When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,

who also said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky."

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.

For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.

"Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know,

For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself."

They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.

A certain man who was lame from his mother's womb was being carried, whom they put daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple.

And as he held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, "You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?

"Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.

As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them,

Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest.

He is 'the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.'

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?'

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,

"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.

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,

"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."

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

Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask the Lord if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?"

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.

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;

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

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,

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.'

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.'

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.'"

As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.

But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are."

This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,

As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.

Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the prominent women.

Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.

But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.

neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.

'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'

Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence, whom all Asia and the world worships."

When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.

A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead.

As we stayed there some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he asked the commanding officer, "May I speak something to you?" He said, "Do you know Greek?

"I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are this day.

As also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

It happened that, as I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from the sky a great light around me.

As they yelled, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, "Cheer up, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome."

Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near."

And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night."

As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, "Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you."

But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

As they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed;

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

"Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are crazy. Your great learning is driving you insane."

Paul said, "I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds."