Bible in 90 Days
Stephen Arrested
8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some of those from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called),[a] both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia,[b] stood up and[c] disputed with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!” 12 And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up and[d] seized him and brought him[e] to the Sanhedrin.[f] 13 And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking words against the holy place[g] and the law! 14 For we have heard him saying that this Nazarene Jesus will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 And as they[h] looked intently at him, all those who were sitting in the Sanhedrin[i] saw his face was like the face of an angel.
Stephen’s Defense
7 And the high priest said, “Is it so concerning these things?” 2 So he said, “Men—brothers and fathers—listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he[j] was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your relatives and come to the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and[k] settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he caused him to move to this land in which you now live. 5 And he did not give him an inheritance in it—not even a footstep[l]—and he promised to give it[m] to him for his possession, and to his descendants after him, although he did not have[n][o] a child. 6 But God spoke like this: ‘His descendants will be foreigners in a foreign land, and they will enslave them and mistreat them[p] four hundred years, 7 and the nation that[q] they will serve as slaves, I will judge,’ God said, ‘and after these things they will come out[r] and will worship me in this place.’[s] 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac did so with[t] Jacob, and Jacob did so with[u] the twelve patriarchs. 9 And the patriarchs, because they[v] were jealous of Joseph, sold him[w] into Egypt. And God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him ruler over Egypt and all[x] his household. 11 And a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our fathers could not find food. 12 So when[y] Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And on the second visit[z] Joseph was made known to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. 14 So Joseph sent and[aa] summoned his father Jacob and all his[ab] relatives, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers. 16 And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 “But as the time of the promise that God had made to Abraham was drawing near, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 19 This man deceitfully took advantage of our[ac] people and[ad] mistreated our ancestors, causing them to abandon their infants[ae] so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God. He[af] was brought up for three months in his[ag] father’s house, 21 and when[ah] he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up and brought him up as her own son.[ai] 22 And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in his words and deeds.
23 “But when he was forty years old,[aj] it entered in his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he[ak] saw one of them being unjustly harmed, he defended him[al] and avenged[am] the one who had been oppressed by[an] striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he thought his[ao] brothers would understand that God was granting deliverance to them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And on the following day, he made an appearance to them while they[ap] were fighting and was attempting to reconcile[aq] them in peace, saying, ‘Men and brothers, why are you doing wrong to one another?’ 27 But the one who was doing wrong to his[ar] neighbor pushed him aside, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 You do not want to do away with me the same way[as] you did away with the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’[at] 29 And at this statement, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 “And when[au] forty years had been completed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush. 31 And when[av] Moses saw it,[aw] he was astonished at the sight, and when[ax] he approached to look at it,[ay] the voice of the Lord came: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob!’[az] So Moses began trembling and[ba] did not dare to look at it.[bb] 33 And the Lord said to him, ‘Untie the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have certainly seen[bc] the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’[bd] 35 This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?’[be]—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer with the help[bf] of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
37 “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’[bg] 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and who with our fathers received living oracles to give to us, 39 to whom our fathers were not willing to become obedient, but rejected him[bh] and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go on before us! For this Moses, who led us out from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him!’[bi] 41 And they manufactured a calf in those days, and offered up a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing[bj] in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets:
‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me
for forty years in the wilderness, did you,[bk] house of Israel?
43 And you took along the tabernacle[bl] of Moloch
and the star of the god[bm] Rephan,
the images that you made, to worship them,
and I will deport you beyond Babylon!’[bn]
44 The tabernacle of the testimony belonged[bo] to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed him[bp] to make it according to the design that he had seen, 45 and which, after[bq] receiving it[br] in turn, our fathers brought in with Joshua when they dispossessed the[bs] nations that God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.[bt] 47 But Solomon built a house for him. 48 But the Most High does not live in houses[bu] made by human hands, just as the prophet says,
49 ‘Heaven is my throne
and earth is the footstool for my feet.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’[bv]
51 “You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your[bw] ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, 53 you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”
Stephen’s Martyrdom
54 Now when they[bx] heard these things, they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed their[by] teeth at him. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and[bz] saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and rushed at him with one purpose. 58 And after they[ca] had driven him[cb] out of the city, they began to stone[cc] him,[cd] and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they kept on stoning Stephen as he[ce] was calling out and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 And falling to his[cf] knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after he[cg] said this, he fell asleep.[ch]
Saul Attempts to Destroy the Church
8 And Saul was agreeing with his murder. Now there happened on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was attempting to destroy the church. Entering house after house,[ci] he dragged off both men and women and[cj] delivered them[ck] to prison.
Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria
4 Now those who had been scattered went about proclaiming the good news of the word. 5 And Philip came down to the city of Samaria and[cl] began proclaiming[cm] the Christ[cn] to them. 6 And the crowds with one mind were paying attention to what was being said by Philip, as they heard him[co] and saw the signs that he was performing. 7 For many of those who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them,[cp] crying out with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Magician
9 Now a certain man named[cq] Simon had been in the city practicing magic and astonishing the people of Samaria, saying he was someone great. 10 They were all paying attention to him,[cr] from the least to the greatest, saying, “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 astonished them with his[cs] magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he[ct] was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being baptized. 13 And Simon himself also believed, and after he[cu] was baptized he was keeping close company with[cv] Philip. And when he[cw] saw the signs and great miracles that were taking place, he was astonished.
14 Now when[cx] the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who went down and[cy] prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 16 (For he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized[cz] in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then they placed their[da] hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Now Simon, when he[db] saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 19 saying, “Give to me also this power, so that whomever I place my[dc] hands on may receive the Holy Spirit!” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver be destroyed along with you,[dd] because you thought you could acquire[de] the gift of God by means of money! 21 You have no[df] part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask the Lord if perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you!” 23 For I see you are in a state of bitter envy[dg] and bound by unrighteousness.”[dh] 24 But Simon answered and[di] said, “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said will come upon me.” 25 So when[dj] they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they turned back toward Jerusalem, and were proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up and go toward the south[dk] on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 And he got up and[dl] went, and behold, there was a man, an Ethiopian eunuch (a court official of Candace,[dm] queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasury) who had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was returning and sitting in his chariot, and reading aloud the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Approach and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran up to it[dn] and[do] heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet and said, “So then, do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “So how could I, unless someone will guide me?” And he invited Philip to come up and[dp] sit with him. 32 Now the passage of scripture that he was reading aloud was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his[dq] humiliation justice was taken from him.
Who can describe his descendants?[dr]
For his life was taken away from the earth.”[ds]
34 And the eunuch answered and[dt] said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom does the prophet say this—about himself or about someone else?” 35 So Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture, proclaimed the good news to him about Jesus. 36 And as they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[du] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water—Philip and the eunuch—and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he[dv] passed through, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Saul’s Conversion on the Damascus Road
9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and[dw] asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, both men and women, he could bring them[dx] tied up[dy] to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he proceeded, it happened that when he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting! 6 But get up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.”[dz] 7 (Now the men who were traveling together with him stood speechless, because they[ea] heard the voice but saw no one.) 8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although[eb] his eyes were open he could see nothing. And leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was unable to see[ec] for three days, and he did not eat or drink.
Ananias Sent to Saul
10 Now there was a certain disciple in Damascus named[ed] Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” And he said, “Behold, here I am, Lord!” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up, go to the street called ‘Straight’ and in the house of Judas look for a man named Saul from Tarsus.[ee] For behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named[ef] Ananias coming in and placing hands[eg] on him so that he may regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to tie up[eh] all who call upon your name!” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles[ei] and kings and the sons of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered into the house, and placing his[ej] hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight and got up and[ek] was baptized, 19 and after[el] taking food, he regained his strength. And he was with the disciples in Damascus several days.
Saul Proclaims Christ in Damascus
20 And immediately he began proclaiming[em] Jesus in the synagogues: “This one is the Son of God!” 21 And all who heard him[en] were amazed, and were saying, “Is this not the one who was wreaking havoc in Jerusalem on those who call upon this name, and had come here for this reason, that he could bring them tied up[eo] to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul was increasing in strength even more, and was confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by[ep] proving that this one is the Christ.[eq]
23 And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted to do away with him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul, and they were also watching the gates both day and night so that they could do away with him. 25 But his disciples took him[er] at night and[es] let him down through the wall by[et] lowering him[eu] in a basket.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 And when he[ev] arrived in Jerusalem, he was attempting to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they[ew] did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and[ex] brought him[ey] to the apostles and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was going in and going out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was speaking and debating with the Greek-speaking Jews,[ez] but they were trying to do away with him. 30 And when[fa] the brothers found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being strengthened. And living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it was increasing in numbers.[fb]
Aeneas Healed
32 Now it happened that as[fc] Peter was traveling through all the places,[fd] he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. 33 And he found there a certain man named[fe] Aeneas who was paralyzed, who had been lying on a mat[ff] for eight years. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and make your bed yourself!” And immediately he got up. 35 And all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, who all[fg] indeed turned to the Lord.
Dorcas Raised
36 Now in Joppa there was a certain female disciple named[fh] Tabitha (which translated means “Dorcas”).[fi] She was full of good deeds and charitable giving which she was constantly doing.[fj] 37 Now it happened that in those days after[fk] becoming sick, she died. And after[fl] washing her,[fm] they placed her in an upstairs room. 38 And because[fn] Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, when they[fo] heard that Peter was in Lydda,[fp] sent two men to him, urging, “Do not delay to come to us!” 39 So Peter got up and[fq] accompanied them. When he[fr] arrived, they brought him[fs] up to the upstairs room, and all the widows came to him, weeping and showing him[ft] tunics and other clothing that Dorcas used to make while she[fu] was with them. 40 But Peter sent them all outside, and, falling to his[fv] knees, he prayed. And turning toward the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” And she opened her eyes, and when she[fw] saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and[fx] raised her up. And he called the saints and the widows and[fy] presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And it happened that he stayed many days in Joppa with a certain Simon, a tanner.[fz]
Cornelius Has a Vision
10 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea named[ga] Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Cohort, 2 devout and fearing God together with all his household, doing many charitable deeds for the people and praying to God continually.[gb] 3 About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him and became terrified and[gc] said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your charitable deeds have gone up for a memorial offering before God. 5 And now, send men to Joppa and summon a certain Simon, who is also called Peter. 6 This man is staying as a guest with a certain Simon, a tanner,[gd] whose house is by the sea.” 7 And when the angel who spoke to him departed, he summoned two of the household slaves and a devout soldier from those who attended him, 8 and after he[ge] had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Peter Has a Vision
9 And the next day, as[gf] they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about the sixth hour. 10 And he became hungry and wanted to eat. But while[gg] they were preparing the food,[gh] a trance came over him. 11 And he saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down to the earth by its four corners, 12 in which were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 And a voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common and unclean!” 15 And the voice came again to him for the second time: “The things which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!” 16 And this happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed within himself as to what the vision that he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having found the house of Simon by asking around, stood at the gate. 18 And they called out and[gi] asked if Simon who was also called Peter was staying there as a guest. 19 And while[gj] Peter was reflecting about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, men[gk] are looking for you. 20 But get up, go down, and go with them—not hesitating at all, because I have sent them.” 21 So Peter went down to the men and[gl] said, “Behold, I am he whom you are looking for! What is the reason for which you have come?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man—and well spoken of by the whole nation of the Jews—was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you.” 23 So he invited them in and[gm] entertained them as guests, and on the next day he got up and[gn] went away with them. And some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the next day he entered into Caesarea.
Peter Visits Cornelius
Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and[go] had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 So it happened that when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his[gp] feet, and[gq] worshiped him.[gr] 26 But Peter helped him up, saying, “Get up! I myself am also a man!” 27 And as he[gs] conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You know that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or to approach a foreigner. And to me God has shown that I should call no man common or unclean. 29 Therefore—and without raising any objection—I came when I[gt] was sent for. So I ask for what reason you sent for me.”
30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago at this hour,[gu] the ninth, I was praying in my house. And behold, a man in shining clothing stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charitable deeds have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon who is also called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner,[gv] by the sea. 33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come.[gw] So now we all are present before God to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by the Lord.”
34 So Peter opened his[gx] mouth and[gy] said, “In truth I understand that God is not one who shows partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears him and who does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for[gz] the message that he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—this one is Lord of all— 37 you know the thing that happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 Jesus of Nazareth—how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all the things that he did both in the land of the Judeans and in Jerusalem, whom they also executed by[ha] hanging him[hb] on a tree. 40 God raised this one up on the third day and granted that he should become visible, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen beforehand by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this one is the one appointed[hc] by God as judge of the living and of the dead. 43 To this one all the prophets testify, that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.”
The Holy Spirit Given to Gentiles
44 While[hd] Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening to the message. 45 And those believers from the circumcision who had accompanied Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as we also did!” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for several days.
Peter’s Explanation to the Church in Jerusalem
11 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had accepted the word[he] of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went to men who were uncircumcised[hf] and ate with them!” 4 But Peter began and[hg] explained it[hh] to them in an orderly sequence, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision—an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came to me. 6 As I[hi] looked intently into it, I was considering it,[hj] and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild animals and the reptiles and the birds of the sky. 7 And I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!’ 8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has ever entered into my mouth!’ 9 But the voice replied from heaven for the second time, ‘The things which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!’ 10 And this happened three times, and everything was pulled up into heaven again. 11 And behold, at once three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea approached the house in which we were staying.[hk] 12 And the Spirit told me to accompany them, not hesitating at all. So these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the man’s house. 13 And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is also called Peter, 14 who will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 And as I was beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as also on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’[hl] 17 Therefore if God gave them the same gift as also to us when we[hm] believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?” 18 And when they[hn] heard these things, they became silent[ho] and praised God, saying, “Then God has granted the repentance leading to life to the Gentiles also!”
Developments in the Church in Antioch
19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, proclaiming the message to no one except Jews alone. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they[hp] came to Antioch, began to speak[hq] to the Hellenists[hr] also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 And the report came to the attention[hs] of the church that was in Jerusalem about them, and they sent out Barnabas as far as[ht] Antioch, 23 who, when he[hu] arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts,[hv] 24 because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large number were added[hw] to the Lord. 25 So he departed for Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 And when he[hx] found him,[hy] he brought him[hz] to Antioch. And it happened to them also that they met together for a whole year with the church and taught a large number of people.[ia] And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
27 Now in those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named[ib] Agabus stood up and[ic] indicated by the Spirit that a great famine was about to come over the whole inhabited earth (which took place in the time of Claudius). 29 So from the disciples, according to their ability to give,[id] each one of them determined to send financial aid[ie] for support to the brothers who lived in Judea, 30 which they also did, sending the aid[if] to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
Herod Kills James and Imprisons Peter
12 Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm them.[ig] 2 So he executed James the brother of John with a sword. 3 And when he[ih] saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (Now this was during the feast[ii] of Unleavened Bread.) 4 After he[ij] had arrested him,[ik] he also put him[il] in prison, handing him[im] over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out for public trial[in] after the Passover. 5 Thus Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer was fervently being made to God by the church for him.
Peter Rescued by an Angel
6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door were watching the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood near him,[io] and a light shone in the prison cell. And striking Peter’s side, he woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!”[ip] And his chains fell off of his[iq] hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals!” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me!” 9 And he went out and[ir] was following him.[is] And he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision. 10 And after they[it] had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened for them by itself, and they went out and[iu] went forward along one narrow street, and at once the angel departed from him.
11 And when[iv] Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know truly that the Lord has sent out his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and all that the Jewish people expected!”[iw] 12 And when he[ix] realized this,[iy] he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John (who is also called Mark), where many people were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when[iz] he knocked at the door of the gateway, a female slave named[ja] Rhoda came up to answer. 14 And recognizing Peter’s voice, because of her[jb] joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and[jc] announced that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting[jd] it was so. And they kept saying,[je] “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter was continuing to knock, and when they[jf] opened the door[jg] they saw him and were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his[jh] hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and to the brothers,” and he departed and[ji] went to another place.
18 Now when[jj] day came, there was not a little commotion among the soldiers as to what then had become of Peter. 19 And when[jk] Herod had searched for him and did not find him,[jl] he questioned the guards and[jm] ordered that they be led away to execution. And he came down from Judea to Caesarea and[jn] stayed there.
Herod’s Gruesome Death
20 Now he was very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. So they came to him with one purpose, and after[jo] persuading Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,[jp] they asked for peace, because their country was supported with food from the king’s country. 21 So on an appointed day Herod, after[jq] putting on royal clothing and sitting down on the judgment seat, began to deliver a public address to them. 22 But the people began to call out loudly,[jr] “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because[js] he did not give the glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and[jt] died. 24 But the word of God kept on increasing[ju] and multiplying.
25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to[jv] Jerusalem when they[jw] had completed their[jx] service, having taken along with them[jy] John (who is also called Mark).
Barnabas and Saul Sent Out from Antioch
13 Now there were prophets and teachers in Antioch in the church that was there: Barnabas, and Simeon (who was called Niger), and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. 2 And while[jz] they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart now for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, after they[ka] had fasted and prayed and placed their[kb] hands on them, they sent them[kc] away.
Confronting a Magician on Cyprus
4 Therefore, sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed away to Cyprus. 5 And when they[kd] came to Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they also had John as assistant. 6 And when they[ke] had crossed over the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and[kf] wished to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for his name is translated in this way) opposed them, attempting to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul (also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and[kg] said, “O you who are full of all deceit and of all unscrupulousness, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness! Will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord! 11 And now behold, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a while.[kh] And immediately mist and darkness fell over him, and he was going around looking for people[ki] to lead him[kj] by the hand. 12 Then when[kk] the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he[kl] was astounded at the teaching about[km] the Lord.
Preaching in the Synagogue at Pisidian Antioch
13 Now Paul and his companions[kn] put out to sea from Paphos and[ko] came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John departed from them and[kp] returned to Jerusalem. 14 And they went on from Perga and[kq] arrived at Pisidian Antioch. And they entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath and[kr] sat down. 15 So after the reading from the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word[ks] to them, saying, “Men and brothers, if there is any message of exhortation by you for the people, say it.”[kt]
16 So Paul stood up,[ku] and motioning with his[kv] hand, he said, “Israelite men, and those who fear God, listen! 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people during their[kw] stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for a period of time of about forty years, he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after[kx] destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave their land to his people[ky] as an inheritance. 20 This took[kz] about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave them[la] judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 And then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And after[lb] removing him, he raised up David for their king, about whom he also said, testifying, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man in accordance with my heart, who will carry out all my will.’[lc] 23 From the descendants of this man, according to his promise, God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus. 24 Before his coming[ld] John had publicly proclaimed[le] a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 But while John was completing his[lf] mission, he said, ‘What do you suppose me to be? I am not he! But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of his[lg] feet!’
26 “Men and brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who fear God—to us the message of this salvation has been sent! 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they[lh] did not recognize this one, and the voices of the prophets that are read on every Sabbath, fulfilled them[li] by[lj] condemning him.[lk] 28 And although they[ll] found no charge worthy of death, they asked Pilate that he be executed. 29 And when they had carried out all the things that were written about him, they took him[lm] down from the tree and[ln] placed him[lo] in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 who appeared for many days to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem—who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we proclaim the good news to you: that the promise that was made to the fathers, 33 this promise[lp] God has fulfilled to our children[lq] by[lr] raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm,
‘You are my Son;
today I have fathered you.’[ls]
34 But that he has raised him from the dead, no more going to return to decay, he has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the reliable divine decrees of David.’[lt] 35 Therefore he also says in another psalm,[lu]
‘You will not permit your Holy One to experience decay.’[lv]
36 For David, after[lw] serving the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was buried with[lx] his fathers, and experienced decay. 37 But he whom God raised up did not experience decay.
38 “Therefore let it be known to you, men and brothers, that through this one forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and from all the things from which you were not able to be justified by the law of Moses, 39 by this one everyone who believes is justified! 40 Watch out, therefore, lest what is stated by the prophets come upon you:[ly]
41 ‘Look, you scoffers,
and be astonished and perish!
For I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you would never believe
even if someone were to tell it[lz] to you.’”[ma]
Response to the Message in Pisidian Antioch
42 And as[mb] they were going out, they began urging[mc] that these things be spoken about to them on the next Sabbath. 43 And after[md] the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the devout[me] proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and[mf] were persuading them to continue in the grace of God. 44 And on the coming Sabbath, nearly the whole city came together to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when[mg] the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting what was being said by Paul by[mh] reviling him.[mi] 46 Both Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly and[mj] said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you, since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life! Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles! 47 For so the Lord has commanded us:
‘I have appointed you to be[mk] a light for the Gentiles,
that you would bring[ml] salvation to the end of the earth.’[mm]
48 And when[mn] the Gentiles heard this,[mo] they began to rejoice[mp] and to glorify the word of the Lord. And all those who were designated for eternal life believed. 49 So the word of the Lord was carried through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high social standing and the most prominent men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their district. 51 So after[mq] shaking off the dust from their feet against them, they went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Preaching in Iconium
14 Now it happened that in Iconium they entered together[mr] into the synagogue of the Jews and spoke in such a way that a large number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who were disobedient stirred up and poisoned the minds[ms] of the Gentiles against the brothers. 3 So they stayed there[mt] for a considerable time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be performed through their hands. 4 But the population of the city was divided, and some[mu] were with the Jews and some[mv] with the apostles. 5 So when an inclination took place on the part of both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their rulers, to mistreat them[mw] and to stone them, 6 they became aware of it[mx] and[my] fled to the Lycaonian cities—Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region. 7 And there they were continuing to proclaim the good news.
Mistaken for Gods in Lystra
8 And in Lystra a certain man was sitting powerless in his feet, lame from birth,[mz] who had never walked. 9 This man listened while[na] Paul was speaking. Paul,[nb] looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” And he leaped up and began walking.[nc] 11 And when[nd] the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, “The gods have become like men and[ne] have come down to us!” 12 And they began calling[nf] Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the principal speaker.[ng] 13 And the priest of the temple[nh] of Zeus that was just outside the city brought bulls and garlands to the gates and[ni] was wanting to offer sacrifice, along with the crowds. 14 But when[nj] the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it,[nk] they tore their clothing and[nl] rushed out into the crowd, shouting 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, proclaiming the good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things that are in them— 16 who in generations that are past permitted all the nations[nm] to go their own ways. 17 And yet he did not leave himself without witness by[nn] doing good, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you[no] with food and your hearts with gladness.” 18 And although[np] they said these things, only with difficulty did they dissuade the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
19 But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and when they[nq] had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him[nr] outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after[ns] the disciples surrounded him, he got up and[nt] went into the city. And on the next day he departed with Barnabas for Derbe.
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria
21 And after they[nu] had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them[nv] to continue in the faith and saying,[nw] “Through many persecutions[nx] it is necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of God.” 23 And when they[ny] had appointed elders for them in every church, after[nz] praying with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed. 24 And they passed through Pisidia and[oa] came to Pamphylia. 25 And after[ob] they proclaimed the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed away to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. 27 And when they[oc] arrived and called the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.[od] 28 And they stayed no little time with the disciples.
The Jerusalem Council
15 And some men came down from Judea and[oe] began teaching[of] the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after[og] there was no little strife and debate by Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue. 3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and[oh] passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers. 4 And when they[oi] arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them[oj] to observe the law of Moses!”
6 Both the apostles and the elders assembled to deliberate concerning this matter. 7 And after[ok] there was much debate, Peter stood up and[ol] said to them, “Men and brothers, you know that in the early days[om] God chose among you through my mouth that the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by[on] giving them[oo] the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. 9 And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 So now why are you putting God to the test by[op] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same[oq] way those also are.” 12 And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Men and brothers, listen to me! 14 Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After these things I will return
and build up again the tent of David that has fallen,
and the parts of it that had been torn down I will build up again
and will restore it,
17 so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles[or] who are called by my name,[os]
says the Lord,[ot] who makes these things 18 known from of old.’[ou]
19 Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but we should write a letter to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, because he[ov] is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
The Letter from the Council
22 Then it seemed best to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas who was called Barsabbas and Silas, men who were leaders among the brothers— 23 writing this letter[ow] to be delivered by them:[ox]
The apostles and the elders, brothers.
To the brothers who are from among the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
Greetings!
24 Because we have heard that some have gone out from among us—to whom we gave no orders—and[oy] have thrown you into confusion by words upsetting your minds,[oz] 25 it seemed best to us, having reached a unanimous decision,[pa] and[pb] having chosen men, to send them[pc] to you together with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to place on you no greater burden except these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from food sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you[pd] keep yourselves from these things[pe] you will do well.
Farewell.
The Letter Is Delivered to Antioch
30 So when[pf] they were sent off, they came down to Antioch, and after[pg] calling together the community, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they[ph] read it[pi] aloud, they rejoiced at the encouragement. 32 Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers by a long message. 33 And after[pj] spending some time, they were sent away in peace from the brothers to those who had sent them.[pk] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas Disagree and Part Company
36 And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Come then,let us return and[pl] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also, 38 but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work. 39 And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark and[pm] sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and[pn] departed, after[po] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. 41 And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Timothy Accompanies Paul and Silas
16 And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named[pp] Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, 2 who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took him[pq] and[pr] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day.
Paul’s Vision of a Man of Macedonia
6 And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia.[ps] 7 And when they[pt] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. 8 So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and[pu] help us!” 10 And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
The Conversion of Lydia at Philippi
11 So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the city gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and[pv] spoke to the women assembled there. 14 And a certain woman named[pw] Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened her[px] heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged us,[py] saying, “If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house and[pz] stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
16 And it happened that as[qa] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination[qb] met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners by[qc] fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us and[qd] was crying out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” 18 And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out immediately.[qe]
19 But when[qf] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and[qg] dragged them[qh] into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they[qi] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, because we[qj] are Romans!” 22 And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing and[qk] gave orders to beat them[ql] with rods. 23 And after they[qm] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them[qn] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Having received such an order, he[qo] put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.[qp]
The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer
25 Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and[qq] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds[qr] were unfastened. 27 And after[qs] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his[qt] sword and[qu] was about to kill himself, because he[qv] thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And demanding lights, he rushed in and, beginning to tremble,[qw] fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them outside and[qx] said, “Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!” 32 And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. 33 And he took them at that very hour of the night and[qy] washed their[qz] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his household.[ra] 34 And he brought them up into his[rb] house and[rc] set a meal before them,[rd] and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household.
Paul and Silas Receive an Official Apology
35 And when it[re] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul: “The chief magistrates have sent an order[rf] that you should be released. So come out now and[rg] go in peace!” 37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without due process—men who are Roman citizens—and[rh] threw us[ri] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves and[rj] bring us out!”
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