Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

"We must obey God rather than man. The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus, whom you slew by hanging him on a tree.

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

But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in honor of all the people, and commanded to put the men forth a little while.

And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself 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 scattered, and brought to nought.

After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

So the twelve summoned the main body of the disciples and said: "It is not desirable that we should drop preaching the word of God and attend to meals.

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

These men they brought to the Apostles, and, after prayer, they laid their hands upon them.

And Stephen [i.e., one of the seven men chosen to minister to widows, verse 5], who was full of [God's] favor and power, performed great wonders and [miraculous] signs in front of the [Jewish] people.

But some members of the so-called 'Synagogue of the Freed-men,' together with some Cyrenaeans, Alexandrians, Cilicians and men from Roman Asia, were roused to encounter Stephen in debate.

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:

Then said the high priest, Are these things so? And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken.

And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

And the brothers, moved with envy against Joseph, gave him to the Egyptians for money: but God was with him,

in the mean time a famine spread over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, so that our fathers did not know where to get provisions.

And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

This man deceitfully took advantage of our people [and] mistreated our ancestors, {causing them to abandon their infants} so that they would not be kept alive.

So Moses learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a great man, both in words and in deeds.

And when he saw one [of them] being treated unfairly, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking and killing the Egyptian.

'On the succeeding day, also, he shewed himself to them as they are striving, and urged them to peace, saying, Men, brethren are ye, wherefore do ye injustice to one another?

But the man who was injuring his neighbor pushed Moses away, saying, ‘Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?

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

When the man said this, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, 'Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?'--this man God sent [as] both ruler and redeemer with {the help} of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

This is the man who was in the church in the waste land with the angel who was talking to him in Sinai, and with our fathers; and to him were given the living words of God, so that he might give them to you.

Yet the Most High does not dwell in buildings erected by men's hands. But, as the Prophet declares,

"O stiff-necked men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you also are continually at strife with the Holy Spirit--just as your forefathers were.

Which of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? They killed the men who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and killed??53 you who had the Law given to you by angels, and did not obey it!"

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

With a loud shriek they shut their ears and rushed at him like one man.

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

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.

Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them.

And the crowds attended like one man to what was said by Philip, listening to him and watching the miracles he performed.

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 the great power of God.

But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

Now the passage of scripture the man was reading was this: "He was led like a sheep to slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will make known His posterity? For He is destroyed from among men."

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 Scripture, he preached the good-news to him--the man Jesus.

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.

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

And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

And the Lord'said unto 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 prayeth;

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

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

And the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is an elect vessel to me, to bear my name before both nations and kings and the sons of Israel:

and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "This man is the Son of God."

All those who heard him continued to be amazed and said, “Is this not the man who in Jerusalem attacked those who called on this name [of Jesus], and had come here [to Damascus] for the express purpose of bringing them bound [with chains] before the chief 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.

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

When everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him [i.e., that the man was healed], they turned [their lives over] to the Lord.

Now at Joppa [Note: This was also a town on the west coast of Palestine, today called "Jaffa," and is now a part of Tel Aviv] there was a certain disciple named Tabitha (she was also called Dorcas, which means "Gazelle"). She practiced many good deeds and always gave money to poor people.

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

and Peter remained for a considerable time at Jaffa, staying at the house of a man called Simon, a tanner.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

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

The same man saw in a vision evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming into him, and saying unto him, "Cornelius."

And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

This man is staying as a guest with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."

And when the angel who said these words to him had gone away, he sent for two of his house-servants, and a God-fearing man of the army, one of those who were waiting on him at all times;

Now, on the morrow, as those men were journeying, and, unto the city, drawing near, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour;

And he became very hungry and wanted to eat. But while those men prepared, a trance fell upon him.

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 the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

"Three men are now looking for you. Rise, go down and go with them, nothing doubting; for it is I who have sent them."

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?

And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

So, Peter invited them to stay [for the night]. The next day Peter got up and went with the men, [who were] accompanied by certain [Christian] brothers from Joppa.

But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

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,

He said to me, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and God has taken account of your giving money to poor people.

Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon who is also called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.

So, I proceeded to send [my men] for you and you have done the right thing in coming [here]. Now, therefore, we are all assembled here before God, to hear everything you were commanded by the Lord [to tell us]."

Then Peter began to speak. "I clearly see," he said, "that God makes no distinctions between one man and another;

But in every nation, the man who has fear of him and does righteousness is pleasing to him.

He has sent his word to the descendants of Israel and brought them the good news of peace through Jesus the Messiah. This man is the Lord of everyone.

the story, I mean, which has spread through the length and breadth of Judaea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.

The story, I mean, of Jesus of Nazareth, and how God consecrated him his Christ by enduing him with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and curing all who were under the power of the Devil, because God was with him.

This man God raised up the third day and gave him to be openly seen,

not to all the people, but to witnesses--men previously chosen by God--namely, to us, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to solemnly testify that this is the man designated by God, Judge of the living and the dead.

To this man all the prophets testify, that every man who believes in him, to receive remission of sins through his name.

And the faithful men of circumcision were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because also on the Gentiles the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.