Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

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

And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

Then going out of the land of the Chaldeans he dwelt in Charran, and thence, after his father died, he removed him into this land in which ye now dwell.

And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

And God gave Abraham a covenant [a formal agreement to be strictly observed] of [which] circumcision [was the sign]; and so [under these circumstances] Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father] of Jacob, and Jacob [became the father] of the twelve patriarchs.

and delivered him out of all his adversities, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; which made him governor over Egypt, and over all his household.

and were carried over to Sychem and placed in the sepulchre which Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.

In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:

Dost thou wish to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?

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,

And the Lord said to him, Loose the sandal of thy feet, for the place on which thou standest is holy ground.

I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

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:

to whom our fathers did not wish to become obedient, but did thrust away, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

"Moreover they made a calf at that time, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and kept rejoicing in the gods which their own hands had made.

So God turned from them and gave them up to the worship of the Host of Heaven, as it is written in the Book of the Prophets, "'Were they victims and sacrifices which you offered Me, forty years in the Desert, O House of Israel?

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.

Our fathers had the tent of the testimony in the wilderness, as he that spoke to Moses commanded to make it according to the model which he had seen;

Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;

which found favour before God, and desired that he would faine have made a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

‘Heaven is My throne,
And the earth is the footstool for My feet;
What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord,
‘Or what place is there for My rest?

‘Was it not My hand which made all these things?’

Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

which caused great joy in that city.

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

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

When people believed the good news about God's kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, which Philip was preaching, both men and women were immersed [in water].

Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

which, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the holy ghost.

Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, in the hope that the purpose which is in your heart may perhaps be forgiven you.

Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

And he arose and went on, and behold, a man of Ethiopia which was a chamberlain and of great authority with Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, and had the rule of all her treasure, came to Jerusalem for to pray.

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:

But Philip was found at Ashdod, and, as he went on his way, he told the Good News in all the towns through which he passed, till he came to Caesarea.

and falling to the ground he heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

trembling also, and astonished, he said, 'Lord, what dost thou wish me to do?' and the Lord said unto him, 'Arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what it behoveth thee to do.'

And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

For I will let him know the great sufferings which he must pass through for My sake."

And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he recover'd his sight; upon which he instantly arose, and was baptized.

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

But Saul got knowledge of their design. And they kept watch day and night on the roads out of the town, so that they might put him to death:

Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.

And there he found a certain man named AEneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.

Peter said to him, Eneas, Jesus, who is the Messiah, gives thee health: rise, and make your bed your self: upon which he immediately rose.

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.

And it came about, in those days, that she got ill and came to her death: and when she had been washed, they put her in a room which was high 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.

AND a certain man at Caesarea, named Cornelius, a centurion of the cohort which was called the Italian,

A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

He is being entertained at the house of a tanner named Simon, which is close to the sea."

And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

AM], while he was wide awake, he had a vision in which an angel of God came to him [and spoke his name] "Cornelius."

in which were all the quadrupeds and creeping things of the earth, and the fowls of the heaven.

and a voice came to him which said, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat."

But Peter said, No, Lord; for I have never taken food which is common or unclean.

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 called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

for which reason I came without demur, as soon as I knew your message: I ask therefore upon what account you sent for me?

Send therefore to Joppa, and call for Simon, which is also called Peter. He is lodged in the house of one Simon, a tanner, by the seaside: the which as soon as he is come, shall speak unto thee.'

So, straight away, I sent for you; and you have done well to come. And now, we are all present before God, ready to give attention to all the things which the Lord has given you to say.

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

How God had anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy ghost, and with power; which Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devils, for God was with him.

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

not to all the people, but unto us witnesses chosen before of God, which ate and drank with him, after he arose from death.

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

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

And he directed that they should be baptized in the Faith of Jesus Christ; after which they asked him to stay there a few days longer.

saying, as I was at prayers in Joppa, I saw something like a great sheet, tied at the four corners, which descended from heaven, and came just to me.

Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

then I heard a voice, which said, rise, Peter; kill and eat.

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

And behold, forthwith three men stood before the house in which we were, having been sent from Caesarea unto me.

And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;

who shall speak sayings by which thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house.

This statement of Peter's silenced his opponents. They extolled the goodness of God, and said, "So, then, to the Gentiles also God has given the repentance which leads to Life."

Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.