was full of it.

And there was an appearance to them of divided tongues, as of fire, and it rested on every one of them.

and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, according as the Spirit was giving them to declare.

When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

And how is it that every one of us is hearing their words in the language which was ours from our birth?

On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know.

Though He was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him.

God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.

For David saith concerning Him, "I set the Lord always before me, for He is at my right hand, that I should not be moved: therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;

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

'Men, brethren! it is permitted to speak with freedom unto you concerning the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us unto this day;

Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants on his throne.

Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah:

He was not left in Hades,
and His flesh did not experience decay.

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

at the right hand then of God having been exalted -- also the promise of the Holy Spirit having received from the Father -- he was shedding forth this, which now ye see and hear;

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

"For the promise was made unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar, even as many as the Lord God shall call."

Also with many more other words he was testifying and exhorting, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation;'

And fear was upon every soul, and many wonders and signs took place through the apostles' means.

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

praising God, and having favour with all the people, and the Lord was adding those being saved every day to the assembly.

One day as Peter and John were going together to the temple, at the ninth hour, which was the hour of prayer,

And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex.

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

and he was giving heed to them, looking to receive something from them;

and springing up, he stood, and was walking, and did enter with them into the temple, walking and springing, and praising God;

and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, greatly amazed, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

but ye renounced him that was holy and just; you interceeded for the life of a murderer,

And by [means of] the name [of Jesus], that is, by faith in the [power of His] name, this [crippled] man, whom you now see and know, was healed. Yes, it is the faith that comes through Jesus that is responsible for this man's perfect health, as you now all see.

and now, brethren, I know it was through ignorance, that both you and your rulers, have acted thus.

But this way God fulfilled what things were foretold, through the mouth of all his prophets, the Christ was to endure.

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

who was before appointed, Whom heaven must receive, till the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets.

It was to you first that He sent His Servant, after raising Him from the dead, to bless you by causing every one of you to turn from his wicked ways."

So they seized them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.

Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

And it was on the morrow, their rulers, and elders, and scribes, were gathered together at Jerusalem,

and Annas the high priest was there , and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest.

Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:

If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man—by what means he was healed—

we want you men and all the people of Israel to know that this man was made completely well through the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. [He is the One] whom you people put to death on the cross, but God raised from the dead.

This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

saying, "What should we do to these men? For we cannot deny that a significant miracle was performed by them, and everybody living in Jerusalem knows it.

So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

for this sign of healing had been performed on a man over 40 years old.

When they heard it, with one impulse they all raised their voices to God and said, "Master, it was you who made heaven, earth, and sea, and everything that is in them,

for it was truly against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, that Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, united themselves in this city,

When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.

Now the large group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.

And the apostles were giving testimony with great power to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.

For there was not a needy person among them, because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed for each person’s basic needs.

And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

having sold a field that was possessed by him, brought the money and placed it at the apostles' feet.

Now there was a certain man named Ananias who with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

and he kept back for himself [some] of the proceeds, and [his] wife was aware of [it]. And he brought a certain part [and] placed [it] at the feet of the apostles.

Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!”

When Ananias heard these words he fell down and expired, and everyone who heard them spoken was appalled.

There was an interval of about three hours; then his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

And Peter said to her, Give me an answer: was this amount of money the price of the land? And she said, Yes, it was.

And Peter said unto her, 'How was it agreed by you, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? lo, the feet of those who did bury thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee forth;'

And great fear was upon the whole church, and upon all having heard these things.

Many signs and wonders continued to occur among the people, through the instrumentality of the Apostles, whose custom it was to meet all together in the Colonnade of Solomon;

and of the rest no one was daring to join himself to them, but the people were magnifying them,

[One of the miracles performed was that] sick people were even carried into the streets on beds and couches so that, as he passed them, Peter's shadow would fall on someone [in hope of it producing a miraculous healing].

Moreover even the throng of the cities all round Jerusalem was coming together, bearing sick folk, and such as were harassed by impure spirits, - who, indeed, were being cured, one and all.

But the high priest arising, and all that were with him, which was the sect of the Saducees,

And when they heard it, they entered very early into the temple and taught. And when the high priest was come, and they that were with him, they called together the council and all the elderhood of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

saying, "The prison found we shut as sure as was possible and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened we found no man within."

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

Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his partisans were dispersed and came to nothing.

After this man, there was Judas of Galilee, at the time of the numbering, and some of the people went after him: he was put to death, and all his supporters were put to flight.

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.

In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.