Acts 11-13 (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition)

Acts 11

 ¹And the apostles and brethren, who were in Judea, heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

    ²And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,

    ³Saying: Why didst thou go in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them?

    ⁴But Peter began and declared to them the matter in order, saying:

    ⁵I was in the city of Joppe praying, and I saw in an ecstasy of mind a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners, and it came even unto me.

    ⁶Into which looking, I considered, and saw fourfooted creatures of the earth, and beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air:

    ⁷And I heard also a voice saying to me: Arise, Peter; kill and eat.

    ⁸And I said: Not so, Lord; for nothing common or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth.

    ⁹And the voice answered again from heaven: What God hath made clean, do not thou call common.

    ¹⁰And this was done three times: and all were taken up again into heaven.

    ¹¹And behold, immediately there were three men come to the house wherein I was, sent to me from Caesarea.

    ¹²And the Spirit said to me, that I should go with them, nothing doubting. And these six brethren went with me also: and we entered into the man's house.

    ¹³And he told us how he had seen an angel in his house, standing, and saying to him: Send to Joppe, and call hither Simon, who is surnamed Peter,

    ¹⁴Who shall speak to thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, and all thy house.

    ¹⁵And when I had begun to speak, the Holy Ghost fell upon them, as upon us also in the beginning.

    ¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said: John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

    ¹⁷If then God gave them the same grace, as to us also who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; who was I, that could withstand God?

    ¹⁸Having heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying: God then hath also to the Gentiles given repentance unto life.

    ¹⁹Now they who had been dispersed by the persecution that arose on occasion of Stephen, went about as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none, but to the Jews only.

    ²⁰But some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were entered into Antioch, spoke also to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus.

    ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believing, were converted to the Lord.

    ²²And the tidings came to the ears of the church that was at Jerusalem, touching these things: and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.

    ²³Who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, rejoiced: and he exhorted them all with purpose of heart to continue in the Lord.

    ²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.

    ²⁵And Barnabas went to Tarsus to seek Saul: whom, when he had found, he brought to Antioch.

    ²⁶And they conversed there in the church a whole year; and they taught a great multitude, so that at Antioch the disciples were first named Christians.

    ²⁷And in these days there came prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch:

    ²⁸And one of them named Agabus, rising up, signified by the Spirit, that there should be a great famine over the whole world, which came to pass under Claudius.

    ²⁹And the disciples, every man according to his ability, purposed to send relief to the brethren who dwelt in Judea:

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

   

Acts 12

 ¹And at the same time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church.

    ²And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

    ³And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes.

    ⁴And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending, after the pasch, to bring him forth to the people.

    ⁵Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him.

    ⁶And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

    ⁷And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in the room: and he striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands.

    ⁸And the angel said to him: Gird thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

    ⁹And going out, he followed him, and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision.

    ¹⁰And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through one street: and immediately the angel departed from him.

    ¹¹And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

    ¹²And considering, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together and praying.

    ¹³And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, whose name was Rhode.

    ¹⁴And as soon as she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but running in she told that Peter stood before the gate.

    ¹⁵But they said to her: Thou art mad. But she affirmed that it was so. Then said they: It is his angel.

    ¹⁶But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him, and were astonished.

    ¹⁷But he beckoning to them with his hand to hold their peace, told how the Lord had brought him out of prison, and he said: Tell these things to James, and to the brethren. And going out, he went into another place.

    ¹⁸Now when day was come, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

    ¹⁹And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not; having examined the keepers, he commanded they should be put to death; and going down from Judea to Caesarea, he abode there.

    ²⁰And he was angry with the Tyrians and the Sidonians. But they with one accord came to him, and having gained Blastus, who was the king's chamberlain, they desired peace, because their countries were nourished by him.

    ²¹And upon a day appointed, Herod being arrayed in kingly apparel, sat in the judgment seat, and made an oration to them.

    ²²And the people made acclamation, saying: It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

    ²³And forthwith an angel of the Lord struck him, because he had not given the honour to God: and being eaten up by worms, he gave up the ghost.

    ²⁴But the word of the Lord increased and multiplied.

    ²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having fulfilled their ministry, taking with them John, who was surnamed Mark.

   

Acts 13

 ¹Now there were in the church which was at Antioch, prophets and doctors, among whom was Barnabas, and Simon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen, who was the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

    ²And as they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Ghost said to them: Separate me Saul and Barnabas, for the work whereunto I have taken them.

    ³Then they, fasting and praying, and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away.

    ⁴So they being sent by the Holy Ghost, went to Seleucia: and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

    ⁵And when they were come to Salamina, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also in the ministry.

    ⁶And when they had gone through the whole island, as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesu:

    ⁷Who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He sending for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God.

    ⁸But Elymas the magician (for so his name is interpreted) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

    ⁹Then Saul, otherwise Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, looking upon him,

    ¹⁰Said: O full of all guile, and of all deceit, child of the devil, enemy of all justice, thou ceasest not to pervert the right ways of the Lord.

    ¹¹And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell a mist and darkness upon him, and going about, he sought some one to lead him by the hand.

    ¹²Then the proconsul, when he had seen what was done, believed, admiring at the doctrine of the Lord.

    ¹³Now when Paul and they that were with him had sailed from Paphos, they came to Perge in Pamphylia. And John departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

    ¹⁴But they passing through Perge, came to Antioch in Pisidia: and entering into the synagogue on the sabbath day, they sat down.

    ¹⁵And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying: Ye men, brethren, if you have any word of exhortation to make to the people, speak.

    ¹⁶Then Paul rising up, and with his hand bespeaking silence, said: Ye men of Israel, and you that fear God, give ear.

    ¹⁷The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought them out from thence,

    ¹⁸And for the space of forty years endured their manners in the desert.

    ¹⁹And destroying seven nations in the land of Chanaan, divided their land among them, by lot,

    ²⁰As it were, after four hundred and fifty years: and after these things, he gave unto them judges, until Samuel the prophet.

    ²¹And after that they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years.

    ²²And when he had removed him, he raised them up David to be king: to whom giving testimony, he said: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to my own heart, who shall do all my wills.

    ²³Of this man's seed God according to his promise, hath raised up to Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

    ²⁴John first preaching, before his coming, the baptism of penance to all the people of Israel.

    ²⁵And when John was fulfilling his course, he said: I am not he, whom you think me to be: but behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

    ²⁶Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fear God, to you the word of this salvation is sent.

    ²⁷For they that inhabited Jerusalem, and the rulers thereof, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets, which are read every sabbath, judging him have fulfilled them.

    ²⁸And finding no cause of death in him, they desired of Pilate, that they might kill him.

    ²⁹And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, taking him down from the tree, they laid him in a sepulchre.

    ³⁰But God raised him up from the dead the third day:

    ³¹Who was seen for many days, by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present are his witnesses to the people.

    ³²And we declare unto you, that the promise which was made to our fathers,

    ³³This same God hath fulfilled to our children, raising up Jesus, as in the second psalm also is written: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

    ³⁴And to shew that he raised him up from the dead, not to return now any more to corruption, he said thus: I will give you the holy things of David faithful.

    ³⁵And therefore, in another place also, he saith: Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

    ³⁶For David, when he had served in his generation, according to the will of God, slept: and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption.

    ³⁷But he whom God hath raised from the dead, saw no corruption.

    ³⁸Be it known therefore to you, men, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is preached to you: and from all the things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

    ³⁹In him every one that believeth, is justified.

    ⁴⁰Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets:

    ⁴¹Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you will not believe, if any man shall tell it you.

    ⁴²And as they went out, they desired them, that on the next sabbath, they would speak unto them these words.

    ⁴³And when the synagogue was broken up, many of the Jews, and of the strangers who served God, followed Paul and Barnabas: who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

    ⁴⁴But the next sabbath day, the whole city almost came together, to hear the word of God.

    ⁴⁵And the Jews seeing the multitudes, were filled with envy, and contradicted those things which were said by Paul, blaspheming.

    ⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: To you it behoved us first to speak the word of God: but because you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.

    ⁴⁷For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the Gentiles; that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth.

    ⁴⁸And the Gentiles hearing it, were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to life everlasting, believed.

    ⁴⁹And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country.

    ⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and cast them out of their coasts.

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

    ⁵²And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.