they answered him, if he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him to you.

Pilate then said to them, take him your selves, and judge him according to your law. but the Jews said to him, it is not lawful for us to put any man to death.

Then Pilate entred into the Pretorium, and addressing himself to Jesus, said to him, are not you the king of the Jews?

Jesus answered him, is it your opinion that I am, or did others give it you as theirs?

upon this Pilate said to him, you are then a king? Jesus answered, you say right, for I am a king. to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, to persuade mankind of the truth. every one that loves truth is observant of my directions.

upon which they all cried out again: not him, but Barabbas. now Barabbas was a robber.

and the soldiers having made a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and threw a purple robe about him.

hail king of the Jews! said they, and struck him on the cheeks.

Pilate therefore went out again, and said to them, observe, I bring him out to you, to acquaint you that I find no fault in him.

as soon as the chief priests and officers saw him, they cried out, "crucify him, crucify him." Pilate said to them, take him yourselves, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

the Jews answered him, we have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he pretended to be the son of God.

and went again into the Pretorium, and said to Jesus, who was your father? but Jesus gave him no answer.

then said Pilate to him, won't you give me an answer? don't you know that it is in my power to crucify you, or to release you?

upon this, Pilate propos'd to release him: but the Jews cried out, if you let this man go, you are not Cesar's friend: he that sets up for king, opposes Cesar.

but they cried out, away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate said to them, shall I crucify your king? the chief priests answered, we have no king but Cesar.

upon which he delivered him up to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took Jesus and led him away.

and he bearing his cross, marched out to a place called the skull, which is in the Syriac, Golgotha: where they crucified him,

and two others with him, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle.

accordingly the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with him.

for these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, "a bone of him shall not be broken."

and again the scripture saith elsewhere, "they shall look on him whom they pierced."

after this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but for fear of the Jews a conceal'd one, pray'd Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave: so he went and took the body of Jesus.

upon this she went in great haste to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Simon Peter who followed him, being come, went into the cave, and saw the linen clothes lying there;

and they said to her, woman, why do you weep? "because, said she, they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him."

Jesus said to her, woman, why do you weep? who do you look for? she supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, sir, if it be you that have convey'd him away; tell me where you have laid him, and I will take care to have him remov'd.

the other disciples therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. but he said to them, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Thomas answered, and said to him, my Lord and my God!

Jesus said to him, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.

they answered him, no. and he said to them, cast the net on the right side of the vessel, and ye shall find. so they cast it, and it was so full of fish they were not able to draw it.

come, said Jesus, let us dine. but none of the disciples offer'd to ask him, who he was; for they saw well enough that it was the Lord.

then he ask'd him the second time, Simon son of Jonas do you love me? yes, Lord, said he; you know that I love you. Jesus reply'd, feed my sheep.

Jesus said to him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, do you love me? Peter was grieved at his asking him the third time, "do you love me?" and he said to him, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, feed my sheep.

this he said to signify to Peter by what death he should glorify God. and when he had spoken this, he said to him, follow me.

upon seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall become of him?

Jesus said, if I will have him stay till I come, what have you to do with that? do you follow me.

which occasion'd a flying rumour among the brethren, that John should not die: tho' Jesus had not said, he shall not die: but, if I will have him stay till I come, what have you to do with that?

Being therefore in his presence, they asked him, saying, Lord, is this the time when you will restore again the kingdom to Israel?

After this discourse, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

"ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up to heaven? this same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall descend in the same manner as ye have seen him ascend thither."

ye men of Israel attend to what I say; Jesus of Nazareth was a man whom God distinguished among you, by miracles, by prodigies, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you your selves also know:

him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by means of the wicked, have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up,

having delivered him from the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be overpower'd by it.

for David says concerning him, "I had the Lord always present before me, he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.

that, as he was a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him, to place the fruit of his loins upon his throne: foreseeing this,

Peter and John having their eyes upon him, Peter said, look on us.

and taking him by the right hand, he lift him up; and immediately his feet and ancle-bones received strength.

all the people saw him walking and praising God.

the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and renounced in opposition to Pilate, who was determined to let him go.

