Nadab and Abihu

10 Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them.^{(A) 2} And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.^{(B) 3} Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,

And Aaron was silent.^(C)

⁴ Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come forward and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”^{(D) 5} They came forward and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had ordered. ⁶ And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not dishevel your hair and do not tear your vestments, or you will die, and wrath will strike all the congregation; but your kindred, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning that the Lord has sent.^{(E) 7} You shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is on you.” And they did as Moses had ordered.^(F)

⁸ And the Lord spoke to Aaron, ⁹ “Drink no wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting, that you may not die; it is a statute forever throughout your generations.^{(G) 10} You are to distinguish between the holy and the common and between the unclean and the clean,^{(H) 11} and you are to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”^(I)

¹² Moses spoke to Aaron and to his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that is left from the Lord’s offerings by fire,^[a] and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy;^{(J) 13} you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, from the offerings by fire^[b] to the Lord, for so I am commanded. ¹⁴ But the breast that is elevated and the thigh that is raised, you and your sons and daughters as well may eat in any clean place, for they have been assigned to you and your children from the sacrifices of well-being of the Israelites.^{(K) 15} The thigh that is raised and the breast that is elevated they shall bring, together with the offerings by fire^[c] of the fat, to raise for an elevation offering before the Lord; they are to be your due and that of your children forever, as the Lord has commanded.”^(L)

¹⁶ Then Moses made inquiry about the goat of the purification offering, and it had already been burned! He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and said, ¹⁷ “Why did you not eat the purification offering in the sacred area? For it is most holy, and God^[d] has given it to you that you may remove the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement on their behalf before the Lord.^{(M) 18} Its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” ¹⁹ And Aaron spoke to Moses, “See, today they offered their purification offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have befallen me! If I had eaten the purification offering today, would it have been agreeable to the Lord?”^{(N) 20} And when Moses heard that, he agreed.

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite^[a] from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.^{(A) 2} He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.^(B)

³ Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.^{(C) 4} On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters,^{(D) 5} but to Hannah he gave a double portion^[b] because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.^{(E) 6} Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.^{(F) 7} So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”^(G)

⁹ After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord.^[c] Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.^{(H) 10} She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. ¹¹ She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants,^[d] and no razor shall touch his head.”^(I)

¹² As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk.^{(J) 14} So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.”^{(K) 15} But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.^{(L) 16} Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” ¹⁷ Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.”^{(M) 18} And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went her way and ate and drank with her husband,^[e] and her countenance was sad no longer.^[f](N)

¹⁹ They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.^{(O) 20} In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”^(P)

²¹ The man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow.^{(Q) 22} But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and remain there forever; I will offer him as a nazirite for all time.”^{[g](R) 23} Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish your^[h] word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.^{(S) 24} When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,^[i] an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. She brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh, and the child was young.^{(T) 25} Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the child to Eli.^{(U) 26} And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence praying to the Lord.^{(V) 27} For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him.^{(W) 28} Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” And they worshiped the Lord there.^(X)

Ananias and Sapphira

5 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; ² with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.^{(A) 3} “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?^{(B) 4} While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us^[a] but to God!” ⁵ Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. ⁶ The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.^(C)

⁷ After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” ⁹ Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”^{(D) 10} Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.^(E)

The Apostles Heal Many

¹² Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.^{(F) 13} None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem.^{(G) 14} Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by.^{(H) 16} A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

The Apostles Are Persecuted

¹⁷ Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, ¹⁸ arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.^{(I) 19} But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said,^{(J) 20} “Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.”^{(K) 21} When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought.^{(L) 22} But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ²³ “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” ²⁴ Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on.^{(M) 25} Then someone arrived and announced, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” ²⁶ Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.^(N)

²⁷ When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,^[b] yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”^{(O) 29} But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.^{[c](P) 30} The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.^{(Q) 31} God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.^{(R) 32} And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”^(S)

³³ When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.^{(T) 34} But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. ³⁵ Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites,^[d] consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. ³⁶ For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him, but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. ³⁷ After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. ³⁸ So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail;^{(U) 39} but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!”

They were convinced by him,^{(V) 40} and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.^{(W) 41} As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.^{(X) 42} And every day in the temple and at home^[e] they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.^[f](Y)