said to them: Men of Judaea, and all that dwell in Jerusalem, be this
known to you, and hearken to my words. (15)For these are not drunken,
as ye suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. (16)But this is
what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
(17)And it shall be in the last days, saith God,
That I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams;
(18)And even on my servants and on my handmaids,
I will pour out of my Spirit in those days,
And they shall prophesy.
(19)And I will show wonders in heaven above,
And signs in the earth beneath,
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.
(20)The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and notable day of the Lord shall come.
(21)And it shall be, that every one who shall call
on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
(22)Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus the Nazarene, a man
accredited to you from God by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which
God wrought by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves know;
(23)this man, delivered up according to the established counsel and
foreknowledge of God, ye slew, crucifying him by the hand of lawless
ones; (24)whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death;
because it was not possible that he should be held by it. (25)For
David says concerning him:
I saw the Lord always before me;
Because he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
(26)For this my heart rejoiced, and my tongue exulted;
Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope;
(27)Because thou wilt not abandon my soul to the underworld,
Nor wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
(28)Thou didst make known to me the ways of life;
Thou wilt make me full of joy with thy presence.
(29)Men, brethren, I may speak freely to you of the patriarch David,
that he both died and was buried, and his sepulchre is among us unto
this day. (30)Being a prophet, therefore, and knowing that God swore
to him, with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins one should sit on
his throne, (31)he, foreseeing, spoke of the resurrection of the
Christ, that neither was his soul abandoned to the underworld, nor did
his flesh see corruption.
(32)This Jesus God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. (33)Being
therefore exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from
the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured forth this, which
ye now see and hear. (34)For David did not ascend into heaven; but he
says himself:
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit on my right hand,
(35)Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
(36)Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God
made him, this Jesus whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.
(37)And hearing this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to
Peter and the rest of the apostles: Men, brethren, what shall we do?
(38)And Peter said to them: Repent, and be each of you immersed, upon
the name of Jesus Christ, unto remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39)For the promise is to you, and to
your children, and to all those afar off, as many as the Lord our God
shall have called.
(40)And with many other words did he bear witness and exhort, saying:
Save yourselves from this perverse generation.
(41)They therefore, having received[2:41] his word, were immersed and
on that day there were added about three thousand souls. (42)And they
were constantly attending on the teaching of the apostles, and the
distribution, and the breaking of bread, and prayers. (43)And fear
came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were wrought through
the apostles. (44)And all that believed were together, and had all
things common; (45)and sold their possessions and goods, and divided
them among all, as any one had need. (46)And daily attending with one
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they
partook of food with gladness and singleness of heart, (47)praising
God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the
church daily those who are saved[2:47].
III.
AND Peter and John were going up together into the temple at the hour
of prayer, being the ninth hour. (2)And a certain man lame from his
mother's womb was carried along, whom they laid daily at the gate of
the temple, the one called Beautiful, to ask alms of those entering
into the temple; (3)who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the
temple, asked alms. (4)And Peter, looking intently upon him, with
John, said: Look upon us. (5)And he gave heed to them, expecting to
receive something from them. (6)And Peter said: Silver and gold have I
none; but what I have, that I give thee. In the name of Jesus Christ,
the Nazarene, rise up and walk. (7)And seizing him by the right hand,
he raised him up. And immediately his feet and ankles received
strength; (8)and leaping forth, he stood, and walked, and entered with
them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. (9)And
all the people saw him walking and praising God; (10)and they
recognized him, that this was he who sat for alms at the beautiful
gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at
that which had happened to him.
(11)And as he held fast to Peter and John, all the people ran together
to them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
(12)And Peter, seeing it, answered to the people: Men of Israel, why
wonder ye at this? Or why look ye so intently on us, as though by our
own power or godliness we had made this man to walk? (13)The God of
Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified
his servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the
presence of Pilate, when he decided to release him. (14)But ye denied
the Holy and Just, and demanded that a murderer should be granted to
you. (15)But the Author of life ye killed; whom God raised from the
dead, whereof we are witnesses[3:15]. (16)And his name, upon the faith
in his name, made this man strong, whom ye see and know; and the
faith, which is through Him, gave him this perfect soundness in the
presence of you all.
(17)And now, brethren, I know that ye acted in ignorance, as also your
rulers. (18)But thus God fulfilled what he before announced by the
mouth of all his prophets, that the Christ should suffer. (19)Repent
therefore, and turn, that your sins may be blotted out, in order that
the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
(20)and that he may send forth Jesus Christ, before appointed for you;
(21)whom the heavens, indeed, must receive, until the times of the
restoration of all things, which God spoke of by the mouth of all his
holy prophets from the beginning. (22)Moses said: A Prophet will the
Lord your God raise up to you of your brethren, like unto me; him
shall ye hear in all things whatever he shall say to you. (23)And it
shall be that every soul, that will not hear that Prophet, shall be
utterly destroyed from among the people. (24)And also all the prophets
from Samuel, both he and they who followed, as many as spoke, also
foretold these days.
(25)Ye are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made
with our fathers, saying to Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed. (26)Unto you first, God, having
raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away
every one of you from your iniquities.
IV.
AND while they were speaking to the people, the priests, and the
captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, (2)being
indignant because they taught the people, and announced in Jesus the
resurrection from the dead. (3)And they laid hands on them, and put
them in prison unto the morrow; for it was now evening.
(4)But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of
the men became about five thousand.
(5)And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders,
and scribes, (6)and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and
Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were
gathered together unto Jerusalem. (7)And having set them in the midst,
they asked: By what power, or by what name, did ye do this?
(8)Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: Rulers of
the people, and elders of Israel; (9)if we are this day examined in
respect to a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this
person has been made whole; (10)be it known to you all, and to all the
people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom
ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him does this man
stand here before you whole. (11)He is the stone that was set at
naught by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.
(12)And there is salvation in no other; for neither is there any other
name under heaven, that is given among men, in which we must be saved.
(13)And seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that
they were unlearned and obscure men, they wondered; and they
recognized them, that they were with Jesus. (14)And beholding the man
who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say
against it. (15)But having commanded them to go aside out of the
council, they conferred among themselves, (16)saying: What shall we do
to these men? For that a notorious miracle has been done by them is
manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny
it. (17)But that it spread no further among the people, let us
strictly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this
name. (18)And having called them, they commanded them not to speak at
all, nor teach, in the name of Jesus.
(19)But Peter and John answering said to them: Whether it is right in
the sight of God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye.
(20)For we can not but speak the things which we saw and heard.
(21)And they, having further threatened them, let them go, finding no
way to punish them, on account of the people, because all glorified
God for that which was done; (22)for the man was above forty years
old, on whom this sign of the healing had been wrought.
(23)And being dismissed, they went to their own company, and reported
all that the chief priests and elders said to them. (24)And they,
hearing it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said:
Lord, thou art he who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all
things in them; (25)who by the mouth of thy servant David said:
Why did the heathen rage[4:25],
And the peoples imagine vain things?
(26)The kings of the earth stood near,
And the rulers assembled together,
Against the Lord, and against his Christ.
(27)For in truth there assembled in this city, against thy holy
servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles, and the peoples of Israel, (28)to do whatever thy
hand and thy counsel before determined to be done. (29)And now, Lord,
behold their threatenings; and grant to thy servants, that with all
boldness they may speak thy word, (30)by stretching forth thy hand for
healing, and that signs and wonders may be wrought through the name of
thy holy servant Jesus.
(31)And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were
assembled; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they
spoke the word of God with boldness.
(32)And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and of
one soul; and not one said that aught of the things which he possessed
was his own, but they had all things common. (33)And with great power
the apostles gave the testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus;
and great grace was upon them all. (34)For there was no one among them
that lacked; for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold
them, and brought the prices of the things sold, (35)and laid them at
the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each one,
according as he had need.
(36)And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is
interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, born in Cyprus, (37)having
land sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the feet of the
apostles.
V.
BUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a
possession, (2)and kept back part of the price, his wife also being
aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the feet of
the apostles. (3)But Peter said: Ananias, why did Satan fill thy
heart, that thou shouldst lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep back part
of the price of the land? (4)While it remained, was it not thine own?
And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why didst thou
conceive this thing in thy heart? Thou didst not lie to men, but to
God. (5)And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and expired; and
great fear came on all that heard these things. (6)And the young men
arose, wrapt him up, and carried him out[5:6], and buried him.
(7)And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not
knowing what was done, came in. (8)And Peter answered her: Tell me,
whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said: Yes, for so much.
(9)And Peter said to her: Why is it that ye agreed together to tempt
the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried thy
husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. (10)And immediately
she fell at his feet, and expired; and coming in, the young men found
her dead, and carried her forth, and buried her by her husband.
(11)And great fear came upon all the church, and upon all that heard
these things.
(12)And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders
wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in
Solomon's porch. (13)But of the rest no one dared to join himself to
them; but the people honored them; (14)(and still more were believers
added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women); (15)so that
along the streets they brought forth the sick, and laid them on beds
and pallets, that, as Peter was passing, the shadow at least might
overshadow some one of them. (16)And the multitude also of the cities
around came together to Jerusalem, bringing sick persons, and those
who were vexed by unclean spirits; and they were all healed.
(17)But the high priest rose up, and all that were with him, which is
the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, (18)and
laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the public prison.
(19)But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors; and
having brought them forth, he said: (20)Go, stand and speak in the
temple to the people all the words of this life. (21)And hearing it,
they went into the temple at early dawn, and taught.
And the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the
council together, and all the eldership of the children of Israel, and
sent to the prison to have them brought. (22)But the officers, when
they came, found them not in the prison; and returning, they reported,
(23)saying: The prison indeed we found shut with all security, and the
keepers standing without before the doors; but when we opened them, we
found no one within.
(24)And when the priest and the captain of the temple and the chief
priests heard these things, they were at a loss concerning them, to
what this might grow. (25)But one came and told them, saying: Behold,
the men whom ye put in the prison are in the temple, standing and
teaching the people. (26)Then went the captain with the officers, and
brought them, not with violence (for they feared the people), that
they might not be stoned. (27)And having brought them, they set them
before the council. And the high priest asked them, (28)saying: Did we
not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And, behold, ye
have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this
man's blood upon us.
(29)And Peter answering, and the apostles, said: We ought to obey God
rather than men. (30)The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye
slew, hanging him on a tree. (31)Him, as a prince and a Savior, did
God exalt to his right hand, to give repentance to Israel, and
remission of sins. (32)And we are his witnesses of these things, and
the Holy Spirit also, which God gave to those who obey him.
(33)And they, hearing it, were convulsed with rage, and took counsel
to slay them. (34)But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee,
named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and
commanded to put the men forth a little while; (35)and said to them:
Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves, what ye are about to do in
respect to these men. (36)For before these days arose 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 naught. (37)After this man arose
Judas the Galilaean, in the days of the registering, and drew away
much people after him; he also perished, and all, as many as obeyed
him, were dispersed. (38)And now I say to you, refrain from these men,
and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it
will come to naught; (39)but if it is of God ye can not overthrow
them; lest haply ye be found also fighting against God.
(40)And to him they assented; and having called the apostles, they
scourged them, and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus,
and let them go.
(41)They therefore went rejoicing from the presence of the council,
because for that name they were counted worthy to suffer shame.
(42)And every day, in the temple, and from house to house, they ceased
not to teach, and to publish the glad tidings of Jesus the Christ.
VI.
AND in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied,
there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. (2)And
the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them, and said: It
is not proper that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
(3)Therefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of good
repute, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint
over this business. (4)But we will give ourselves to prayer, and to
the ministry of the word.
