Judas Betrays Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, ^(A)He went away with His disciples across ^(B)the ^[a]ravine of the Kidron, where there was ^(C)a garden which He entered ^[b]with His disciples. ² Now Judas, who was ^[c]betraying Him, also knew the place, because Jesus had ^(D)often met there with His disciples. ^3 (E)So Judas, having obtained ^(F)the Roman ^[d]cohort and ^(G)officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns, ^(H)torches, and weapons. ⁴ Jesus therefore, ^(I)knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, came out into the open and *said to them, “^(J)Whom are you seeking?” ⁵ They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. ⁶ Now then, when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷ He then asked them again, “^(K)Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you are seeking Me, let these men go on their way.” ⁹ This took place so that the word which He spoke would be fulfilled: “^(L)Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” ¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, ^(M)since he had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. ¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; ^(N)the cup which the Father has given Me, am I not to drink it?”

Jesus before the Priests

^12 (O)So ^(P)the Roman ^[e]cohort, the ^[f]commander, and the ^(Q)officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him, ¹³ and brought Him to ^(R)Annas first; for he was the father-in-law of ^(S)Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴ Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that ^(T)it was in their best interest for one man to die in behalf of the people.

^15 (U)Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered with Jesus into ^(V)the courtyard of the high priest, ^16 (W)but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. ^17 (X)Then the slave woman who was the doorkeeper *said to Peter, “^(Y)You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He *said, “I am not.” ¹⁸ Now the slaves and the ^(Z)officers were standing there, having made ^(AA)a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were ^(AB)warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

^19 (AC)The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. ²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I ^(AD)have spoken openly to the world; I always ^(AE)taught in ^[g]synagogues and ^(AF)in the temple area, where all the Jews congregate; and I said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why are you asking Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them. Look: these people know what I said.” ²² But when He said this, one of the ^(AG)officers, who was standing nearby, ^(AH)struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?” ^23 (AI)Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” ^24 (AJ)So Annas sent Him bound to ^(AK)Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

^25 (AL)Now ^(AM)Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “^(AN)You are not one of His disciples as well, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” ²⁶ One of the slaves of the high priest, who was related to the one ^(AO)whose ear Peter cut off, *said, “Did I not see you in ^(AP)the garden with Him?” ²⁷ Peter then denied it again, and immediately ^(AQ)a rooster crowed.

Jesus before Pilate

^28 (AR)Then they *brought Jesus from ^(AS)Caiaphas into ^(AT)the ^[h]Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter ^(AU)the ^[i]Praetorium, so that ^(AV)they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. ^29 (AW)Therefore Pilate came out to them and *said, “What accusation are you bringing against this Man?” ³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not ^[j]a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you.” ³¹ So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not ^[k]permitted to put anyone to death.” ³² This happened so that ^(AX)the word of Jesus which He said, indicating what kind of death He was going to die, would be fulfilled.

³³ Therefore Pilate ^(AY)entered the Praetorium again, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “^(AZ)You are the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Are you saying this ^[l]on your own, or did others tell you about Me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me; what have You done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “^(BA)My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not ^[m]of this realm.” ³⁷ Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “^(BB)You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: ^(BC)to testify to the truth. ^(BD)Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” ³⁸ Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”

And after saying this, he ^(BE)came out again to the Jews and *said to them, “^(BF)I find no grounds at all for charges in ^[n]His case. ^39 (BG)However, you have a custom that I release one prisoner ^[o]for you at the Passover; therefore do you wish that I release ^[p]for you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ So they shouted again, saying, “^(BH)Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a rebel.

The Crown of Thorns

19 So Pilate then took Jesus and ^[q](BI)had Him flogged. ^2 (BJ)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and put a purple ^[r]cloak on Him; ³ and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “^(BK)Hail, King of the Jews!” and ^(BL)slapped Him in the face again and again. ⁴ And then Pilate ^(BM)came out again and *said to them, “See, I am bringing Him out to you so that you will know that ^(BN)I find no grounds at all for charges in ^[s]His case.” ⁵ Jesus then came out, ^(BO)wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” ⁶ So when the chief priests and the ^(BP)officers saw Him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him; for ^(BQ)I find no grounds for charges in ^[t]His case!” ⁷ The Jews answered him, “^(BR)We have a law, and by that law He ought to die, because He ^(BS)made Himself out to be the Son of God!”

⁸ Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; ⁹ and he ^(BT)entered the ^[u]Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But ^(BU)Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ So Pilate *said to Him, “Are you not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, “^(BV)You would have no authority ^[v]over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason ^(BW)the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.” ¹² As a result of this, Pilate ^[w]made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying, “^(BX)If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king ^[x]opposes Caesar!”

¹³ Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and ^(BY)sat down on the judgment seat at a place called ^[y]The Pavement—but ^(BZ)in ^[z]Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was ^(CA)the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the ^[aa](CB)sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Look, ^(CC)your King!” ¹⁵ So they shouted, “^(CD)Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”

The Crucifixion

¹⁶ So he then ^(CE)handed Him over to them to be crucified.

^17 (CF)They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, ^[ab](CG)carrying His own cross, to the place called ^(CH)the Place of a Skull, which ^(CI)in ^[ac]Hebrew is called, Golgotha. ¹⁸ There they crucified Him, and with Him ^(CJ)two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. ¹⁹ Now Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written: “^(CK)JESUS THE NAZARENE, ^(CL)THE KING OF THE JEWS.” ²⁰ Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written ^(CM)in ^[ad]Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek. ²¹ So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘^(CN)The King of the Jews’; rather, write that He said, ‘I am ^(CO)King of the Jews.’” ²² Pilate answered, “^(CP)What I have written, I have written.”

²³ Then ^(CQ)the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made ^(CR)four parts: a part to each soldier, and the ^[ae]tunic also; but the tunic was seamless, woven ^[af]in one piece. ²⁴ So they said to one another, “^(CS)Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be.” ^(CT)This happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “They ^(CU)divided My garments among themselves, and they cast ^[ag]lots for My clothing.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

^25 (CV)Now beside the cross of Jesus stood ^(CW)His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and ^(CX)Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ So when Jesus saw His mother, and ^(CY)the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “^(CZ)Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into ^(DA)his own household.

²⁸ After this, Jesus, ^(DB)knowing that all things had already been accomplished, ^(DC)in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, *said, “^(DD)I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so ^(DE)they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. ³⁰ Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “^(DF)It is finished!” And He bowed His head and ^(DG)gave up His spirit.

Care of the Body of Jesus

³¹ Now then, since it was ^(DH)the day of preparation, to prevent ^(DI)the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath (^[ah]for that Sabbath was a ^(DJ)high day), the Jews requested of Pilate that their legs be broken, and the bodies be taken away. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was ^(DK)crucified with Him; ³³ but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴ Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately ^(DL)blood and water came out. ³⁵ And he who has seen has ^(DM)testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. ³⁶ For these things took place ^(DN)so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “^(DO)Not a bone of Him shall be ^[ai]broken.” ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, “^(DP)They will look at Him whom they pierced.”

³⁸ Now ^(DQ)after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a ^(DR)secret one for ^(DS)fear of the ^[aj]Jews, requested of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. ^39 (DT)Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, ^(DU)bringing a ^[ak]mixture of ^(DV)myrrh and aloes, about a ^[al](DW)hundred litras weight. ⁴⁰ So they took the body of Jesus and ^(DX)bound it in ^(DY)linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a ^(DZ)new tomb ^(EA)in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴² Therefore because of the Jewish day of ^(EB)preparation, since the tomb was ^(EC)nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The Empty Tomb

20 ^(ED)Now on the first day of the week ^(EE)Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and *saw ^(EF)the stone already removed from the tomb. ² So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other ^(EG)disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “^(EH)They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.” ^3 (EI)So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; ⁵ and he ^(EJ)stooped to look in, and *saw the ^(EK)linen wrappings lying there; however he did not go in. ⁶ So Simon Peter also *came, following him, and he entered the tomb; and he *looked at the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and ^(EL)the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the ^(EM)linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ So the other disciple who ^(EN)had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed. ⁹ For ^(EO)they did not yet understand the Scripture, ^(EP)that He must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ So the disciples went away again ^(EQ)to their own homes.

^11 (ER)But Mary was standing outside the tomb, weeping; so as she wept, she ^(ES)stooped to look into the tomb; ¹² and she *saw ^(ET)two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³ And they *said to her, “^(EU)Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because ^(EV)they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they put Him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and *^(EW)saw Jesus standing there, and yet she ^(EX)did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus *said to her, “^(EY)Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Thinking that He was the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him ^(EZ)in ^[am]Hebrew, “^(FA)Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to ^(FB)My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ^(FC)ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” ^18 (FD)Mary Magdalene *came and ^(FE)announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

Jesus among His Disciples

¹⁹ Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were ^[an]shut where the disciples were together due to ^(FF)fear of the ^[ao]Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and *said to them, “^(FG)Peace be to you.” ²⁰ And when He had said this, ^(FH)He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then ^(FI)rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “^(FJ)Peace be to you; ^(FK)just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ^23 (FL)If you forgive the sins of any, their sins ^[ap]have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

²⁴ But ^(FM)Thomas, one of ^(FN)the twelve, who was called ^[aq](FO)Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in ^(FP)His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, ^(FQ)I will not believe.”

^26 [ar]Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been ^[as]shut, and stood in their midst and said, “^(FR)Peace be to you.” ²⁷ Then He *said to Thomas, “^(FS)Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.” ²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? ^(FT)Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Why This Gospel Was Written

^30 (FU)So then, many other ^[at](FV)signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these have been written ^(FW)so that you may believe that Jesus is the ^[au]Christ, ^(FX)the Son of God; and that by ^(FY)believing you may have life in His name.

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

21 After these things Jesus ^[av](FZ)revealed Himself ^(GA)again to the disciples at the ^(GB)Sea of Tiberias, and He revealed Himself in this way: ² Simon Peter, ^(GC)Thomas who was called ^[aw]Didymus, ^(GD)Nathanael of ^(GE)Cana in Galilee, ^(GF)the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We are also coming with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and ^(GG)that night they caught nothing.

⁴ But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not ^(GH)know that it was Jesus. ⁵ So Jesus *said to them, “Children, ^(GI)you do not have any fish to eat, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” ⁶ And He said to them, “^(GJ)Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find the fish.” So they cast it, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great quantity of fish. ^7 (GK)Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about ^[ax]two hundred cubits away, dragging the net full of fish.

⁹ So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal ^(GL)fire already ^[ay]made and ^(GM)fish placed on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus *said to them, “Bring some of the ^(GN)fish which you have now caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went up and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus Provides

¹² Jesus *said to them, “Come and have ^(GO)breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to inquire of Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus *came and *took ^(GP)the bread and *gave it to them, and the ^(GQ)fish likewise. ¹⁴ This was now the ^(GR)third time that Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

The Love Question

¹⁵ Now when they had ^(GS)finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you ^[az](GT)love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I ^[ba]love You.” He *said to him, “Tend ^(GU)My lambs.” ¹⁶ He *said to him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you ^[bb]love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I ^[bc]love You.” He *said to him, “^(GV)Shepherd My sheep.” ¹⁷ He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you ^[bd]love Me?” Peter was ^[be]hurt because He said to him ^(GW)the third time, “Do you ^[bf]love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, ^(GX)You know all things; You know that I ^[bg]love You.” Jesus *said to him, “^(GY)Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

¹⁸ Truly, truly I tell you, when you were younger, you used to put on your belt and walk wherever you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put your belt on you, and bring you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Now He said this, ^(GZ)indicating by ^(HA)what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had said this, He *said to him, “^(HB)Follow Me!”

²⁰ Peter turned around and *saw the ^(HC)disciple whom Jesus loved following them—the one who also had ^(HD)leaned back on His chest at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who is betraying You?” ²¹ So Peter, upon seeing him, *said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” ²² Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain ^(HE)until I come, what is that to you? You ^(HF)follow Me!” ²³ Therefore this ^[bh]account went out among ^(HG)the brothers, that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain ^(HH)until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who ^(HI)is testifying about these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ But there are also ^(HJ)many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

Introduction

1 The first account I ^[a]composed, ^(A)Theophilus, about all that Jesus ^(B)began to do and teach, ² until the day when He ^(C)was taken up to heaven, after He ^(D)had given orders ^[b]by the Holy Spirit to ^(E)the apostles whom He had ^(F)chosen. ³ To ^[c]these ^(G)He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of ^(H)things regarding the kingdom of God. ^4 [d]Gathering them together, He commanded them ^(I)not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for ^[e](J)what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; ⁵ for ^(K)John baptized ^[f]with water, but you will be baptized ^[g]with the Holy Spirit ^[h](L)not many days from now.”

⁶ So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, ^(M)is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which ^(N)the Father has set by His own authority; ⁸ but you will receive power ^(O)when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be ^(P)My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and ^(Q)Samaria, and as far as ^(R)the remotest part of the earth.”

The Ascension

⁹ And after He had said these things, ^(S)He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. ¹⁰ And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, ^(T)two men in white clothing stood beside them, ¹¹ and they said, “^(U)Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who ^(V)has been taken up from you into heaven, will ^(W)come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

The Upper Room

¹² Then they ^(X)returned to Jerusalem from the ^[i](Y)mountain called ^[j]Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a ^[k]Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ When they had entered the city, they went up to ^(Z)the upstairs room where they were staying, that is, ^(AA)Peter, John, ^[l]James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, ^[m]James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and ^(AB)Judas the ^[n]son of ^[o]James. ¹⁴ All these ^(AC)were continually devoting themselves with one ^[p]mind to prayer, along with ^(AD)the women, and Mary the ^(AE)mother of Jesus, and with His ^(AF)brothers.

^15 [q]At this time Peter stood up among ^(AG)the brothers and sisters (a group of about 120 ^[r]people was there together), and said, ¹⁶ “^[s]Brothers, ^(AH)the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, ^(AI)who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ For he was ^(AJ)counted among us and received his share in ^(AK)this ministry.” ¹⁸ (Now this man ^(AL)acquired a field with ^(AM)the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹ And it became known to all the residents of Jerusalem; as a result that field was called Hakeldama in ^(AN)their own language, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰ “For it is written in the book of Psalms:

and,

²¹ Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that ^(AQ)the Lord Jesus went in and out ^[u]among us— ^22 (AR)beginning ^[v]with the baptism of John until the day that He ^(AS)was taken up from us—one of these must become a ^(AT)witness with us of His resurrection.” ²³ So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and ^(AU)Matthias. ²⁴ And they ^(AV)prayed and said, “You, Lord, who ^(AW)know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen ²⁵ to ^[w]occupy ^(AX)this ministry and ^(AY)apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And they ^[x](AZ)drew lots for them, and the lot fell ^[y]to ^(BA)Matthias; and he was added to ^(BB)the eleven apostles.

The Day of Pentecost

2 When ^(BC)the day of Pentecost ^[z]had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled ^(BD)the whole house where they were sitting. ³ And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, ^[aa]distributing themselves, and a tongue ^[ab]rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all ^(BE)filled with the Holy Spirit and began to ^(BF)speak with different ^[ac]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.

⁵ Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, ^(BG)devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when ^(BH)this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own ^[ad]language. ^7 (BI)They were amazed and astonished, saying, “^[ae]Why, are not all these who are speaking ^(BJ)Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we each hear them in our own ^[af]language ^[ag]to which we were born? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and ^(BK)Cappadocia, ^(BL)Pontus and ^[ah](BM)Asia, ^10 (BN)Phrygia and ^(BO)Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around ^(BP)Cyrene, and ^[ai](BQ)visitors from Rome, both Jews and ^[aj](BR)proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own ^[ak]tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” ¹² And ^(BS)they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others were jeering and saying, “^(BT)They are full of ^[al]sweet wine!”

Peter’s Sermon

¹⁴ But Peter, taking his stand with ^(BU)the other eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, ^[am]know this, and pay attention to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you assume, ^(BV)since it is only the ^[an]third hour of the day; ¹⁶ but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:

²² “Men of Israel, listen to these words: ^(BY)Jesus the Nazarene, ^(BZ)a Man ^[at]attested to you by God with ^[au]miracles and ^(CA)wonders and ^[av]signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— ²³ this Man, delivered over by the ^(CB)predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, ^(CC)you nailed to a cross by the hands of ^[aw]godless men and put Him to death. ^24 [ax]But ^(CD)God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the ^[ay]agony of death, since it ^(CE)was impossible for Him to be held ^[az]in its power. ²⁵ For David says of Him,

²⁹ “^[bd]Brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the ^(CI)patriarch David that he both ^(CJ)died and ^(CK)was buried, and ^(CL)his tomb is ^[be]with us to this day. ³⁰ So because he was ^(CM)a prophet and knew that ^(CN)God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one ^[bf]of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the ^[bg]Christ, that ^(CO)He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh ^[bh]suffer decay. ³² It is this Jesus whom ^(CP)God raised up, ^[bi]a fact to which we are all ^(CQ)witnesses. ³³ Therefore, ^[bj]since He has been exalted ^[bk](CR)at the right hand of God, and ^(CS)has received ^(CT)the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has ^(CU)poured out this which you both see and hear. ³⁴ For it was not David who ascended into ^[bl]heaven, but he himself says:

³⁶ Therefore let all the ^(CW)house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both ^(CX)Lord and ^[bm]Christ—this Jesus ^(CY)whom you crucified.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were ^[bn]pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “^[bo]Brothers, ^(CZ)what are we to do?” ³⁸ Peter said to them, “^(DA)Repent, and each of you be ^(DB)baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For ^(DC)the promise is for you and your children and for all who are ^(DD)far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he solemnly ^(DE)testified and kept on urging them, saying, “^[bp]Be saved from this ^(DF)perverse generation!” ⁴¹ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand ^[bq](DG)souls. ⁴² They were ^(DH)continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to ^(DI)the breaking of bread and ^(DJ)to ^[br]prayer.

^43 [bs]Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many ^(DK)wonders and ^[bt]signs were taking place through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all the believers ^[bu]were together and ^(DL)had all things in common; ⁴⁵ and they ^(DM)would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need. ^46 (DN)Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and ^(DO)breaking bread ^[bv]from house to house, they were taking their ^[bw]meals together with gladness and ^[bx]sincerity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and ^(DP)having favor with all the people. And the Lord ^(DQ)was adding to ^[by]their number day by day ^(DR)those who were being saved.

Healing the Beggar Who Was Unable to Walk

3 Now ^(DS)Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ^[bz]ninth hour, ^(DT)the hour of prayer. ² And ^(DU)a man who had been unable to walk from ^[ca]birth was being carried, whom they ^(DV)used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, ^(DW)in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds. ³ When he saw ^(DX)Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift. ⁴ But Peter, along with John, ^(DY)looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!” ⁵ And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: ^(DZ)In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” ⁷ And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. ⁸ And ^(EA)leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And ^(EB)all the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and they recognized him as being the very one who used to ^(EC)sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg for charitable gifts, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Second Sermon

¹¹ While he was clinging to ^(ED)Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the ^[cb](EE)portico named Solomon’s, completely astonished. ¹² But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why are you staring at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? ^13 (EF)The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ^(EG)the God of our fathers, has glorified His ^[cc](EH)servant Jesus, the one whom ^(EI)you handed over and disowned in the presence of ^(EJ)Pilate, when he had ^(EK)decided to release Him. ¹⁴ But you disowned ^(EL)the Holy and Righteous One, and ^(EM)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ but put to death the ^[cd](EN)Prince of life, whom ^(EO)God raised from the dead, ^[ce]a fact to which we are ^(EP)witnesses. ¹⁶ And on the basis of faith ^(EQ)in His name, it is ^[cf]the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers, I know that you acted ^(ER)in ignorance, just as your ^(ES)rulers also did. ¹⁸ But the things which ^(ET)God previously announced by the mouths of all the prophets, ^(EU)that His ^[cg]Christ would suffer, He has fulfilled in this way. ¹⁹ Therefore ^(EV)repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that ^(EW)times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus, the ^[ch]Christ appointed for you, ^21 (EX)whom heaven must receive until the ^[ci]period of ^(EY)restoration of all things, about which ^(EZ)God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets from ancient times. ²² Moses said, ‘^(FA)The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your countrymen; to Him you shall listen regarding everything He says to you. ^23 (FB)And it shall be that every ^(FC)soul that does not listen to that prophet ^(FD)shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴ And likewise, ^(FE)all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and his successors onward, have also announced these days. ²⁵ It is you who are ^(FF)the sons of the prophets and of the ^(FG)covenant which God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘^(FH)And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶ God ^(FI)raised up His ^[cj]Servant for you ^(FJ)first, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Peter and John Arrested

4 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and ^(FK)the captain of the temple guard and ^(FL)the Sadducees ^(FM)came up to them, ² being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming ^[ck](FN)in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them and ^(FO)put them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who had heard the ^[cl]message believed; and ^(FP)the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

⁵ On the next day, their ^(FQ)rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; ⁶ and ^(FR)Annas the high priest was there, and ^(FS)Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. ⁷ When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” ⁸ Then Peter, ^[cm](FT)filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “^[cn](FU)Rulers and elders of the people, ⁹ if we are ^[co]on trial today for ^(FV)a benefit done to a sick man, as to ^[cp]how this man has been made well, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that ^[cq](FW)by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom ^(FX)God raised from the dead—^[cr]by ^[cs]this name this man stands here before you in good health. ^11 [ct](FY)He is the ^(FZ)stone which was ^(GA)rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. ¹² And there is salvation in ^(GB)no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”

Threat and Release

¹³ Now as they observed the ^(GC)confidence of ^(GD)Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and ^(GE)began to recognize them ^[cu]as having been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. ¹⁵ But when they had ordered them to leave the ^[cv](GF)Council, they began to confer with one another, ¹⁶ saying, “^(GG)What are we to do with these men? For the fact that a ^(GH)noteworthy ^[cw]miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let’s warn them not to speak any longer to any person ^(GI)in this name.” ¹⁸ And when they had summoned them, they ^(GJ)commanded them not to speak or teach at all ^[cx]in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But ^(GK)Peter and John answered and said to them, “^(GL)Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment; ²⁰ for ^(GM)we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) ^(GN)on account of the people, because they were all ^(GO)glorifying God for what had happened; ²² for the man on whom this ^[cy]miracle of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

²³ When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported everything that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “^[cz]Lord, it is You who ^(GP)made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them, ²⁵ who ^(GQ)by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,

²⁷ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy ^[dd](GU)servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both ^(GV)Herod and ^(GW)Pontius Pilate, along with ^(GX)the ^[de]Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and ^(GY)purpose predestined to occur. ²⁹ And ^[df]now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant it to Your bond-servants to ^(GZ)speak Your word with all ^(HA)confidence, ³⁰ while You extend Your hand to heal, and ^[dg](HB)signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy ^[dh](HC)servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the ^(HD)place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all ^(HE)filled with the Holy Spirit and began to ^(HF)speak the word of God with ^(HG)boldness.

Sharing among Believers

³² And the ^[di]congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them ^[dj]claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but ^(HH)all things were common property to them. ³³ And ^(HI)with great power the apostles were giving ^(HJ)testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. ³⁴ For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses ^(HK)would sell them and bring the ^[dk]proceeds of the sales ³⁵ and ^(HL)lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be ^(HM)distributed to each to the extent that any had need.

³⁶ Now Joseph, a Levite of ^(HN)Cyprian birth, who was also called ^(HO)Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of ^[dl](HP)Encouragement), ^37 [dm]owned a tract of land. So he sold it, and brought the money and ^(HQ)laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Fate of Ananias and Sapphira

5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ² and ^(HR)kept back some of the ^[dn]proceeds for himself, with his wife’s ^[do]full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he ^(HS)laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has ^(HT)Satan filled your heart to lie ^(HU)to the Holy Spirit and to ^(HV)keep back some of the ^[dp]proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not ^[dq]under your control? Why is it that you have ^[dr]conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but ^(HW)to God.” ⁵ And as he heard these words, Ananias ^(HX)collapsed and ^[ds]died; and ^(HY)great fear came over all who heard about it. ⁶ The young men got up and ^(HZ)covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

⁷ Now an interval of about three hours elapsed, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land ^(IA)for ^[dt]this price?” And she said, “Yes, for ^[du]that price.” ⁹ Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to ^(IB)put ^(IC)the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” ¹⁰ And immediately she ^(ID)collapsed at his feet and ^[dv]died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ And ^(IE)great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard about these things.

^12 [dw]At the hands of the apostles many ^[dx](IF)signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all ^[dy]together in ^(IG)Solomon’s ^[dz]portico. ¹³ But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, ^(IH)the people held them in high esteem. ¹⁴ And increasingly ^(II)believers in the Lord, large numbers of men and women, were being ^(IJ)added to their number, ¹⁵ to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by ^(IK)at least his shadow might fall on any of them. ¹⁶ The ^[ea]people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together as well, bringing people who were sick ^[eb]or tormented with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

Imprisonment and Release

¹⁷ But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is ^(IL)the sect of ^(IM)the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They laid hands on the apostles and ^(IN)put them in a public prison. ¹⁹ But during the night ^(IO)an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and leading them out, he said, ²⁰ “Go, stand and ^[ec]speak to the people in the temple area ^[ed](IP)the whole message of this Life.” ²¹ Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple area ^(IQ)about daybreak and began to teach.

Now when ^(IR)the high priest and his associates came, they called ^(IS)the ^[ee]Council together, that is, all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison for them to be brought. ²² But ^(IT)the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported, ²³ saying, “We found the prison locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” ²⁴ Now when ^(IU)the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what ^[ef]would come of this. ²⁵ But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple area and teaching the people!” ²⁶ Then ^(IV)the captain went along with ^(IW)the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for ^(IX)they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

²⁷ When they had brought them, they had them stand ^[eg]before ^(IY)the Council. The high priest interrogated them, ²⁸ saying, “We gave you ^(IZ)strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and ^[eh]yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and ^(JA)intend to bring this Man’s blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “^(JB)We must obey God rather than men. ^30 (JC)The God of our fathers ^(JD)raised up Jesus, whom you ^(JE)put to death by hanging Him on ^[ei](JF)a cross. ^31 (JG)He is the one whom God exalted ^[ej]to His right hand as a ^[ek](JH)Prince and a ^(JI)Savior, to grant ^(JJ)repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are ^(JK)witnesses ^[el]of these things; and ^(JL)so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Counsel

³³ But when they heard this, they became ^(JM)infuriated and nearly decided to execute them. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named ^(JN)Gamaliel, a ^(JO)teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in ^(JP)the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. ³⁵ And he said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful as to what you are about to do with these men. ³⁶ For, some time ago Theudas appeared, ^(JQ)claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined him. ^[em]But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷ After this man, Judas of Galilee appeared in the days of ^(JR)the census and drew away some people after him; he also perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. ³⁸ And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, for if the source of this plan or ^[en]movement ^(JS)is men, it will be overthrown; ³⁹ but if the source is God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found ^(JT)fighting against God.”

