Which same, when he saw Peter and John, that they would into the temple, desired to receive an alms;

The beggar looked at them, supposing that he was going to get something from them.

and Peter said, 'Silver and gold I have none, but what I have, that I give to thee; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and be walking.'

so that he fell a leaping, and walking, and entred with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, 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.

And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

When Peter saw that, he answered unto the people, "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so steadfastly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man go?

The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he had judged that he should be let go.

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

and you killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses to that.

By faith in His name, His name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Him has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

“And now, brothers, I know that you did it in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.

But what God predicted through the mouth of all the prophets—that His Messiah would suffer—He has fulfilled in this way.

Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus:

whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old.

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.

And everyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from the people.

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.

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.

because they were provoked that they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead, using Jesus as the example.

But many of them that heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

met in Jerusalem, including Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all that were members of the high priest's family.

if it is for a good deed to a helpless man, or to learn how he was cured, that we are today being tried,

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing here before you healthy.

This is the stone that was set at nought by you -- the builders, that became head of a corner;

and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.'

When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.

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

Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

And they called them, and commanded them that in no wise they should speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

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

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.

After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Having said by the mouth of David thy servant, That why were the nations insolent, and did the people practise vain things

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,

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

And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness,

By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

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.

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,

among the rest one Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (that is to say, the son of consolation) a Levite, and a native of Cyprus,

sold a field that belonged to him [and] brought the money and placed [it] at the feet of the apostles.

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?

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!”

And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

And it came to pass, about three hours after, that his wife, not knowing what hath happened, came in,

“Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the field for this price?”

“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

which affected the whole assembly, and all that heard of it with great dread.

The number of them that believed in the Lord, both of men and women, grew more and more

As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round about Jerusalem, bring sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,

And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But the officers that came found them not in the prison; and they returned, and told,

Saying, That we truly found the prison shut with all security, and the watch standing without before the doors: and having opened, we found none within.

Then came one and showed them, "Behold, the men that ye put in prison stand in the temple, and teach the people."

Then the captain and some of the police went and took them, but not violently, for fear that they might be stoned by the people.

Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.

for before these days rose up Theudas, saying, that himself was some one, to whom a number of men did join themselves, as it were four hundred, who was slain, and all, as many as were obeying him, were scattered, and came to nought.

After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. That man also perished, and all his partisans were scattered.

but if it has its origin in God, you can never stop it. It is to be feared that you may find yourselves fighting God."

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.

Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

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.

Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch.

So, the message of God increased [in its influence] and the disciples multiplied in number greatly in Jerusalem, [so that even] a large number of [Jewish] priests became obedient to [the message of] the faith.

But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.

but as they were not able to withstand the force of that sublime knowledge which appeared in his discourse,

Then they bribed men, saying, that we have heard him speaking words blasphemous against Moses and God.

For we heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

And, upon that, Stephen spoke as follows: "Brothers and Fathers, hear what I have to say. God, who manifests himself in the Glory, appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, and before he settled in Haran, and said to him--

and said to him:

Get out of your country
and away from your relatives,
and come to the land
that I will show you.

Then came he out of the land of Chaldea and dwelt in Haran. And after that, as soon as his father was dead, he brought him into this land, in which ye now dwell,

And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

I will judge the nation
that they will serve as slaves, God said.
After this, they will come out
and worship Me in this place.

"[And when] these patriarchs, [still living in Canaan as young men], became jealous of [their brother] Joseph, they sold him [as a slave to traveling merchants who took him] to Egypt. But God was with him [during all that time],

in the mean time a famine spread over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, so that our fathers did not know where to get provisions.

But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

“As the time was drawing near to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt

The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

It was at this time that Moses was born. He was a wonderfully beautiful child, and for three months he was taken care of in his father's house.

But when he was about forty years old he felt led to visit his relatives, the Israelites [i.e., called Hebrews at that time].

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

He assumed his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

the next day seeing some that were fighting, he would have persuaded them to agree, saying, sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye injure one another?

But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?