¹⁶ Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand^(A) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;^{(B) 18} for about forty years he endured their conduct^[a](C) in the wilderness;^{(D) 19} and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,^(E) giving their land to his people^(F) as their inheritance.^{(G) 20} All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges^(H) until the time of Samuel the prophet.^{(I) 21} Then the people asked for a king,^(J) and he gave them Saul^(K) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,^(L) who ruled forty years. ²² After removing Saul,^(M) he made David their king.^(N) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;^(O) he will do everything I want him to do.’^(P)

²³ “From this man’s descendants^(Q) God has brought to Israel the Savior^(R) Jesus,^(S) as he promised.^{(T) 24} Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.^{(U) 25} As John was completing his work,^(V) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(W) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(X)