⁴⁰ They followed his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they ^(JU)flogged them and ordered them not to ^[eo]speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. ⁴¹ So they went on their way from the presence of the ^[ep](JV)Council, ^(JW)rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame ^(JX)for His name. ^42 (JY)And every day, in the temple and ^[eq]from house to house, they did not stop teaching and ^(JZ)preaching the good news of Jesus as the ^[er]Christ.

Choosing of the Seven

6 Now ^[es]at this time, as the ^(KA)disciples were ^(KB)increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the ^[et](KC)Hellenistic Jews against the native ^(KD)Hebrews, because their ^(KE)widows were being overlooked in ^(KF)the daily serving of food. ² So the twelve summoned the ^[eu]congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. ³ Instead, ^(KG)brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, ^(KH)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴ But we will ^(KI)devote ourselves to prayer and to the ^[ev]ministry of the word.” ⁵ The ^[ew]announcement found approval with the whole ^[ex]congregation; and they chose ^(KJ)Stephen, a man ^(KK)full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and ^(KL)Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and ^[ey]Nicolas, a ^[ez](KM)proselyte from ^(KN)Antioch. ⁶ And they brought these men before the apostles; and after ^(KO)praying, they ^(KP)laid their hands on them.

^7 (KQ)The word of God kept spreading; and ^(KR)the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to ^(KS)the faith.

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great ^(KT)wonders and ^[fa]signs among the people. ⁹ But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both ^(KU)Cyrenians and ^(KV)Alexandrians, and some from ^(KW)Cilicia and ^[fb](KX)Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they were unable to ^[fc]cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they ^(KY)came up to him and dragged him away, and brought him ^[fd]before ^(KZ)the ^[fe]Council. ¹³ They put forward ^(LA)false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop ^[ff]speaking against this ^(LB)holy place and the Law; ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that ^(LC)this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change ^(LD)the customs which Moses handed down to us.” ¹⁵ And all who were sitting in the ^[fg](LE)Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel.

Stephen’s Defense

7 Now the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

² And ^[fh]Stephen said, “Listen to me, ^(LF)[fi]brothers and fathers! ^(LG)The God of glory ^(LH)appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in ^[fj]Haran, ³ and He said to him, ‘^(LI)Go from your country and your relatives, and come to the land which I will show you.’ ^4 (LJ)Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in ^[fk]Haran. And ^(LK)from there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. ⁵ But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, ^(LL)He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. ⁶ But ^(LM)God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be strangers in a land that was not theirs, and ^[fl]they would enslave and mistreat them for four hundred years. ⁷ ‘And whatever nation to which they are enslaved I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and ^(LN)after that they will come out and ^[fm]serve Me in this place.’ ⁸ And He ^(LO)gave him ^[fn]the covenant of circumcision; and so ^(LP)Abraham fathered Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and ^(LQ)Isaac fathered Jacob, and ^(LR)Jacob, the twelve ^(LS)patriarchs.

⁹ “The patriarchs ^(LT)became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his afflictions, and ^(LU)granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and his entire household.

¹¹ “Now ^(LV)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers ^[fo]could find no food. ¹² But ^(LW)when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. ¹³ And on the second visit, ^(LX)Joseph ^[fp]made himself known to his brothers, and ^(LY)Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then ^(LZ)Joseph sent word and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, ^(MA)seventy-five ^[fq](MB)people in all. ¹⁵ And ^(MC)Jacob went down to Egypt, and he and our fathers died there. ¹⁶ And they were brought back from there to ^[fr](MD)Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of ^[fs]Hamor in ^[ft]Shechem.

¹⁷ “But as the ^(ME)time of the promise which God had assured to Abraham was approaching, ^(MF)the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸ until ^(MG)another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. ¹⁹ It was he who ^(MH)shrewdly took advantage of our nation and mistreated our fathers in order that they would ^(MI)abandon their infants in the Nile, so that they would not survive. ²⁰ At this time ^(MJ)Moses was born; and he was beautiful to God. He was nurtured for three months in his father’s home. ²¹ And after he had been put outside, ^(MK)Pharaoh’s daughter ^[fu]took him away and nurtured him as her own son. ²² Moses was educated in all ^(ML)the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was proficient in ^[fv]speaking and action. ²³ But when he was approaching the age of forty, ^(MM)it entered his ^[fw]mind to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel. ²⁴ And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended and took vengeance for the oppressed man by fatally striking the Egyptian. ²⁵ And he thought that his brothers understood that God was granting them ^[fx]deliverance ^[fy]through him; but they did not understand. ^26 (MN)And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting each other, and he tried to reconcile them to peace, by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you injuring each other?’ ²⁷ But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘^(MO)Who made you a ruler and judge over us? ^28 (MP)You do not intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ ²⁹ At this remark, ^(MQ)Moses fled and became a stranger in the land of ^[fz]Midian, where he ^(MR)fathered two sons.

³⁰ “After forty years had passed, ^(MS)an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came: ³² ‘^(MT)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and did not dare to look closely. ^33 (MU)But the Lord said to him, ‘^[ga](MV)Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. ^34 (MW)I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them; and ^(MX)now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

³⁵ “This Moses whom they ^(MY)disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God ^[gb]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the ^[gc]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. ^36 (MZ)This man led them out, performing ^(NA)wonders and ^[gd]signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the ^(NB)wilderness for forty years. ³⁷ This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘^(NC)God will raise up for you a prophet ^[ge]like me from your countrymen.’ ³⁸ This is the one who was in ^(ND)the ^[gf]assembly in the wilderness together with ^(NE)the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received ^(NF)living ^(NG)words to pass on to you. ³⁹ Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they ^(NH)rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, ^40 (NI)saying to Aaron, ‘Make us ^[gg]a god who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ ^41 [gh]At that time ^(NJ)they made a ^[gi]calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in ^(NK)the works of their hands. ⁴² But God ^(NL)turned away and gave them over to ^[gj]serve the heavenly ^[gk]lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘^(NM)You did not offer Me victims and sacrifices ^(NN)for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel? ^43 (NO)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god ^[gl]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will deport you beyond Babylon.’

⁴⁴ “Our fathers had ^(NP)the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it ^(NQ)according to the pattern which he had seen. ⁴⁵ Our fathers in turn received it, and they also ^(NR)brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the ^[gm]nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David. ^46 [gn](NS)David found favor in God’s sight, and ^(NT)asked that he might ^[go]find a dwelling place for the ^[gp]house of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But it was ^(NU)Solomon who built a house for Him. ⁴⁸ However, ^(NV)the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:

⁵¹ “You men who are ^(NY)stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. ^52 (NZ)Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of ^(OA)the Righteous One, and ^(OB)you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; ⁵³ you who received the Law as ^(OC)ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

Stephen Put to Death

⁵⁴ Now when they heard this, they were ^(OD)infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But he, being ^(OE)full of the Holy Spirit, ^(OF)looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing ^(OG)at the right hand of God; ⁵⁶ and he said, “Behold, I see the ^(OH)heavens opened and ^(OI)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷ But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one ^[gq]mind. ⁵⁸ When they had ^(OJ)driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and ^(OK)the witnesses ^(OL)laid aside their cloaks at the feet of ^(OM)a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ They went on stoning Stephen as he ^(ON)called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ Then he ^(OO)fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, ^(OP)do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he ^[gr](OQ)fell asleep.

Saul Persecutes the Church

8 ^(OR)Now Saul approved of putting ^[gs]Stephen to death.

And on that day a great persecution ^[gt]began against ^(OS)the church in Jerusalem, and they were all ^(OT)scattered throughout the regions of Judea and ^(OU)Samaria, except for the apostles. ² Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him. ³ But ^(OV)Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would ^(OW)drag away men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

⁴ Therefore, those ^(OX)who had been scattered went through places ^[gu](OY)preaching the word. ^5 (OZ)Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the ^[gv]Christ to them. ⁶ The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the ^[gw]signs which he was performing. ⁷ For in the case of many who had ^(PA)unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been ^(PB)paralyzed or limped on crutches were healed. ⁸ So there was ^(PC)much rejoicing in that city.

⁹ Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing ^(PD)magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, ^(PE)claiming to be someone great; ¹⁰ and all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, “^(PF)This man is the Power of God that is called Great.” ¹¹ And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his ^(PG)magic arts. ¹² But when they believed Philip ^(PH)as he was preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being ^(PI)baptized. ¹³ Now even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed ^(PJ)signs and ^(PK)great miracles taking place, he was repeatedly amazed.

¹⁴ Now when ^(PL)the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them ^(PM)Peter and John, ¹⁵ who came down and prayed for them ^(PN)that they would receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ (For He had ^(PO)not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been ^(PP)baptized ^[gx]in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ¹⁷ Then they ^(PQ)began laying their hands on them, and they were ^(PR)receiving the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could ^(PS)acquire the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have ^(PT)no part or share in this ^[gy]matter, for your heart is not ^(PU)right before God. ²² Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, ^(PV)if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are ^[gz]in the gall of bitterness and in ^(PW)the ^[ha]bondage of unrighteousness.” ²⁴ But Simon answered and said, “^(PX)Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”