saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us; for as to this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days,

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

Then God turned himself, and gave them up, that they should worship the stars of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'O ye of the house of Israel: gave ye to me sacrifices and meat offerings by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

who found favor (grace, spiritual blessing) in the sight of God and asked that he might [be allowed to] find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

Hath not my hand made all these things?

But with loud cries, and stopping their ears, they made an attack on him all together,

And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over 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 came out from those who had them, crying with a loud voice; and a number of those who were ill and broken in body were made well.

Now for some time previous a man called Simon had been practising magic arts in the town, to the utter astonishment of the Samaritan nation; he made himself out to be a great person,

Everyone there, high and low, made much of him, and said, "He must be what is known as the Great Power of God!"

They were paying attention to him because for a long time he had mystified and dazzled them with his magic.

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

Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the touch of the Apostles' hands, he made them an offering of money, saying,

Saying, Give me also this power, that upon whomsoever I put hands, he might receive the Holy Spirit.

But Peter said to him: Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God might be purchased with money.

So they, having given their witness and made clear the word of the Lord, went back to Jerusalem, giving the good news on their way in a number of the small towns of Samaria.

But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” (This is a desert road).

So he got up and went. There he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship,

And he said, How is that possible when I have no guide? And he made Philip get up by his side.

Now the place in the book where he was reading was this: He was taken, like a sheep, to be put to death; and as a lamb is quiet when its wool is being cut, so he made no sound:

but Philip found himself at Ashdod. Then visiting town after town he everywhere made known the Good News until he reached Caesarea.

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.

But get up, and go into the town, and it will be made clear to you what you have to do.

And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto you in the way as you came, has sent me, that you might receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

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 went on increasing in power, and the Jews in Damascus were not able to give answers to the arguments by which he made it clear that Jesus was the Christ.

Then, after some days, the Jews made an agreement together to put him to death:

but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night that they might kill him:

So he came to Jerusalem and made several attempts to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, being in doubt as to whether he himself was a disciple.

Talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him.

And so the church through all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was made strong; and, living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was increased greatly.

And he found there a certain man {named} Aeneas who was paralyzed, who had been lying on a mat for eight years.

Peter told him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Messiah is healing you. Get up and put away your mat!" At once he got up,

Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

But Peter made them all go outside, and went down on his knees in prayer; and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, get up. And, opening her eyes, she saw Peter and got up.

A serious-minded man, fearing God with all his family; he gave much money to the poor, and made prayer to God at all times.

and having made known all things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

On the next day, while these men were on their way, just as they were nearing the town, Peter went up on the housetop about mid-day to pray.

And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

And the voice [came] again to him for the second time: "[The things] which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!"

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,

And the day following he entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them, and had invited his relations and intimate friends to meet them.

And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

But Peter made him rise, saying, Rise up: I myself also am a man.

And he said to them, You yourselves have knowledge that it is against the law for a man who is a Jew to be in the company of one who is of another nation; but God has made it clear to me that no man may be named common or unclean:

He has sent his message to Israel's descendants, and made the good news of peace known to them through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of us all.

That word you yourselves have knowledge of, which was made public through all Judaea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism of which John was the preacher,

Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest,

And he gave us orders to give news of this to the people, and to give public witness that this is he whom God has made judge of the living and the dead.

But the voice replied from heaven for the second time, '[The things] which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!'

When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified and praised God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance that leads to eternal life [that is, real life after earthly death].”

Those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one except Jews.

Who, when he came and saw the grace of God, was glad; and he made clear to them the need of keeping near the Lord with all the strength of their hearts:

And [when he] found [him], he brought [him] to Antioch. And it happened to them also [that they] met together [for] a whole year with the church and taught a large number [of people]. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

And one of them, named Agabus, rose and made known, by the Spirit, that a great famine was about to come on the whole habitable land; which took place in the days of Claudius.

And the disciples, everyone as he was able, made a decision to send help to the brothers living in Judaea:

Now, about that time, Herod the king made cruel attacks on the Christians.

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

And being aware of his condition, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who is surnamed Mark, where many had met together, and were praying.

And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda.

And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

And having made a sign to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison; and he said, Report these things to James and to the brethren. And he went out and went to another place.

And, when Herod had made further search for him and failed to find him, he closely questioned the Guard, and ordered them away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to stay at Caesarea.

And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.

And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

word of God made continual progress. and after Barnabas

When they had gone through the whole length of the island as far as Paphos, they there met with a Jewish magician and false prophet, Bar-Jesus by name,

Now, therefore, lo! the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun, until a fitting time. And, instantly, there fell upon him a mist and darkness; and, going about, he was seeking such as might lead him by the hand.

thereupon Paul stood up, and having made sign with his hand for their attention, he said, men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great and numerous during their stay [as foreigners] in the land of Egypt, and then with an uplifted arm He led them out of there.

And having put him on one side, he made David their king, to whom he gave witness, saying, I have taken David, the son of Jesse, a man dear to my heart, who will do all my pleasure.

For whose coming John made ready the way by preaching to all the people of Israel the baptism which goes with a change of heart.

For the people living in Jerusalem, together with their ruling officials, did not understand [that Jesus was the Messiah] or what the message of the prophets, which is read every Sabbath day, really meant. So, [because of this] they [actually] made these Scripture predictions come true by condemning Jesus.

And having found no cause of death in him, they begged of Pilate that he might be slain.

And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

that God has fulfilled to us, their children, the promise that he made to our forefathers, by raising Jesus to life, just as the Scripture says in the second psalm, You are my Son! Today I have become your Father!'

Since He raised Him from the dead, never to return to decay, He has spoken in this way, I will grant you the faithful covenant blessings made to David.

And through him everyone who has faith is made free from all those things, from which the law of Moses was not able to make you free.

See, you doubters, have wonder and come to your end; for I will do a thing in your days to which you will not give belief, even if it is made clear to you.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

And on the next sabbath-day, almost the whole city met together to hear the word of God.

But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to object to the statements made by Paul and even to abuse him.

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, "It was meet that the word of God should first have been preached to you. But seeing ye put it from you, and think yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the gentiles.

For that is what the Lord ordered us to do: "I have made you a light to the gentiles to be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.'"

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

they, aware of the situation, escaped to Lystra and Derbe, [taking refuge in the] cities of Lycaonia, and the neighboring region;

At Lystra they met a certain man sitting [on the street] who had a crippling handicap in his feet which he had suffered since birth. [It was so severe] he was never able to walk.

The same heard Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes upon him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,

But the crowds, who saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices in Lycaonian, saying, The gods, having made themselves like men, are come down to us.

The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.

And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch,

And when they had made selection of some to be rulers in every church, and had given themselves to prayer and kept themselves from food, they put them into the care of the Lord in whom they had faith.