For before these days arose Theudas, saying that he himself was a singular personage: to whom a number of men, about four hundred, attached themselves: who was taken off; and as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing.

And after him arose Judas the Galilean, in the days of the enrolment, and drew away a multitude of the populace after him: he also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

And as to the matters now before you, I say unto you, Abstain from these men, and leave them to themselves: for if this design or this work be of men, it will come to nothing:

Then the twelve assembling the multitude of the disciples, said, It is not fit that we should leave the word of God, to make distribution to the tables.

Then rose up certain men of the synagogue of the freed-men, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.

for we have heard him affirm, that Jesus the Nazarean, even he, will destroy this place, and change the accustomed ordinances which Moses delivered to us.

And fixing their eyes upon him, all who sat in the sanhedrim, beheld his face as the face of an angel.

Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans, and, dwelt in Charran: and from thence, after his father was dead, God removed him as a sojourner into this very country, in which we now dwell.

Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not so much as the print of his foot: yet he promised to give it for a possession to him and to his seed after him, when he had no son.

But as the time of the promise which God had with an oath confirmed unto Abraham drew nigh, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

This man, forming crafty designs against our nation, grievously treated our fathers, so as to cause them to expose their children, in order to exterminate the race.

and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him home, and brought him up for herself, as a son.

And the following day he shewed himself to them as they were fighting, and urged them to peace, saying, My friends, ye are brethren; wherefore do ye ill treat one another?

Then he who did his neighbour wrong thrust him from him, saying, Who appointed thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Wilt thou kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?

But when Moses saw it, he marvelled at the sight: and as he was drawing nearer to observe it, a voice from the Lord came to him,

Then the Lord said unto him, "Loose the sandal from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

This is the Moses who said unto the children of Israel, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up for you from among your brethren, as myself; him shall ye hear."

This is he, who was with the church in the wilderness with the angel who spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the oracles of life to give unto us:

saying to Aaron, Make us gods who shall go before us: for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath happened to him.

Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, Have ye offered me slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness, as he that spake to Moses commanded, that he should make it according to the model which he had seen.

Though the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as the prophet saith,

"Heaven is my throne, and earth the footstool for my feet: what kind of house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what place is there for my repose?

Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and in ears, ye do always oppose yourselves against the Holy Ghost: as your fathers, so are ye.

Now when they heard these things, they were cut through their hearts as with a saw, and gnashed upon him with their teeth.

But a certain man, named Simon, lived previously in that city, who practised magic, and astonished the nation of Samaria, giving out himself as an extraordinary great personage:

to whom all gave heed from the small to the great, saying, This man is the great power of God.

for as yet he had not fallen on any one of them: only they had been baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus.

There is for thee neither part nor lot in this word: for thy heart is not right before God.

Now the angel of the Lord spake to Philip, saying, Arise, and go towards the south, on the road which leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza: it is a wilderness.

and was returning, and sitting in his chariot, was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Then Philip running up to him, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah; and he said, Well! but dost thou understand what thou art reading?

The portion of scripture which he had been reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before him who sheareth it is dumb, so he opened not his mouth:

But as they went on the road, they came to some water: and the eunuch said, Here is water, what forbids my being baptised?

And Philip said, If thou believest with the whole heart, it is allowable. Then he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Then said he, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting: It is difficult for thee to kick against the goads.

Then the Lord said to him, Arise, go into the street called Strait, and inquire at the house of Judas for one named Saul a man of Tarsus: for, behold, he is praying,

But the Lord said unto him, Go: for this man is an elect vessel for me, to bear my name before nations, and kings, and the children of Israel:

And directly there fell from his eyes as it were scales: and he recovered sight instantly, and arose, and was baptised.

And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

And all who heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this the man who made havoc at Jerusalem, among those who called on this name? and hither he came for this purpose, that he might carry them in chains unto the chief priests?

But Saul was endued with still greater power, and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, conclusively evincing that this person is the Messiah.

Now it came to pass, as Peter was passing through all parts, that he went down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.

But there was at Joppa a woman, a disciple, named Tabitha, (which by interpretation is called Dorcas:) this woman was full of good works and of alms which she did.

And as Lydda was near to Joppa, the disciples hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, entreating him without delay to come over to them.

And now send men to Joppa, and inquire for Simon, who is surnamed Peter:

he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is near the sea: this man will tell thee what thou must do.

Then the next morning, as they were on their journey, and drew near to the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray about the sixth hour:

And he saw heaven opened, and there descended to him a certain vessel, as a great sheet with chains at the four corners, and resting upon the earth:

Then Peter went down to the men who were sent by Cornelius to him; and said, Lo! I am the person that ye ask for: what is the business on which ye are come hither?

