both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our [own] languages the great deeds of God!"

And all were amazed and greatly perplexed, saying {to one another}, "{What can this mean?}"

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

For these [men] are not drunk, as you assume, because it is the third hour of the day.

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

"Israelite men, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, just as [you] yourselves know--

because you will not abandon my soul in Hades, nor will you permit your Holy One to experience decay.

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with gladness with your presence.'

This Jesus God raised up, of which we all are witnesses.

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

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 Peter [said] to them, "Repent and be baptized, each 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 for your children, and for all those [who are] far away, as many as the Lord our God calls to himself."

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added.

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

And fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were being performed by the apostles.

And all who believed were in the same [place], and had everything in common.

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,

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding every day to the total [of] those who were being saved.

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

And a certain man was being carried who was lame {from birth}. {He} was placed every day at the gate of the temple called "Beautiful," [so that he] could ask for charitable gifts from those who were going into the temple [courts].

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

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 [when he] saw [it], Peter replied to the people, "Men [and] Israelites, why are you astonished at this? Or why are you staring at us, as [if] by our own power or godliness we have made him walk?

The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, [after] he had decided to release [him].

And you killed the originator of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses!

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

Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be blotted out,

Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You will listen to him in everything that he says to you.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed.'

God, [after he] had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each [of you] back from your wickedness!"

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 Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all those who were from the high priest's family.

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

if we are being examined today concerning a good deed [done to] a sick man--by what [means] this man was healed--

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.

saying, "What should we do with these men? For that a remarkable sign has taken place through them [is] evident to all those who live [in] Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny [it]!

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

For we are not able to refrain from speaking about [the things] that we have seen and heard."

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,

the one who said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant, 'Why do the nations rage, and the peoples conspire in vain?

For in truth both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,

to do all that your hand and plan had predestined to take place.

And now, Lord, concern yourself with their threats and grant your slaves to speak your message with all boldness,

[as] you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

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.

Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all [things] were theirs in common.

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

For there was not even anyone needy among them, because all those who were owners of plots of land or houses were selling [them] [and] bringing the proceeds of the things that were sold

But Peter said, "Ananias, for what [reason] has Satan filled your heart, [that] you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself [some] of the proceeds of the piece of land?

[When it] remained to you, did it not remain [yours]? And [when it] was sold, was it at your disposal? How [is it] that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people, but to God!"

And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you [both] were paid this much [for] the piece of land." And she said, "Yes, this much."

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!"

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.

And even more believers in the Lord were being added, large numbers of both men and women,

And the people of the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, who were all being healed.

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.

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.

But someone came [and] reported to them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple [courts] and teaching the people!"

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]).

saying, "{We strictly commanded} you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!"

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed [by] hanging [him] on a tree.

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

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

And he said to them, "Men [and] Israelites, take care for yourselves what you are about to do to these men!

For before these days, Theudas rose up saying he was somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined {him}. {He} was executed, 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 {caused people to follow him in revolt}. And that one perished, and all who followed him were scattered.

And now I tell you, keep away from these men, and leave them alone, because if this plan or this matter is from people, it will be overthrown.

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.

Now in these days, [as] the disciples were increasing [in number], a complaint arose by the {Greek-speaking Jews} against the {Hebraic Jews} because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution [of food].

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

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.

So he said, "Men--brothers and fathers--listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham [while he] was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

and said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your relatives and come to the land that I will show you.'

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

And a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our fathers could not find food.

So [when] Jacob heard [there] was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

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

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 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?'

And at this statement, Moses fled and became a foreigner 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 of Isaac and of Jacob!' So Moses began trembling [and] did not dare to look at [it].

And the Lord said to him, 'Untie the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

{I have certainly seen} the mistreatment of my people [who are] in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'

"This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.'

This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and who [with] our fathers received living oracles to give to us,

to whom our fathers were not willing to become obedient, but rejected [him] and turned [back] in their hearts to Egypt,

The tabernacle of the testimony {belonged} to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed [him] to make it according to the design that he had seen,

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,

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

"[You] stiff-necked [people] and uncircumcised in hearts and in [your] ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers [did], [so] also [do] you!

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.

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.