The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And Peter, having looked stedfastly toward him with John, said, 'Look toward us;'

and he was giving heed to them, looking to receive something from them;

and Peter said, 'Silver and gold I have none, but what I have, that I give to thee; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and be walking.'

And having seized him by the right hand, he raised [him] up, and presently his feet and ankles were strengthened,

and springing up, he stood, and was walking, and did enter with them into the temple, walking and springing, and praising God;

and all the people saw him walking and praising God,

they were knowing him also that this it was who for a kindness was sitting at the Beautiful gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what hath happened to him.

And at the lame man who was healed holding Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch called Solomon's — greatly amazed,

and Peter having seen, answered unto the people, 'Men, Israelites! why wonder ye at this? or on us why look ye so earnestly, as if by our own power or piety we have made him to walk?

'The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, did glorify His child Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, he having given judgment to release [him],

and ye the Holy and Righteous One did deny, and desired a man — a murderer — to be granted to you,

and the Prince of the life ye did kill, whom God did raise out of the dead, of which we are witnesses;

and on the faith of his name, this one whom ye see and have known, his name made strong, even the faith that [is] through him did give to him this perfect soundness before you all.

'And now, brethren, I have known that through ignorance ye did [it], as also your rulers;

and God, what things before He had declared through the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ should suffer, He did thus fulfil;

reform ye, therefore, and turn back, for your sins being blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

and He may send Jesus Christ who before hath been preached to you,

whom it behoveth heaven, indeed, to receive till times of a restitution of all things, of which God spake through the mouth of all His holy prophets from the age.

'For Moses, indeed, unto the fathers said — A prophet to you shall the Lord your God raise up out of your brethren, like to me; him shall ye hear in all things, as many as he may speak unto you;

and it shall be, every soul that may not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed out of the people;

and also all the prophets from Samuel and those following in order, as many as spake, did also foretell of these days.

'Ye are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant that God made unto our fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall be blessed all the families of the earth;

to you first, God, having raised up His child Jesus, did send him, blessing you, in the turning away of each one from your evil ways.'

And as they are speaking unto the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees —

being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the rising again out of the dead —

and they laid hands upon them, and did put them in custody unto the morrow, for it was evening already;

and many of those hearing the word did believe, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.

And it came to pass upon the morrow, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem,

and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the chief priest,

and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, 'In what power, or in what name did ye do this?'

Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them: 'Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

if we to-day are examined concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he hath been saved,

be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye did crucify, whom God did raise out of the dead, in him hath this one stood by before you whole.

'This is the stone that was set at nought by you — the builders, that became head of a corner;

and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.'

And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering — they were taking knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been —

and seeing the man standing with them who hath been healed, they had nothing to say against [it],

and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another,

saying, 'What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem [is] manifest, and we are not able to deny [it];

but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'

And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus,

and Peter and John answering unto them said, 'Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;

for we cannot but speak what we did see and hear.'

And they having further threatened [them], let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which hath been done,

for above forty years of age was the man upon whom had been done this sign of the healing.

And being let go, they went unto their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said unto them,

and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, 'Lord, thou [art] God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that [are] in them,

who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things?

the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ;

for gathered together of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel,

to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel did determine before to come to pass.

'And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word,

in the stretching forth of Thy hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the name of Thy holy child Jesus.'

And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom,

and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common.

And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them all,

for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling [them], were bringing the prices of the thing sold,

and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need.

And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas — which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort — a Levite, of Cyprus by birth,

a field being his, having sold [it], brought the money and laid [it] at the feet of the apostles.

And a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

and did keep back of the price — his wife also knowing — and having brought a certain part, at the feet of the apostles he laid [it].

And Peter said, 'Ananias, wherefore did the Adversary fill thy heart, for thee to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back of the price of the place?

while it remained, did it not remain thine? and having been sold, in thy authority was it not? why [is] it that thou didst put in thy heart this thing? thou didst not lie to men, but to God;'

and Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, did expire, and great fear came upon all who heard these things,

and having risen, the younger men wound him up, and having carried forth, they buried [him].

And it came to pass, about three hours after, that his wife, not knowing what hath happened, came in,

and Peter answered her, 'Tell me if for so much ye sold the place;' and she said, 'Yes, for so much.'

And Peter said unto her, 'How was it agreed by you, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? lo, the feet of those who did bury thy husband [are] at the door, and they shall carry thee forth;'

and she fell down presently at his feet, and expired, and the young men having come in, found her dead, and having carried forth, they buried [her] by her husband;

and great fear came upon all the assembly, and upon all who heard these things.

And through the hands of the apostles came many signs and wonders among the people, and they were with one accord all in the porch of Solomon;

and of the rest no one was daring to join himself to them, but the people were magnifying them,

(and the more were believers added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women,)

so as into the broad places to bring forth the ailing, and to lay [them] upon couches and mats, that at the coming of Peter, even [his] shadow might overshadow some one of them;

and there were coming together also the people of the cities round about to Jerusalem, bearing ailing persons, and those harassed by unclean spirits — who were all healed.

And having risen, the chief priest, and all those with him — being the sect of the Sadducees — were filled with zeal,

and laid their hands upon the apostles, and did put them in a public prison;

and a messenger of the Lord through the night opened the doors of the prison, having also brought them forth, he said,

'Go on, and standing, speak in the temple to the people all the sayings of this life;'

and having heard, they did enter at the dawn into the temple, and were teaching. And the chief priest having come, and those with him, they called together the sanhedrim and all the senate of the sons of Israel, and they sent to the prison to have them brought,

and the officers having come, did not find them in the prison, and having turned back, they told,

saying — 'The prison indeed we found shut in all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors, and having opened — within we found no one.'

And as the priest, and the magistrate of the temple, and the chief priests, heard these words, they were doubting concerning them to what this would come;

and coming near, a certain one told them, saying — 'Lo, the men whom ye did put in the prison are in the temple standing and teaching the people;'

then the magistrate having gone away with officers, brought them without violence, for they were fearing the people, lest they should be stoned;

and having brought them, they set [them] in the sanhedrim, and the chief priest questioned them,

saying, 'Did not we strictly command you not to teach in this name? and lo, ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and ye intend to bring upon us the blood of this man.'

And Peter and the apostles answering, said, 'To obey God it behoveth, rather than men;

and the God of our fathers did raise up Jesus, whom ye slew, having hanged upon a tree;

this one God, a Prince and a Saviour, hath exalted with His right hand, to give reformation to Israel, and forgiveness of sins;

and we are His witnesses of these sayings, and the Holy Spirit also, whom God gave to those obeying him.'

And they having heard, were cut [to the heart], and were taking counsel to slay them,

but a certain one, having risen up in the sanhedrim — a Pharisee, by name Gamaliel, a teacher of law honoured by all the people — commanded to put the apostles forth a little,

and said unto them, 'Men, Israelites, take heed to yourselves about these men, what ye are about to do,

for before these days rose up Theudas, saying, that himself was some one, to whom a number of men did join themselves, as it were four hundred, who was slain, and all, as many as were obeying him, were scattered, and came to nought.

'After this one rose up, Judas the Galilean, in the days of the enrolment, and drew away much people after him, and that one perished, and all, as many as were obeying him, were scattered;

and now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone, because if this counsel or this work may be of men, it will be overthrown,

and if it be of God, ye are not able to overthrow it, lest perhaps also ye be found fighting against God.'

And to him they agreed, and having called near the apostles, having beaten [them], they commanded [them] not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go;