Day 74 of 90

¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sappirah, his wife, sold a possession,

²and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and put it at the apostles' feet.

³But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

⁴While 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."

⁵Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard it.

⁶The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him.

⁷About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in.

⁸Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." She said, "Yes, for so much."

⁹But 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."

¹⁰She fell down immediately at his feet, and died. The young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband.

¹¹Great fear came on the whole church, and on all who heard these things.

¹²By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

¹³None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them.

¹⁴More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.

¹⁵They even carried out the sick into the streets, and put them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them.

¹⁶Multitudes also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people, and those who were tormented by unclean spirits: and they were all healed.

¹⁷But 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,

¹⁸and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody.

¹⁹But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out, and said,

²⁰"Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."

²¹When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

²²But the officers who came did not find them in the prison. They returned and reported,

²³"We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!"

²⁴Now when the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this.

²⁵One came and told them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people."

²⁶Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

²⁷When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them,

²⁸saying, "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."

²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.

³¹God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.

³²We are witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

³³But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and wanted to kill them.

³⁴But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the men out for a little while.

³⁵He said to them, "You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do.

³⁶For 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.

³⁷After 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.

³⁸Now 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.

³⁹But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!"

⁴⁰They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.

⁴²Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming Jesus, the Messiah.

¹Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service.

²The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables.

³Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

⁴But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word."

⁵These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch;

⁶whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

⁷The word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

⁸Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

⁹But 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.

¹⁰They weren't able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

¹¹Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."

¹²They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, and brought him in to the council,

¹³and set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the Law.

¹⁴For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us."

¹⁵All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.

¹The high priest said, "Are these things so?"

²He said, "Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

³and said to him, 'Get out of your land, and from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.'

⁴Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land, where you are now living.

⁵He 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.

⁶God 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.

⁷'I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that will they come out, and serve me in this place.'

⁸He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

⁹"The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him,

¹⁰and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

¹¹Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.

¹²But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.

¹³On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's race was revealed to Pharaoh.

¹⁴Then Joseph sent, and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.

¹⁵Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers,

¹⁶and they were brought back to Shechem, and placed in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor in Shechem.

¹⁷"But as the time of the promise came close which God had made to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸until there arose a different king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

¹⁹The same took advantage of our race, and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to throw out their babies, so that they would not stay alive.

²⁰At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father's house.

²¹When he was thrown out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and reared him as her own son.

²²Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.

²³But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.

²⁴Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

²⁵He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they did not understand.

²⁶"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?'

²⁷But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

²⁸Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'

²⁹Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

³⁰"When forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

³¹When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came,

³²'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.' Moses trembled, and dared not look.

³³The Lord said to him, 'Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

³⁴I 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.'

³⁵"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.

³⁶This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

³⁷This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.'

³⁸This 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,

³⁹to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

⁴⁰saying 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.'

⁴¹They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

⁴²But 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?

⁴³You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.'

⁴⁴"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;

⁴⁵which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David,

⁴⁶who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.

⁴⁷But Solomon built him a house.

⁴⁸However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

⁴⁹'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?

⁵⁰Did not my hand make all these things?'

⁵¹"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.

⁵²Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

⁵³You received the Law as it was ordained by angels, and did not keep it!"

⁵⁴Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

⁵⁶and said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

⁵⁷But they shouted out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.

⁵⁸They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

⁶⁰He kneeled down, and shouted out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he fell asleep.

¹Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the church which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

²Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him.

³But Saul ravaged the church, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.

⁴Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around proclaiming the word.

⁵Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Messiah.

⁶The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he did.

⁷For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

⁸There was great joy in that city.

⁹But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one,

¹⁰to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that power of God which is called Great."

¹¹They listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

¹²But when they believed Philip proclaiming good news concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³Simon himself also believed. Being baptized, he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occurring, he was amazed.

¹⁴Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

¹⁵who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit;

¹⁶for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁷Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

¹⁹saying, "Give me also this power, that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."

²⁰But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

²¹You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

²²Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask the Lord if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

²³For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."

²⁴Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me."

²⁵They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶But 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."

²⁷He arose and went; and behold, there was a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.

²⁸He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹The Spirit said to Philip, "Go near, and join yourself to this chariot."

³⁰Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

³¹He said, "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?" He begged Philip to come up and sit with him.

³²Now 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.

³³In his humiliation, justice was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth."

³⁴The eunuch answered Philip, "Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?"

³⁵Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him Jesus.

³⁶As 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?" [

³⁷Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' He answered, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.]

³⁸He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

¹But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

²and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

³As he traveled, it happened that he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

⁴He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

⁵He said, "Who are you, Lord?" The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

⁶But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

⁷The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.

