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!”

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and expired. (Great awe came over all who heard of it.)

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

“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”

And the whole church and all who heard this were appalled.

Besides this, the inhabitants of the towns round Jerusalem flocked into the city, bringing with them their sick and those who were troubled by foul spirits; and they were cured every one.

This aroused the high priest and all his supporters, the party of the Sadducees, and filled them with jealousy,

“Go and stand in the temple complex, and tell the people all about this life.”

In obedience to this, they entered the temple complex at daybreak and began to teach.

When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full Senate of the sons of Israel—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.

but the officers who went there not finding them in the prison, returned, and made this report,

As the commander of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, as to what could come of this.

On this, the Officer went with his men and fetched the Apostles--without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people--

“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!”

But Peter and the apostles answered them, "We must obey God instead of [you] men [in this situation].

God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

And we are witness to the truth of this, and so is the Holy Spirit--the gift of God to those who obey him."

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

For before this there was Theudas, who said he was someone important, to whom about four hundred men gave their support: he was put to death, and his band was broken up and came to nothing.

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.

And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown;

Then they went rejoicing from the presence of the sanhedrim, that for his name's sake, they had been counted worthy to suffer this injurious treatment.

Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.

this proposition pleased the whole assembly: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the holy spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.

Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God."

By this means they excited the people, the elders, and the scribes, and so they rushed upon him, seized him, and brought him before the council.

They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

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

“Is this true?” the high priest asked.

“Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land you now live in.

But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground. And yet He promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity after him--and promised this at a time when Abraham was childless.

God spoke in this way:

His descendants would be strangers
in a foreign country,
and they would enslave
and oppress them 400 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.

Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; Isaac did the same with Jacob, and Jacob with the 12 patriarchs.

after this, Joseph sent to invite his father Jacob to come with all his kindred, being threescore and fifteen persons.

Till another king arose, who knew not Joseph. This king formed crafty schemes against our nation,

this one, having dealt subtilely with our kindred, did evil to our fathers, causing to expose their babes, that they might not live;

At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. He was cared for in his father’s home three months,

for he supposed his brethren would have perceiv'd by this, that God design'd to make him the instrument of their deliverance; but they did not perceive it.

“At this disclosure, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.

Moses was astonished at this vision: and as he drew near to observe it, he heard the voice of the Lord, which said to him,

“This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?—this one God sent as a ruler and a redeemer by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

This man led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 40 years.

“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers.

This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

They told Aaron:

Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.

And so the people fashioned a calf [out of gold] and offered [an animal] sacrifice to this idol and [then] celebrated joyously over what they had done [See Exodus 32:4-6; 17-19].

This tent our forefathers brought in and passed on when under Joshua they dispossessed the nations which God drove out before them, and it remained until the time of David.

But [eventually] it was Solomon who [actually] built this house [for God].

Did not my hand make all this?

As they continued to listen to this address, they were becoming infuriated and began to grind their teeth at him.

At this, with a loud shout, they stopped their ears and all rushed upon him, forced him outside the city,

Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin!” And saying this, he fell asleep.

And Saul fully approved of his murder. At this time a great persecution broke out against the Church in Jerusalem, and all except the Apostles were scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria.

But there was a certain man, named Simon, who had, be fore this time, been practicing magic in the city, and astonishing the people of Samaria, saying that he was some great one;

They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God!”

And [this] Simon also believed [Philip's message] and was immersed. [After that] he continued [to travel] with Philip and was amazed by the [supernatural] signs and great miracles he saw [him perform].

Before this, he had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Now when Simon saw that through the placing of the apostles' hands [on people] the Holy Spirit was given [Note: The fact that Simon "saw" something happen suggests it was supernatural and therefore highly desirable by Simon], he offered to pay them money [for this power],

saying, “Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

after this the apostles having certified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel by the way in many villages of the Samaritans.

And a messenger of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, 'Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza,' -- this is desert.

So, he went and [eventually] came across a man who was the Ethiopian Queen Candace's treasurer. He was a high official and was also a eunuch [Note: This was a man without normal sexual activity], who had been to Jerusalem to worship [i.e., probably as a Jewish proselyte].

Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

and Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him -- Jesus.

[This verse in not in the majority of the manuscripts.]

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

The Lord told him, "Get up, go to the street called Straight, and in the home of Judas look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. At this very moment he's praying.

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

And in this city too he has authority from the high priests to put anyone in chains who invokes thy Name!"

But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites.

Instantly there dropped from his eyes what seemed to be scales, and he could see once more. Upon this he rose and received baptism;

And immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: "This one is the Son of God!"

But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

But this project was known to Saul. And they observed narrowly the gates day, and also night, that they might kill him.

So when the brothers found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and from there sent him back to Tarsus.

Then after that, Peter traveled throughout the entire region until he came down to visit God's holy people who lived in Lydda. [Note: This was a town on the west coast of Palestine].

Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

She happened to take ill and die at this time, and after washing her body they laid it in an upper room.

This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

About three o'clock one afternoon [Note: This is based on Jewish time calculations; if Roman time were employed, it would have been

Then looking stedfastly on him, and being terrified, he said, What means this, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

this one doth lodge with a certain Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea; this one shall speak to thee what it behoveth thee to do.'

In this were all kinds of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts and creeping things and birds of the air.

This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,

While Peter thought on this vision, the spirit said unto him, "Behold, men seek thee: arise therefore, get thee down,

Upon this Peter invited them in and entertained them. The next day he lost no time in setting out with them, accompanied by some of the Brethren from Jaffa;

To them he said: "You know, yourselves, that it is illegal for a Jew to associate with or to visit one of another nation; but God has taught me that I should not call any man common or unclean. For this reason, when sent for, I came without demur.

For this reason, when I was sent for, I came without making objection. I ask, therefore, for what purpose have you sent for me?

And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

send, therefore, to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter; this one doth lodge in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea, who having come, shall speak to thee;

From this therefore sent I to thee: and thou didst well being present. Now therefore are all we present before God, to hear all commanded thee of God.

the word that he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming good news -- peace through Jesus Christ (this one is Lord of all,)

This word you know, which was throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

This message was about Jesus from Nazareth and how God specially chose Him [and signified it] by giving Him the Holy Spirit and power. He traveled all over doing good [for people] and healing everyone who was [being] oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.