¹² But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which have happened unto me have turned out unto the furtherance of the Gospel,

¹³ so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places;

¹⁴ and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much bolder to speak the Word without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.

¹⁶ The one preaches Christ out of contention and not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds;

¹⁷ but the other out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel.

¹⁸ What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

12 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

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

³ And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (This was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.)

⁴ And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

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

⁶ And when Herod would have brought him forth, that same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers were guarding the door of the prison.

⁷ And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise up quickly.” And his chains fell off from his hands.

²⁴ And as he thus spoke for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, thou art beside thyself! Much learning doth make thee mad!”

²⁵ But Paul said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

²⁶ For the king himself knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁷ King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, “Thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian.”

²⁹ And Paul said, “I would to God that not only thou, but also all who hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these bonds.”

¹⁴ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God

¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the Gospel.”

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.

¹⁴ I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise;

¹⁵ so, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are at Rome.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “The just shall live by faith.”

²² And ye shall be hated by all men for My name’s sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

²³ But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come.

¹⁸ “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you.

¹⁹ If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

²⁰ Remember the word that I said unto you: ‘The servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.

²¹ But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.

¹⁸ And they called them back and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said unto them, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye;

²⁰ for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

²¹ So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing for which they might punish them, because of the people; for all men glorified God for that which had been done.

²² For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing was shown.

²³ And being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

²⁴ And when they heard this, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, “Lord, Thou art God who hast made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them,

²⁵ who by the mouth of Thy servant David hast said, ‘Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

²⁶ The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’

²⁷ For truly against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, had gathered together

²⁸ to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done.

²⁹ And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word,

³⁰ by stretching forth Thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy holy child Jesus.”

³¹ And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, 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; neither said any one of them that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

³³ And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

³³ These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”