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

it is the faith which we have in him, that has procured strength to this man whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him, hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

afterwards Samuel and all that prophesied after him, have likewise foretold these times.

it is to you that God first of all sent his son Jesus, having raised him up to bless you, provided you all renounce your iniquities.

and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you entirely recover'd.

and some young men came and wound him up, then carried him out, and buried him.

Then the high priest, and all that accompanied him, who were of the sect of the Sadducees, being filled with indignation,

him hath God rais'd by his power to be the author of salvation, by giving repentance to Israel, and the remission of their sins.

and we are his witnesses in what we say, and so is the holy spirit, whom God hath given to those that obey him.

you cannot defeat it; perhaps you may be found warring against heaven." To him they agreed: and

they suborned men, who said, we have heard him speak irreverently of Moses, and of 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,

for we have heard him say, that Jesus the Nazarene shall destroy this place, and change the customs which Moses delivered us.

and all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw an air of majesty in his aspect.

and said to him, quit your country, and your kindred, to go to the land which I shall shew thee.

thereupon he went out of Chaldea, and dwelt in Charran: from thence, after his father's death, he removed him to this very country where you now dwell.

he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of land: yet he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his posterity after him, tho' he had then no child.

at length he gave him the covenant of circumcision: accordingly Abraham circumcised his son Isaac eight days after he was born, Isaac was father of Jacob, who was father of the twelve patriarchs.

the patriarchs being jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt: but God was with him,

he delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him wisdom to become acceptable to Pharaoh king of Egypt; who made him governor of Egypt, and all his houshold.

and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter caused him to be taken up, and maintain'd for her adopted son.

and seeing one of them abus'd, he defended him, and avenged the injury by killing the Egyptian:

for he supposed his brethren would have perceiv'd by this, that God design'd to make him the instrument of their deliverance; but they did not perceive it.

when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina, an angel of the Lord in a flaming bush.

Moses was astonished at this vision: and as he drew near to observe it, he heard the voice of the Lord, which said to him,

then said the Lord to him, "put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

this Moses whom they refused, saying, who made thee a ruler and a judge? the very same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

this is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, "a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear."

'twas he that was in the assembly with our fathers in the wilderness, and with the angel that spoke to him on mount Sina: and delivered the oracles to him by word of mouth for our use.

him our fathers would not obey, but rejected him, and they return'd to their Egyptian disposition.

"make us gods, said they to Aaron, to be our guides: for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him."

it was Solomon however that built him a temple.

When they heard these things, they were transported with rage, and gnashed their teeth against him.

then they broke out into a loud cry, and stopping their ears, fell upon him all at once.

then they dragg'd him out of the city, and stoned him: the false witnesses having laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

and some devout men who carried Stephen to his burial, making great lamentation over him.

that they all followed him, both old and young. this man, said they, is the plenipotentiary of God.

but Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, for thinking that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

Philip ran to him, and hearing him read the prophet Esaias, said, do you understand what you read?

how can I, answer'd he, without some expositor? and he desired Philip to mount, and sit with him.

so he order'd the charioteer to stop: and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

when they were come out of the water, the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he pursued his way with joy.

As he was on his journey, and near Damascus, on a sudden, a light from heaven surrounded him,

and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

and he said, who art thou, Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is hard for thee to kick against the goad. Then trembling with the fright Saul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? and the Lord said to him,]

the mean while the men who accompany'd him, remain'd astonish'd, hearing a voice, but seeing no one.

at length Saul rose from the ground; and when he opened his eyes, he could not see: so that they led him by the hand, and brought him to Damascus,

and the Lord said unto him, arise, and go to the street called Straight, and enquire at the house of Judas, for one Saul of Tarsus: for he is there at prayer.

(at that very instant Saul saw in a vision the said Ananias come in, and put his hand on him, to restore his sight.)

go, said the Lord to him: for he is the instrument I have chosen, to bear my name to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the children of Israel.

for I will make him see how much he must suffer for my name.