he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

He has been exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, and has caused you to experience what you are seeing and hearing.

Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

And Peter'said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

and they were continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles, and the fellowship, and the breaking of the bread, and the prayers.

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

and the possessions and the goods they were selling, and were parting them to all, according as any one had need.

Daily also continuing with one accord in the temple, breaking also at every house bread, they were partaking of food in gladness and simplicity of heart,

praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.

Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour .

and a certain man who was lame from his mother's womb was being carried, whom they placed every day at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, to ask alms of those who were going into the temple;

When he saw that Peter and John were about to go into the Temple, he asked them to give him something.

And Peter, looking at him, with John, said, Keep your eyes on us.

He looked at them, supposing that they were going to give him something.

"I have no silver or gold," Peter said, "but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene-- walk!"

And having taken hold of him by the right hand he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones were made strong.

And all the people [there in the Temple area] saw him walking and [heard him] praising God.

And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people came running to them in what was called "Solomon's Colonnade". They were dumbfounded.

And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

But this way God fulfilled what things were foretold, through the mouth of all his prophets, the Christ was to endure.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

And [also] that God may send Christ [to you], the One whom He has appointed for your [benefit]. This [is] Jesus,

Who is to be kept in heaven till the time when all things are put right, of which God has given word by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been from the earliest times.

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. Any person who will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Unto you first God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

being extremely disturbed and thoroughly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in [the case of] Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

and many of those hearing the word did believe, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;

And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole;

Be it known unto you all, and unto all the people of Israel: that, in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, - whom, ye, crucified, whom, God, raised from among the dead, in him, doth, this man stand by, in your presence, whole.

This is the stone rejected by your builders, which has become the head of the corner.

And in no other is the great salvation to be found; for, in fact, there is no second name under Heaven that has been given among men through which we are to be saved."

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

But, having ordered them to go aside out of the Sanhedrin, they were conferring one with another,

saying, 'What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem is manifest, and we are not able to deny it;

But to keep it from spreading further among the people and the nation, let us [sternly] warn them not to speak again to anyone in this name.”

So they sent for them, and commanded them not to speak [as His representatives] or teach at all in the name of Jesus [using Him as their authority].

But Peter and John replied, "You decide whether it is right before God to listen to you men or to Him;

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

And they having further threatened them, let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which hath been done,

After Peter and John were released, they returned to their own [people] and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, 'Lord, thou art God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that are in them,

who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things?

The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

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,

to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined [before the creation of the world] to occur [and so without knowing it, they served Your own purpose].

And now, Lord, observe their threats [take them into account] and grant that Your bond-servants may declare Your message [of salvation] with great confidence,

while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of Your holy Servant and Son Jesus.”

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them 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 were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need.

Thus Joseph, who was surnamed Barnabas or (as it may be translated) 'Son of Encouragement' by the apostles, a Levite of Cypriote birth,

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?

As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God.”

Upon hearing these words Ananias fell down dead, and all who heard the words were awe-struck.

And it fortuned as it were about the space of three hours after, that his wife came in, ignorant of that which was done.

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."

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.

And great fear and awe gripped the whole church, and all who heard about these things.

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

and of the rest no one was daring to join himself to them, but the people were magnifying them,

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

so that they would even bring out their sick friends into the streets and lay them on light couches or mats, in order that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or other of them.

There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which 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,

were filled with zeal, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them into the common prison.

“Go, stand and continue to tell the people in the temple [courtyards] the whole message of this Life [the eternal life revealed by Christ and found through faith in Him].”

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.

And when the officers were come, they did not find them in the prison; and returned and reported

“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened [the doors], we found no one inside.”

Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were much perplexed concerning them whereunto this would grow.

Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

then the magistrate having gone away with officers, brought them without violence, for they were fearing the people, lest they should be stoned;

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.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

God has exalted to his right hand this very man as our Leader and Savior in order to extend repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

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.

And he said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves as touching these men, what ye are about to do.

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 this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

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 if it be of God, ye are not able to overthrow it, lest perhaps also ye be found fighting against God.'