saying, "What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

But so that this spreads no further among the people, let us threaten them, that from now on they do not speak to anyone in this name."

But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,

When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with with one accord, and said, "Sovereign Lord, it is you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;

For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

and put them at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.

Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is translated, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

While you kept it, did not it remain your own? After it was sold, was not it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God."

But Peter asked her, "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."

They even carried out the sick into the streets, and put them on cots and mats, so that as Peter came by at the least his shadow would fall on some of them.

But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy,

saying, "Did not we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood on us."

We are witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

For before these days Todah rose up, making himself out 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 dispersed, and came to nothing.

After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.

Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of man, it will be overthrown.

But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, and you would be found even to be fighting against God."

Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah.

So the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables.

But some of those who were of the synagogue called "The Libertines," and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.

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

He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when he still had no child.

God spoke in this way: that his seed would live as foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

"But as the time of the promise came close which God had made to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

When he was thrown out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and reared him as her own son.

"The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, 'Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?'

But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came,

The Lord said to him, 'Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.'

"This Moses, whom they refused, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?'?God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.'

This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received words of life to give to us,

saying to Aaron, 'Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

But God turned, and abandoned them to serve the hosts of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

"Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen;

However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

'heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?' says the Lord; 'or what is the place of my rest?

"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so you do.

You received the Law as it was ordained by angels, and did not keep it."

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that power of God which is called Great."

for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert."

He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth.

In his humiliation, justice was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth."

The eunuch answered Philip, "Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?"

As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?"

As he traveled, it happened that he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

The Lord said to him, "Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

But the Lord said to him, "Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the sons of Israel.

Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.

All who heard him were amazed, and said, "Is not this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests."

But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.

It happened, as Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to us.

He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, "What is it, Lord?" He said to him, "Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God.

Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is surnamed Peter.

He lodges with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside."

Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.

But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."

And as he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together.

He said to them, "You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.

and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of God.

Send therefore to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. He lodges in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.'

but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

The word which he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming good news of peace by Jesus Christ?he is Lord of all?

not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

He commanded us to proclaim to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead.

They of the circumcision who believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles.

"Can any man forbid the water, that these who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we should not be baptized?"

"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.

He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, 'Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter,

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?"

They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.

The report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

They said to her, "You are crazy." But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."

Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them."

When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant.

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus,

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.

But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as foreigners in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it.

As John was fulfilling his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'

Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to us.

that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son. Today I have become your father.'

Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the Prophets:

For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.'"