⁸Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

⁹He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!" He said, "Behold, it's me, Lord."

¹¹The 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,

¹²and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight."

¹³But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

¹⁴Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."

¹⁵But 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.

¹⁶For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake."

¹⁷Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

¹⁸Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

¹⁹He took food and was strengthened. He stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

²⁰Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.

²¹All 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!"

²²But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.

²³When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him,

²⁴but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

²⁵but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

²⁶When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

²⁷But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

²⁸He was with them coming in and going out in Jerusalem, proclaiming boldly in the name of the Lord.

²⁹He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

³⁰When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

³²It happened, as Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

³³There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed.

³⁴Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!" Immediately he arose.

³⁵All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated, means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did.

³⁷It happened in those days that she fell sick, and died. When they had washed her, they placed her in an upper chamber.

³⁸As 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.

³⁹Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

⁴⁰Peter put them all out, and kneeled down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

⁴¹He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

⁴²And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

⁴³It happened, that he stayed many days in Joppa with one Simon, a tanner.

¹Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

²a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.

³At about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

⁴He, 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.

⁵Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is surnamed Peter.

⁶He lodges with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside."

⁷When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually.

⁸Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹Now 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.

¹⁰He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance.

¹¹He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,

¹²in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky.

¹³A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat!"

¹⁴But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."

¹⁵A voice came to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean."

¹⁶This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.

¹⁷Now while Peter was very perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate,

¹⁸and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodging there.

¹⁹While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men seek you.

²⁰But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."

²¹Peter went down to the men, and said, "Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?"

²²They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say."

²³So he called them in and lodged them. On the next day he arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

²⁴On the next day they entered into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends.

²⁵When it happened that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up! I myself am also a man."

²⁷And as he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together.

²⁸He 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.

²⁹Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?"

³⁰Cornelius said, "Four days ago until this hour, the ninth hour, I was praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

³¹and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of God.

³²Send therefore to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. He lodges in the house of Simon a tanner, by the seaside.'

³³Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by the Lord."

³⁴And Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God does not show favoritism;

³⁵but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

³⁶The word which he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming good news of peace by Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all-

³⁷that spoken word you yourselves know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

³⁸even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

³⁹We are witnesses of everything he did both in the countryside of Judea, and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree.

⁴⁰God raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed,

⁴¹not 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.

⁴²He 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.

⁴³All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins."

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.

⁴⁵They 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.

⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in other languages and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

⁴⁷"Can any man forbid the water, that these who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we should not be baptized?"

⁴⁸He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay some days.

¹Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

²When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

³saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!"

⁴But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

⁵"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.

⁶When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat!'

⁸But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.'

⁹But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean.'

¹⁰This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

¹¹Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

¹²The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house.

¹³He 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,

¹⁴who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.'

¹⁵As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

¹⁶I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

¹⁷If 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?"

¹⁸When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!"

¹⁹They 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.

²⁰But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, proclaiming the Lord Jesus.

²¹The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

²²The report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

²³who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.

²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

²⁵Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

²⁶When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

²⁷Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

²⁸One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

²⁹As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

³⁰which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

¹Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hands to oppress some of the church.

²He killed Jacob, the brother of John, with the sword.

³When he saw that it pleased the Jewish people, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.

⁴When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

⁵Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the church to God for him.

⁶The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, "Stand up quickly!" His chains fell off from his hands.

⁸The angel said to him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." He did so. He said to him, "Put on your cloak, and follow me."

⁹And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

¹⁰When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

¹¹When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting."

¹²Thinking 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.

¹³When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

¹⁴When she recognized Peter's voice, she did not open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

¹⁵They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."

¹⁶But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

¹⁷But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell these things to Jacob, and to the brothers." Then he departed, and went to another place.

¹⁸Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

¹⁹When Herod had sought for him, and did not find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

²⁰Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food.

²¹On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.

²²The people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"

²³Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴But the word of God grew and multiplied.

²⁵Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

¹Now in the church that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

²As 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."

³Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

⁴So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

⁵When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant.

⁶When 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,

⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.

⁹But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

¹⁰and said, "Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

¹¹Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!" Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹²Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

¹³Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁴But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

¹⁵After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak."

¹⁶Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

¹⁷The 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.

¹⁸For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

¹⁹When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance

²⁰for about four hundred fifty years. After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

²¹Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

²²When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.'

²³From this man's seed, according to his promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

²⁴before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

²⁵As 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.'

²⁶Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to us.

²⁷For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

²⁸Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

²⁹When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and placed him in a tomb.

³⁰But God raised him from the dead,

³¹and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

³²We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

³³that 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.'

³⁴"Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.'

³⁵Therefore he says also in another psalm, 'You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.'