(5)And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen,
a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus,
and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of
Antioch, (6)whom they set before the apostles; and having prayed, they
laid their hands on them.
(7)And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests
were obedient to the faith.
(8)And Stephen, full of grace and of power, did great wonders and
signs among the people. (9)And there arose certain ones of the
synagogue so called of the Freedmen[6:9], and Cyrenians, and
Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with
Stephen. (10)And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the
spirit with which he spoke. (11)Then they suborned men, who said: We
have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
(12)And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes;
and coming upon him, they seized him, and brought him to the council,
(13)and set up false witnesses, Who said: This man ceases not to speak
words against this holy place, and the law. (14)For we have heard him
say, that this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place, and will
change the customs which Moses delivered to us. (15)And all that sat
in the council, looking intently upon him, saw his face as the face of
an angel.
VII.
AND the high priest said: Are then these things so? (2)And he said:
Brethren, and fathers, hearken. The God of glory appeared to our
father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
(3)and said to him: Go forth from thy country, and from thy kindred,
and come into the land which I shall show thee. (4)Then he went forth
from the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran; and from thence,
after his father was dead, he caused him to remove into this land,
wherein ye now dwell. (5)And he gave him no inheritance in it, not
even a foot-breadth; and he promised to give it to him for a
possession, and to his seed after him, when he had no child. (6)And
God spoke after this manner, that his seed shall be a sojourner in a
strange land, and they will bring them into bondage, and afflict them
four hundred years. (7)And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage
I will judge, said God; and after that they shall come forth, and
shall serve me in this place. (8)And he gave him the covenant of
circumcision; and thus he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth
day, and Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. (9)And the
patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. And God was with
him, (10)and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him
favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made
him governor over Egypt and all his house.
(11)And there came a famine over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and
a great affliction; and our fathers found no sustenance. (12)But
Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, first sent out our
fathers. (13)And at the second time, Joseph was recognized by his
brothers; and the race of Joseph was made known to Pharaoh. (14)Then
Joseph sent, and called for Jacob his father, and all his kindred,
threescore and fifteen souls. (15)And Jacob went down into Egypt, and
died, he and our fathers, (16)and were removed to Shechem, and laid in
the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Hamor,
the father of Shechem.
(17)But as the time of the promise drew near, which God declared to
Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, (18)until another
king arose who knew not Joseph. (19)He, dealing subtly with our race,
afflicted our fathers, so that they should cast out their infants,
that they might not be preserved alive. (20)In which time Moses was
born, and was exceeding fair[7:20], who was nourished three months in
his father's house. (21)And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter
took him up, and nourished him for herself as a son.
(22)And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and
was mighty in words and in deeds. (23)And when he was forty years old,
it came into his heart to visit his brethren the sons of Israel.
(24)And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged
the one oppressed by smiting the Egyptian. (25)For he supposed his
brethren would understand, that God by his hand would deliver them;
but they understood not. (26)And on the following day he showed
himself to them as they were contending, and urged them to peace,
saying: Ye are brethren; why wrong ye one another? (27)But he who was
wronging his neighbor thrust him away, saying: Who made thee a ruler
and a judge over us? (28)Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst kill the
Egyptian yesterday? (29)And Moses fled at this saying, and became a
sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons. (30)And when
forty years were completed, there appeared to him in the wilderness of
the mount Sinai an angel in a flame of fire, in a bush. (31)And Moses,
seeing it, wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to behold it,
the voice of the Lord came to him, saving: (32)I am the God of thy
fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob. And Moses trembled, and durst not behold. (33)And the Lord said
to him: Loose the sandals from thy feet; for the place where thou
standest is holy ground. (34)Truly, I saw the affliction of my people
in Egypt, and I heard their groaning, and came down to deliver them.
And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. (35)This Moses whom they
denied, saying: Who made thee a ruler and a judge? him did God send as
a ruler and a redeemer by the hand[7:35] of the angel who appeared to
him in the bush. (36)He brought them out, working wonders and signs in
the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty
years.