Old/New Testament

²² `You men of Israel, listen to this. God showed you that he was pleased with this man, Jesus of Nazareth. He proved it by the big works and the wonderful signs which he did by Jesus right here among you people. And you yourselves know it.

^23-24 This same Jesus was given up. You let bad men take him. You let them nail him to a cross and kill him. This is just the way God had planned it. He knew how it would happen. But God raised him back to life. He set him free from the pain of death. Death could not hold him.

²⁵ `King David spoke about Jesus long ago. He said, "I saw the Lord before me always. He is at my right hand so that I may not be shaken.

^26-27 That made my heart very happy. It made my tongue sing for joy. And even my body also will rest in peace because you will not leave my body in the grave. You will not let your Holy One die and be spoiled.

²⁸ You have shown me the ways of life. You will make me very happy when I am with you."

²⁹ `My brothers, I can talk very plainly to you about your father, David. He died and was buried. His grave is still here today.

³⁰ He was a prophet. He knew that God had promised him that someone born of his family would sit on his chair to rule. That one was Christ.

³¹ David knew what would happen. So he said that Christ would be raised from death. Christ was not left in the grave. His body was not spoiled. David said all this before it ever happened.

³² And now we all saw it. We are telling people that God raised this Jesus back to life.

³³ `God made him great by making him sit at his right side. God gave him the Holy Spirit as he had promised. So he sent this which you now see and hear.

^34-35 avid himself has not gone up into the heavens. What he said was, "The Lord God said to my Lord, `Sit at my right hand till I bring your enemies down and put your feet on them.' "

³⁶ `So let all the people of Israel know this: God has made Jesus to be Lord and Christ. This is the same Jesus whom you nailed to the cross.'

³⁷ What Peter said cut the people's hearts when they heard it. They knew they had done wrong. They said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, `Brothers, what shall we do?'

³⁸ `Stop your wrong ways and turn back to God,' answered Peter. `And then everyone of you can be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Your wrong ways will be forgiven you, and you will receive the Holy Spirit.

³⁹ This promise is for you and your children and for all those whom the Lord our God calls, even though they are far away.'

⁴⁰ Peter went on talking and teaching the people. `Do not follow the wrong ways of people today,' he begged.

⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his words and believed were baptised. That same day about three thousand new believers joined them.

⁴² They kept on being taught by the apostles. And they kept on being with them. They ate bread together and talked with God.

⁴³ All the people were very much surprised. Many wonderful things and signs were done by the apostles.

⁴⁴ All the believers were together; and everything they had was for the use of all.

⁴⁵ They sold their things and divided the money among the believers. They gave each person what he needed. 46,

^46-47 nd every day the believers kept on gathering in the temple. They ate bread in each other's homes. They ate their food gladly and with open hearts. They praised God. All the people respected them. Day by day, the Lord added to the church those who were saved.