"But now I am going to the one who sent me. Yet none of you asks me, "Where are you going?'

And this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent Jesus the Messiah.

I have made your name known to these men whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

While I was with them, I protected them by the authority that you gave me. I guarded them, and not one of them became lost except the one who was destined for destruction, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

I ask not only on behalf of these men, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their message,

Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples.

Then Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen, went forward and asked them, "Who are you looking for?"

They answered him, "Jesus from Nazareth." Jesus told them, "I AM." Judas, the man who betrayed him, was standing with them.

So he asked them again, "Who are you looking for?" They said, "Jesus from Nazareth."

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

Caiaphas was the person who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one man die for the people.

Peter, however, stood outside the gate. So this other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter inside.

Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I said. These are the people who know what I said."

Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? It is your own nation and high priests who have handed you over to me. What have you done?"

Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. I was born for this, and I came into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is committed to the truth listens to my voice."

Jesus answered him, "You have no authority over me at all, except what was given to you from above. That's why the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

From then on, Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, "If you release this fellow, you're not a friend of Caesar! Anyone who claims to be a king is defying Caesar!"

So they told each other, "Let's not tear it. Instead, let's throw dice to see who gets it." This was to fulfill the Scripture that says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they threw dice." So that is what the soldiers did.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he kept loving standing there, he told his mother, "Dear lady, here is your son."

So the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man and then of the other man who had been crucified with him.

The one who saw this has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows he is telling the truth so that you, too, may believe,

In addition, another passage of Scripture says, "They will look on the one whom they pierced."

Later on, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, and he came and removed his body.

Nicodemus, the man who had first come to Jesus at night, also arrived, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 100 litra.

So she ran off and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus kept loving. She told them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

Then the other disciple, who arrived at the tomb first, went inside, looked, and believed.

She saw two angels in white clothes who were sitting down, one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus' body had been lying.

Jesus asked her, "Dear lady, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she told him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away."

Jesus told him, "Is it because you've seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!"

That disciple whom Jesus kept loving told Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his clothes back on, because he was practically naked, and jumped into the sea.

Then Jesus told them, "Come, have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?", because they knew it was the Lord.

Peter turned around and noticed the disciple whom Jesus kept loving following them. He was the one who had put his head on Jesus' chest at the supper and had asked, "Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?"

This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

They asked, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven."

"Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus,

who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,

So they nominated two men Joseph called Barsabbas, who also was called Justus, and Matthias.

Stunned and amazed, they asked, "All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren't they?

"It was this very Jesus whom God raised and we're all witnesses of that.

"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"

For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are distant, whom the Lord our God may call to himself."

So those who welcomed his message were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to their number.

They made it their practice to sell their possessions and goods and to distribute the proceeds to anyone who was in need.

They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.

Now a man who had been crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day people would lay him at what was called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from those who were going into the Temple.

they knew that he was the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and rejected in the presence of Pilate, even though he had decided to let him go.

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

It is his name that is, by faith in his name that has healed this man whom you see and know. Yes, the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and so that he may send you Jesus, whom he appointed long ago to be the Messiah.

"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.'

"Indeed, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who followed him, also announced these days.

But many of those who heard their message believed, and the men grew to number about 5,000.

If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed,

you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.

And seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could not say anything against them.

since the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than 40 years old.

For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

since none of them needed anything, because everyone who had land or houses would sell them and bring the money received for the things sold

and lay it at the apostles' feet. Then it was distributed to anyone who needed it.

One man, Joseph, a descendant of Levi and a native of Cyprus, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (the name means "a son of encouragement"),

When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized everyone who heard about it.

"How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?" Peter asked her. "Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and these men will carry you outside as well."

And great fear seized the whole church and everyone else who heard about this.

Now many signs and wonders were being performed by the apostles among the people, who were gathered together in Solomon's Colonnade.

Crowds continued coming in even from the towns around Jerusalem bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

Then the high priest and all those from the sect of the Sadducees who were with him were filled with jealousy. So they went out,

After the apostles heard this, they went into the Temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in.

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him."

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.

Therefore, brothers, appoint seven men among you who have a good reputation, who are full of the Spirit and wisdom, and we'll put them in charge of this work.

They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

But some men who belonged to the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), as well as some Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and began to debate with Stephen.

Then everyone who was seated in the Council glared at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler of Egypt and of his whole household.

Eventually, a different king who had not known Joseph became ruler of Egypt.

When he saw one of them being mistreated, he defended him and avenged the man who was being mistreated by killing the Egyptian.

"But the man who was harming his neighbor pushed Moses away and said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us?

"This same Moses whom they rejected by saying, "Who made you ruler and judge?' was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer with the help of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush.

It was he who led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for 40 years.

It was this Moses who told the Israelis, "God will raise up a prophet for you from among your own brothers, just as he did me.'

This Moses is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and to our ancestors. He received living truths to give to us,

They told Aaron, "Make gods for us who will lead us. This Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt we don't know what happened to him!'

"Our ancestors had the Tent of Testimony in the wilderness constructed, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.

but it was Solomon who built a house for him.

Which of the prophets did your ancestors fail to persecute? They killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers.

Now those who were scattered went from place to place preaching the word.

So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, who was a member of the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was in charge of all her treasures and had come up to Jerusalem to worship.

In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can describe his descendants? For his life is taken away from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip, "I ask you, who is the prophet talking about? Himself? Or someone else?"

He asked, "Who are you, Lord?"

The voice said, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up, go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

Meanwhile, the men who were traveling with Saul were standing speechless, for they heard the voice but didn't see anyone.

He is here with authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call on your name."

So Ananias left and went to that house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were traveling, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Everyone who heard him was astonished and said, "This is the man who harassed those who were calling on Jesus' name in Jerusalem, isn't it? Didn't he come here to bring them in chains to the high priests?"

But Saul grew more and more persuasive, and continued to confound the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this man was the Messiah.

Barnabas, however, introduced Saul to the apostles, telling them how on the road Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how courageously he had spoken in the name of Jesus in Damascus.