³⁶For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was placed with his fathers, and saw decay.

³⁷But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

³⁸Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

³⁹and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

⁴⁰Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the Prophets:

⁴¹'Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.'"

⁴²So when they went out they begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

⁴³Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴The next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of the Lord.

⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

⁴⁶Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, "It was necessary that God's word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁴⁷For 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.'"

⁴⁸As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

⁴⁹The Lord's word was spread abroad throughout all the region.

⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.

⁵¹But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

⁵²The disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit.

¹It happened in Iconium that they entered together into the Jewish synagogue, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

²But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.

³Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

⁴But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

⁵When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,

⁶they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.

⁷There they preached the Good News.

⁸At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

⁹He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,

¹⁰said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" He leaped up and walked.

¹¹When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

¹²They called Barnabas "Jupiter," and Paul "Mercury," because he was the chief speaker.

¹³The 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.

¹⁴But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out,

¹⁵"Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them;

¹⁶who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

¹⁷Yet he did not leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

¹⁸Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.

¹⁹But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

²⁰But 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.

²¹When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

²²confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God.

²³When they had appointed elders for them in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

²⁴They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.

²⁵When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

²⁷When they had arrived, and had gathered the church together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

²⁸They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.

¹Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

²Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

³They, being sent on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.

⁴When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.

⁵But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses."

⁶The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.

⁷When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe.

⁸God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us.

⁹He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

¹¹But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are."

¹²All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.

¹³After they were silent, Jacob answered, "Brothers, listen to me.

¹⁴Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name.

¹⁵This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,

¹⁶'After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up,

¹⁷That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; All the Gentiles who are called by my name,' Says the Lord, who makes these things

¹⁸known from of old.

¹⁹"Therefore my judgment is that we do not trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,

²⁰but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

²¹For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who proclaim him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.

²³They wrote these things by their hand: "The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.

²⁴Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, to whom we gave no commandment;

²⁵it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell."

³⁰So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.

³¹When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.

³²Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.

³³After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to those that had sent them forth.

³⁴No text for this verse number in this edition.

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord, with many others also.

³⁶After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing."

³⁷Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.

³⁸But Paul did not think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and did not go with them to do the work.

³⁹Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,

⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

⁴¹He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

¹He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.

²The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

³Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

⁴As 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.

⁵So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

⁶When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

⁷When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

⁸Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

⁹A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us."

¹⁰When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.

¹¹Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

¹²and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

¹³On the Sabbath day we went forth outside of the gate by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together.

¹⁴A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.

¹⁵When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay." So she persuaded us.

¹⁶It 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.

¹⁷She followed Paul and us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation!"

¹⁸She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" It came out that very hour.

¹⁹But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

²⁰When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,

²¹and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

²²The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

²³When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely,

²⁴who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.

²⁵But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

²⁶Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were loosened.

²⁷The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸But Paul shouted loudly, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"

²⁹He called for lights and sprang in, and, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,

³⁰and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

³¹They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

³²They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.

³³He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.

³⁴He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.

³⁵But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, "Let those men go."

³⁶The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out, and go in peace."

³⁷But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and bring us out!"

³⁸The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

³⁹and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

⁴⁰They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia's house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed.

¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

²Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

³explaining and demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Messiah."

⁴Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.

⁵But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.

⁶When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

⁷whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!"

⁸The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.

⁹When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

¹⁰The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

¹¹Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

¹²Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes.

¹⁴Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.

¹⁵But 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.

¹⁶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

¹⁷So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

¹⁸Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?

²⁰For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean."

²¹Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

²²Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

²³For 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.

²⁴The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,

²⁵neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.

²⁶He made from one every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,

²⁷that they should seek God, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

²⁸'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.'

²⁹Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.

³⁰The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

³¹because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead."

³²Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you again concerning this."

³³Thus Paul went out from among them.

³⁴But certain men joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

¹After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth.

²He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them,

³and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers.

⁴He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.

⁵But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

⁶When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!"

⁷He departed there, and went into the house of a certain man named Titus Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.

⁸Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

⁹The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent;

¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

¹¹He lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

¹²But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

¹³saying, "This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law."

¹⁴But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you;

¹⁵but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I do not want to be a judge of these matters."

¹⁶He drove them from the judgment seat.

¹⁷Then all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio did not care about any of these things.

¹⁸Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.

¹⁹They came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

²⁰When they asked him to stay a longer time, he declined;

²¹but taking his leave of them, and saying, "I will return again to you if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.

²²When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.

²³Having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.

²⁴Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures.

²⁵This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.

²⁶He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

²⁷When he had determined to pass over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he had come, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

²⁸for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.