And as Peter was entering, Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, paid him homage.

And he said unto them, Ye know how contrary it is to established usage, for a man who is a Jew to associate with or visit one of another nation; but God hath shewed me to call no man common or unclean.

and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thy alms are remembered before God.

Send therefore to Joppa, and invite Simon, whose surname is Peter, to come to thee; he lodgeth in the house of Simon the tanner, near the sea: who, when he is come will talk with thee.

Then Peter opening his mouth, said, In truth I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons:

but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him.

The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, (he is Lord of all,) ye know:

not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he was arisen from the dead.

And hath commanded us to proclaim to the people, and to bear our testimony that this is the person who is ordained of God the Judge of the living and the dead.

And they of the circumcision who were believers, as many as came with Peter, were amazed, because even on the Gentiles the gift of the holy Ghost was poured out.

Can any one forbid the water for baptising these persons, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

I was in the city of Joppa praying and I saw in a trance a vision, a certain vessel descending as a vast sheet let down from heaven by its four corners; and it came close to me:

and he informed us how he had seen an angel in his house, standing and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and invite Simon, who is surnamed Peter;

So when I had begun to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, just as on us at the beginning.

If God then gave an equal gift to them even as to us, on believing on the Lord Jesus Christ; I, indeed, who was I, that I should be able to restrain God?

Now those also who were dispersed by the persecution which arose on account of Stephen passed on as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no man except the Jews only.

And the report concerning them was heard in the ears of the church which was at Jerusalem: and they dispatched Barnabas, to go as far as Antioch.

Then the disciples, as everyman had ability, determined every individual of them to send a sum to be distributed among the brethren who dwelt in Judea:

And after considering with himself, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, who is surnamed Mark; where many were thronged together, and praying.

But they said, Thou art raving. But she confidently persisted that it was so. Then they said, It is his angel.

And the populace shouted, It is the voice of a god, and not a man.

Then Barnabas and Saul departed from Jerusalem, having completed the distribution [of the sum entrusted with them]; and they took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

NOW there were at Antioch, according to the established church, prophets and teachers; such as Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger the black, and Lucius a Cyrenian, and Manaen, Herod the tetrarch's foster-brother, and Saul.

And as they were employed in the ministry, and kept a fast, the Holy Ghost said, Set apart for me now both Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

And being at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had John also as their attendant.

Now as they travelled through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain person who professed magic, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:

But Elymas the magician (for such is his name when interpreted) opposed them, seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith.

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, seeing the sun no more for a season. And instantly there fell on him a thick mist and darkness; and groping about he sought some to lead him by the hand.

But as John was finishing his course, he said, Whom do ye suppose me to be? I am not [the Messiah]. But, behold! he is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.

Men and brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and all among you who fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

for this hath God fulfilled to their children, even to us, in raising up Jesus: as it is also written in the second Psalm, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

Be it therefore known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man remission of sin is proclaimed to you:

Take heed then, that this come not upon you, which is spoken by the prophets;

"Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I do a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though one declare it unto you."

For so hath the Lord enjoined us, "I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mightest be for salvation unto the extremity of the earth."

Now when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord: and they believed, even as many as were ordained to life eternal.

NOW it came to pass at Iconium, that they went together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spake in such a manner, as that a vast multitude both of the Jews and Greek proselytes believed.

And there was a certain man at Lystra, who having lost the use of his feet was sitting, being lame from his mother's womb, and who had never been able to walk:

But when the multitudes beheld what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, in the dialect of Lycaonia, saying, The gods in the form of mortals are come down to us.

Although indeed he left not himself untestified of, doing us good, giving us from heaven showers, and fruitful seasons, replenishing our hearts with food and gladness.

But as the disciples stood around him, he arose, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he departed with Barnabas for Derbe.

When after much dispute, Peter arose, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know that a considerable time ago God chose among us, by my mouth, that the Gentiles should hear the gospel-word, and believe.

And God, who is the discerner of the heart, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as to us;

and made no difference betwixt either us or them, purifying their hearts by faith.

But we believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the same way as they.

And in accord with this are the words of the prophets; as it is written,

"After this will I return, and build again the tabernacle of David, that is fallen; and re-edify what hath been dug up from the foundation, and will set it upright again:

that the residue of men may diligently seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles, among whom my name is invoked, even among them, saith the Lord, who doth all these things."

but that we write to them, that they abstain from pollutions of idol [sacrifices], and from whoredom, and from what is strangled, and from blood.