The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And the hand of he Lord was with them: and a great number believing, were converted to the Lord.

And the tidings came to the ears of the church that was at Jerusalem, touching these things: and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.

Who, when he was come and had seen the grace of God, rejoiced. And he exhorted them all with purpose of heart to continue in the Lord.

For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.

And Barnabas went to Tarsus to seek Saul: whom, when he had found, he brought to Antioch.

And they conversed there in the church a whole year: and they taught a great multitude, so that at Antioch the disciples were first named Christians.

And in these days there came prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch.

And one of them named Agabus, rising up, signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over the whole world, which came to pass under Claudius.

And the disciples, every man according to his ability, purposed to send relief to the brethren who dwelt in Judea.

Which also they did, sending it to the ancients, by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

And at the same time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church.

And he killed James, the brother of John, With the sword.

And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes.

And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers, to be kept, intending, after the pasch, to bring him forth to the people.

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

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shined in the room. And he, striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands.

And the angel said to him: Gird thyself and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy garment about thee and follow me,

And going out, he followed him. And he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision.

And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city which of itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through one street. And immediately the angel departed from him.

And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent his angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

And considering, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together and praying.

And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, whose name was Rhode.

And as soon as she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for joy: but running in she told that Peter stood before the gate.

But they said to her: Thou art mad. But she affirmed that it was so. Then said they: It is his angel.

But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him and were astonished.

But he, beckoning to them with his hand to hold their peace, told how the Lord had brought him out of prison. And he said: Tell these things to James and to the brethren. And going out, he went into another place.

Now when day was come, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, having examined the keepers, he commanded they should be put to death. And going down from Judea to Caesarea, he abode there.

And he was angry with the Tyrians and the Sidonians. But they with one accord came to him: and, having gained Blastus who was the king's chamberlain, they desired peace, because their countries were nourished by him.

And upon a day appointed, Herod being arrayed in kingly apparel, sat in the judgment seat and made an oration to them.

And the people made acclamation, saying: It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

And forthwith an angel of the Lord struck him, because he had not given the honour to God: and, being eaten up by worms, he gave up the ghost.

But the word of the Lord increased and multiplied.

And Barnabas and Saul, returned from Jerusalem, having fulfilled their ministry, taking with them John who was surnamed Mark.

Now there were in the church which was at Antioch prophets and doctors, among whom was Barnabas and Simon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene and Manahen who was the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Ghost said to them: Separate me Saul and Barnabas, for the work whereunto I have taken them.

Then they fasting and praying and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away.

So they, being sent by the Holy Ghost, went to Seleucia: and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

And when they were come to Salamina, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also in the ministry.

And when they had gone through the whole island, as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesu:

Who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He, sending for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the magician (for so his name is interpreted) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

Then Saul, otherwise Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, looking upon him,

Said: O full of all guile and of all deceit, child of the devil, enemy of all justice, thou ceases not to pervert the right ways of the Lord.

And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee: and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell a mist and darkness upon him: and going about, he sought some one to lead him by the hand.

Then the proconsul, when he had seen what was done, believed, admiring at the doctrine of the Lord.

Now when Paul and they that were with him had sailed from Paphos, they came to Perge in Pamphylia. And John departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

But they, passing through Perge, came to Antioch in Pisidia: and, entering into the Synagogue on the sabbath day, they sat down.

And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying: Ye men, brethren, if you have any word of exhortation to make to the people, speak.

Then Paul rising up and with his hand bespeaking silence, said: Ye men of Israel and you that fear God, give ear.

The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt: And with an high arm brought them out from thence:

And for the space of forty years endured their manners in the desert:

And, destroying seven nations in the land of Chaanan, divided their land among them by lot.

As it were, after four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave unto them judges, until Samuel the prophet.

And after that they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years.

And when he had removed him, he raised them up David to be king: to whom giving testimony, he said: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to my own heart, who shall do all my wills.

Of this man's seed, God, according to his promise, hath raised up to Israel a Saviour Jesus:

John first preaching, before his coming, the baptism of penance to all the people of Israel.

And when John was fulfilling his course, he said: I am not he whom you think me to be. But behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fear God: to you the word of this salvation is sent.

For they that inhabited Jerusalem and the rulers thereof, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, judging him, have fulfilled them.

And finding no cause of death in him, they desired of Pilate that they might kill him.

And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, taking him down from the tree, they laid him in a sepulchre.

But God raised him up from the dead the third day.

Who was seen for many days by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present are his witnesses to the people.

And we declare unto you that the promise which was made to our fathers,

This same God hath fulfilled to our children, raising up Jesus, as in the second psalm also is written: Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee.

And to shew that he raised him up from the dead, not to return now any more to corruption, he said thus: I will give you the holy things of David, faithful.

And therefore, in another place also, he saith: Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

For David, when he had served in his generation, according to the will of God, slept: and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption.

But he whom God hath raised from the dead saw no corruption.

Be it known therefore to you, men, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is preached to you: and from all the things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

In him every one that believeth is justified.

Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets:

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you will not believe, if any man shall tell it you.

And as they went out, they desired them that on the next sabbath they would speak unto them these words.

And when the synagogue was broken up, many of the Jews and of the strangers who served God followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

But the next sabbath day, the whole city almost came together, to hear the word of God.

And the Jews, seeing the multitudes, were filled with envy and contradicted those things which were said by Paul, blaspheming.

Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: To you it behoved us first to speak the word of God: but because you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.

For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the Gentiles: that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth.

And the Gentiles hearing it were glad and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to life everlasting believed.

And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country.

But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women and the chief men of the city: and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and cast them out of their coasts.

But they, shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium.

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.

And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a very great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks did believe.

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up and incensed the minds of the Gentiles against the brethren.

A long time therefore they abode there, dealing confidently in the Lord, who gave testimony to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

And the multitude of the city was divided. And some of them indeed held with the Jews, but some with the apostles.

And when there was an assault made by the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to use them contumeliously and to stone them:

They, understanding it, fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the whole country round about: and were there preaching the gospel.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

This same heard Paul speaking. Who looking upon him and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

Said with a loud voice: Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked.

And when the multitudes had seen what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice in the Lycaonian tongue, saying: The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter: but Paul, Mercury: because he was chief speaker.

The priest also of Jupiter that was before the city, bringing oxen and garlands before the gate, would have offered sacrifice with the people.

Which, when the apostles Barnabas and Paul had heard, rending their clothes, they leaped out among the people, crying,