And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Then sending for Peter and John, they said, By what power and in whose name have you done this?

If, we, this day, are to be examined for doing good to a sick man, - in whom, this, man hath been made well,

He is the stone which you builders had no use for, but which has been made the chief stone of the building.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Now when they saw that Peter and John were without fear, though they were men of no education or learning, they were greatly surprised; and they took note of them that they had been with Jesus.

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 so that it may not go farther among the people, let us put them in fear of punishment if they say anything in future in this name.

So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide;

For we cannot but speak the things which 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.

For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

And when they had been made free, they came back to their friends, and gave an account of all the things which the chief priests and the authorities had said to them.

[You] said, through the Holy Spirit and by means of [the inspired writings of] our forefather David, your servant, [Psa. 2:1-2], 'Why did the [unconverted] Gentiles rage [at the Messiah], and the people [of Israel] devise useless plans [for opposing Christ]?

‘The kings of the earth took their stand [to attack],
And the rulers were assembled together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed (the Christ, the Messiah).’

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

And now, Lord, take note of their cruel words, and give your servants power to be preachers of your word without fear,

in the stretching forth of Thy hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the name of Thy holy child Jesus.'

And when their prayer was ended, the place where they were was violently moved, and they all became full of the Holy Spirit, preaching the word of God without fear.

Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one [of them] claimed that anything belonging to him was [exclusively] his own, but everything was common property and for the use of all.

Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

And put it at the feet of the Apostles for distribution to everyone as he had need.

Having a field, got money for it and put the money at the feet of the Apostles.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, got money for his property,

and put aside for himself part of the price, his wife also being privy to it; and having brought a certain part, laid it at the feet of the apostles.

But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldest lie to the Holy Spirit, and put aside for thyself a part of the price of the estate?

was not the estate your own estate? and was not the price for which it was sold, all in your own hands? how came such a design as this in your heart? thou hast not lyed unto men, but unto 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 the young men, rising up, swathed him up for burial, and having carried him out, buried him.

And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

And Peter said to her, For what was it agreed by you to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them having interred thy husband at the door, and they shall carry thee out.

And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

The others, in fear, kept back from joining them: but the people made much of them;

Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach.Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought.

But the officers who came for them did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,

Now when the captain of the Temple [guard] and the leading priests heard about this, they became frustrated over how far this [teaching] would [eventually] spread.

Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

And so they brought them in [to their headquarters] to appear before the Council [for questioning]. The head priest spoke to them, [saying],

"We strictly forbad you to teach in that name--did we not?" he said. "And see, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and are trying to make us responsible for that man's death!"

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the Apostles to death.

But a certain man, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honour of all the people, rose up in the council, and commanded to put the men out for a short while,

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 rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

After him, at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax, Judas the Galilean appeared and influenced people to desert and follow him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered.

And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

And he seemed to them to be right: and they sent for the Apostles, and, after having them whipped and giving them orders to give no teaching in the name of Jesus, they let them go.

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters.

But look out for yourselves, brethren, seven men from among you, who can be well-attested, full of Spirit and wisdom, - whom we will appoint over this need;

But, as for us, we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the delivery of the Message."

[Then] they presented these men to the apostles, who prayed for them while placing their hands on them [to signify their appointment].

But they were not able to get the better of him, for his words were full of wisdom and of the Spirit.

And they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the law of Moses and searched for him, seized him and brought him before the Council.

And they got false witnesses who said, This man is for ever saying things against this holy place and against the law:

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

"So, he left Chaldea [Note: This was another name for Mesopotamia], and lived in Haran, and after his father died he was sent [by God] to this country where you people now live.

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.

And the brothers, moved with envy against Joseph, gave him to the Egyptians for money: but God was with him,

And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

“Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great distress and our fathers could not find food [for their households and livestock].

And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

and Joseph having sent, did call for his father Jacob, and all his kindred -- with seventy and five souls --

And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

“But as the time [for the fulfillment] of the promise which God had made to Abraham was approaching, the [Hebrew] people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:

And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

But when he reached the age of forty, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.

Seeing one of them wrongfully treated he took his part, and secured justice for the ill-treated man by striking down the Egyptian.

For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

And on the next day he was seen by them as they fought, and he was reconciling them for peace, having said, Men, ye are brothers. Why is it that ye wrong each other?

And at these words, Moses went in flight to the land of Midian, and was living there for a time, and had two sons.

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

"'I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.' "Quaking with fear Moses did not dare gaze.

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

Truly, I have seen the sorrows of my people in Egypt, and their cries have come to my ears, and I have come down to make them free: and now, come, I will send you to Egypt.

This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness [for] forty years.

This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your countrymen.’

This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles [divine words that still live] to be handed down to you.

Our fathers were unwilling to be subject to him [and refused to listen to him]. They rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice for the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

But God turned away [from them] and handed them over to serve the host of heaven. As it is written and forever remains written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not [really] to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel?

You even took along the tent of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made in order to worship them. So I will take you into exile as far as Babylon.'

Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

‘Heaven is My throne,
And the earth is the footstool for My feet;
What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord,
‘Or what place is there for My rest?

O! stubborn race, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.

And going down on his knees, he said in a loud voice, Lord, do not make them responsible for this sin. And when he had said this, he went to his rest.

Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

Devout men buried Stephen as they mourned loudly for him.

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

Now for some time past there had been a man named Simon living there, who had been practising magic and astonishing the Samaritans, pretending that he was more than human.

And they gave heed to him, because that for a long time he had astonished them by his magic arts.

Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: