The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And God which knoweth the heartes, bare them witnesse, in giuing vnto them ye holy Ghost euen as he did vnto vs.

And he put no difference betweene vs and them, after that by faith he had purified their heartes.

Nowe therefore, why tempt ye God, to lay a yoke on the disciples neckes, which neither our fathers, nor we were able to beare?

But we beleeue, through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ to be saued, euen as they doe.

Then all the multitude kept silence, and heard Barnabas and Paul, which told what signes and wonders God had done among the Gentiles by them.

And when they helde their peace, Iames answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken vnto me.

Simeon hath declared, howe God first did visite the Gentiles, to take of them a people vnto his Name.

And to this agree the woordes of the Prophets, as it is written,

After this I will returne, and will builde againe the tabernacle of Dauid, which is fallen downe, and the ruines thereof will I build againe, and I will set it vp,

That the residue of men might seeke after the Lord, and all the Gentiles vpon whom my Name is called, saith the Lord which doeth all these things.

From the beginning of the worlde, God knoweth all his workes.

Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them of the Gentiles that are turned to God,

But that we send vnto them, that they abstaine themselues from filthinesse of idoles, and fornication, and that that is strangled, and from blood.

For Moses of olde time hath in euery citie them that preache him, seeing he is read in the Synagogues euery Sabbath day.

Then it seemed good to the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church, to sende chosen men of their owne companie to Antiochia with Paul and Barnabas: to wit, Iudas whose surname was Barsabas and Silas, which were chiefe men among the brethren,

And wrote letters by them after this maner, THE APOSTLES, and the Elders, and the brethren, vnto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antiochia, and in Syria, and in Cilicia, send greeting.

Forasmuch as we haue heard, that certaine which went out from vs, haue troubled you with wordes, and cumbred your mindes, saying, Ye must be circumcised and keepe the Lawe: to whom we gaue no such commandement,

It seemed therefore good to vs, when we were come together with one accord, to send chosen men vnto you, with our beloued Barnabas and Paul,

Men that haue giuen vp their liues for the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ.

We haue therefore sent Iudas and Silas, which shall also tell you ye same things by mouth.

For it seemed good to the holy Ghost, and to vs, to lay no more burden vpon you, then these necessary things,

That is, that ye abstaine from things offered to idoles, and blood, and that that is strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keepe your selues, ye shall doe well. Fare ye well.

Nowe when they were departed, they came to Antiochia, and after that they had assembled the multitude, they deliuered the Epistle.

And when they had read it, they reioyced for the consolation.

And Iudas and Silas being Prophets, exhorted the brethren with many wordes, and strengthened them.

And after they had taried there a space, they were let goe in peace of the brethren vnto the Apostles.

Notwithstanding Silas thought good to abide there still.

Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antiochia, teaching and preaching with many other, the worde of the Lord.

But after certaine dayes, Paul said vnto Barnabas, Let vs returne, and visite our brethren in euery citie, where we haue preached the worde of the Lord, and see how they doe.

And Barnabas counselled to take with them Iohn, called Marke.

But Paul thought it not meete to take him vnto their companie, which departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the worke.

Then were they so stirred, that they departed asunder one from the other, so that Barnabas tooke Marke, and sailed vnto Cyprus.

And Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended of the brethren vnto the grace of God.

And he went through Syria and Cilicia, stablishing the Churches.

Then came he to Derbe and to Lystra: and beholde, a certaine disciple was there named Timotheus, a womans sonne, which was a Iewesse and beleeued, but his father was a Grecian,

Of whom the brethren which were at Lystra and Iconium, reported well.

Therefore Paul would that he should go forth with him, and tooke and circumcised him, because of ye Iewes, which were in those quarters: for they knewe all, that his father was a Grecian.

And as they went through the cities, they deliuered them the decrees to keepe, ordeined of the Apostles and Elders, which were at Hierusalem.

And so were the Churches stablished in the faith, and encreased in number daily.

Nowe when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preache the worde in Asia.

Then came they to Mysia, and sought to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

Therefore they passed through Mysia, and came downe to Troas,

Where a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stoode a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come into Macedonia, and helpe vs.

And after he had seene the vision, immediatly we prepared to goe into Macedonia, being assured that the Lord had called vs to preache the Gospel vnto them.

Then went we forth from Troas, and with a straight course came to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis,

And from thence to Philippi, which is the chiefe citie in ye partes of Macedonia, and whose inhabitants came from Rome to dwell there, and we were in that citie abiding certaine dayes.

And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the citie, besides a Riuer, where they were wont to pray: and we sate downe, and spake vnto the women, which were come together.

And a certaine woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the citie of the Thyatirians, which worshipped God, heard vs: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended vnto the things, which Paul spake.

And when she was baptized, and her houshold, she besought vs, saying, If ye haue iudged me to be faithfull to ye Lord, come into mine house, and abide there: and she constrained vs.

And it came to passe that as we went to prayer, a certaine maide hauing a spirit of diuination, mette vs, which gate her masters much vantage with diuining.

She followed Paul and vs, and cryed, saying, These men are the seruants of the most high God, which shewe vnto you the way of saluation.

And this did she many dayes: but Paul being grieued, turned about, and said to the spirit, I commaund thee in the Name of Iesus Christ, that thou come out of her. And he came out the same houre.

Nowe when her masters sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drewe them into the market place vnto the Magistrates,

And brought them to the gouernours, saying, These men which are Iewes, trouble our citie,

And preache ordinances, which are not lawfull for vs to receiue, neither to obserue, seeing we are Romanes.

The people also rose vp together against them, and the gouernours rent their clothes, and commanded them to be beaten with roddes.

And when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into prison, commaunding the Iayler to keepe them surely.

Who hauing receiued such commandement, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feete fast in the stockes.

Nowe at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sung Psalmes vnto God: and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken: and by and by all the doores opened, and euery mans bands were loosed.

Then the keeper of the prison waked out of his sleepe, and when he sawe the prison doores open, he drewe out his sword and would haue killed himselfe, supposing the prisoners had bin fled.

But Paul cryed with a loude voyce, saying, Doe thy selfe no harme: for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and leaped in, and came trembling, and fell downe before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Syrs, what must I doe to be saued?

And they saide, Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saued, and thine houshold.

And they preached vnto him the worde of the Lord, and to all that were in the house.

Afterwarde he tooke them the same houre of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized with all that belonged vnto him, straigthway.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meate before them, and reioyced that he with all his houshold beleeued in God.

And when it was day, the gouernours sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men goe.

Then the keeper of the prison tolde these woordes vnto Paul, saying, The gouerness haue sent to loose you: nowe therefore get you hence, and goe in peace.

Then sayde Paul vnto them, After that they haue beaten vs openly vncodemned, which are Romanes, they haue cast vs into prison, and nowe would they put vs out priuily? nay verely: but let them come and bring vs out.

And the sergeants tolde these woordes vnto the gouernours, who feared whe they heard that they were Romanes.

Then came they and praied them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the citie.

And they went out of the prison, and entred into the house of Lydia: and when they had seene the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Nowe as they passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a Synagogue of the Iewes.

And Paul, as his maner was, went in vnto them, and three Sabbath daies disputed with them by the Scriptures,

Opening, and alleadging that Christ must haue suffered, and risen againe from the dead: and this is Iesus Christ, whom, said he, I preach to you.

And some of them beleeued, and ioyned in companie with Paul and Silas: also of the Grecians that feared God a great multitude, and of the chiefe women not a fewe.

But the Iewes which beleeued not, mooued with enuie, tooke vnto them certaine vagabonds and wicked fellowes, and whe they had assembled the multitude, they made a tumult in the citie, and made assault against the house of Iason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

But when they found them not, they drew Iason and certaine brethren vnto the heads of the citie, crying, These are they which haue subuerted the state of the world, and here they are,

Whom Iason hath receiued, and these all doe against the decrees of Cesar, saying that there is another King, one Iesus.

Then they troubled the people, and the heads of the citie, when they heard these things.

Notwithstanding when they had receiued sufficient assurance of Iason and of the other, they let them goe.

And the brethren immediatly sent away Paul and Silas by night vnto Berea, which when they were come thither, entred into ye Synagogue of the Iewes.

These were also more noble men then they which were at Thessalonica, which receiued the woorde with all readinesse, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Therefore many of them beleeued, and of honest women, which were Grecians, and men not a fewe.

But when the Iewes of Thessalonica knewe, that the woord of God was also preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and mooued the people.

But by and by the brethren sent away Paul to goe as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

And they that did conduct Paul, brought him vnto Athens: and when they had receiued a commandement vnto Silas and Timotheus that they shoulde come to him at once, they departed.

Nowe while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirite was stirred in him, when hee sawe the citie subiect to idolatrie.

Therefore he disputed in the Synagogue with the Iewes, and with them that were religious, and in the market daily with whomesoeuer he met.

Then certaine Philosophers of the Epicures, and of the Stoickes, disputed with him, and some sayde, What will this babler say? Others sayde, He seemeth to be a setter forth of straunge gods (because hee preached vnto them Iesus, and the resurrection.)

And they tooke him, and brought him into Mars streete, saying, May we not know, what this newe doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

For thou bringest certaine strange thinges vnto our eares: we woulde knowe therefore, what these things meane.

For all the Athenians, and strangers which dwelt there, gaue them selues to nothing els, but either to tell, or to heare some newes.

Then Paul stoode in the mids of Mars streete, and sayde, Yee men of Athens, I perceiue that in all things yee are too superstitious.

For as I passed by, and behelde your deuotions, I founde an altar wherein was written, VNTO THE VNKNOWEN GOD. Whom ye then ignorantly worship, him shewe I vnto you.

God that made the world, and all things that are therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaue and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands,

Neither is worshipped with mens handes, as though he needed any thing, seeing hee giueth to all life and breath and all things,

And hath made of one blood all mankinde, to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the seasons which were ordeined before, and the boundes of their habitation,