The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And Simon answering, said, 'Beseech ye for me unto the Lord, that nothing may come upon me of the things ye have spoken.'

They indeed, therefore, having testified fully, and spoken the word of the Lord, did turn back to Jerusalem; in many villages also of the Samaritans they did proclaim good news.

And a messenger of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, 'Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza,' — this is desert.

And having arisen, he went on, and lo, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of rank, of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship to Jerusalem;

he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

And the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near, and be joined to this chariot;'

and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, 'Dost thou then know what thou dost read?'

and he said, 'Why, how am I able, if some one may not guide me?' he called Philip also, having come up, to sit with him.

And the contents of the Writing that he was reading was this: 'As a sheep unto slaughter he was led, and as a lamb before his shearer dumb, so he doth not open his mouth;

in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and his generation — who shall declare? because taken from the earth is his life.'

And the eunuch answering Philip said, 'I pray thee, about whom doth the prophet say this? about himself, or about some other one?'

and Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him — Jesus.

And as they were going on the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch said, 'Lo, water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?'

[And Philip said, 'If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;' and he answering said, 'I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;']

and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he was going on his way rejoicing;

and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, till his coming to Caesarea.

And Saul, yet breathing of threatening and slaughter to the disciples of the Lord, having gone to the chief priest,

did ask from him letters to Damascus, unto the synagogues, that if he may find any being of the way, both men and women, he may bring them bound to Jerusalem.

And in the going, he came nigh to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from the heaven,

and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?'

And he said, 'Who art thou, Lord?' and the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute; hard for thee at the pricks to kick;'

trembling also, and astonished, he said, 'Lord, what dost thou wish me to do?' and the Lord [said] unto him, 'Arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what it behoveth thee to do.'

And the men who are journeying with him stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice but seeing no one,

and Saul arose from the earth, and his eyes having been opened, he beheld no one, and leading him by the hand they brought him to Damascus,

and he was three days without seeing, and he did neither eat nor drink.

And there was a certain disciple in Damascus, by name Ananias, and the Lord said unto him in a vision, 'Ananias;' and he said, 'Behold me, Lord;'

and the Lord [saith] unto him, 'Having risen, go on unto the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, [one] by name Saul of Tarsus, for, lo, he doth pray,

and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again.'

And Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he did to Thy saints in Jerusalem,

and here he hath authority from the chief priests, to bind all those calling on Thy name.'

And the Lord said unto him, 'Be going on, because a choice vessel to Me is this one, to bear My name before nations and kings — the sons also of Israel;

for I will shew him how many things it behoveth him for My name to suffer.'

And Ananias went away, and did enter into the house, and having put upon him [his] hands, said, 'Saul, brother, the Lord hath sent me — Jesus who did appear to thee in the way in which thou wast coming — that thou mayest see again, and mayest be filled with the Holy Spirit.'

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, he saw again also presently, and having risen, was baptized,

and having received nourishment, was strengthened, and Saul was with the disciples in Damascus certain days,

and immediately in the synagogues he was preaching the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

And all those hearing were amazed, and said, 'Is not this he who laid waist in Jerusalem those calling on this name, and hither to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?'

And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him,

and their counsel against [him] was known to Saul; they were also watching the gates both day and night, that they may kill him,

and the disciples having taken him, by night did let him down by the wall, letting down in a basket.

And Saul, having come to Jerusalem, did try to join himself to the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he is a disciple,

and Barnabas having taken him, brought [him] unto the apostles, and did declare to them how in the way he saw the Lord, and that he spake to him, and how in Damascus he was speaking boldly in the name of Jesus.

And he was with them, coming in and going out in Jerusalem,

and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, he was both speaking and disputing with the Hellenists, and they were taking in hand to kill him,

and the brethren having known, brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

Then, indeed, the assemblies throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, had peace, being built up, and, going on in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

And it came to pass that Peter passing throughout all [quarters], came down also unto the saints who were dwelling at Lydda,

and he found there a certain man, Aeneas by name — for eight years laid upon a couch — who was paralytic,

and Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, heal thee doth Jesus the Christ; arise and spread for thyself;' and immediately he rose,

and all those dwelling at Lydda, and Saron saw him, and did turn to the Lord.

And in Joppa there was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha, (which interpreted, is called Dorcas,) this woman was full of good works and kind acts that she was doing;

and it came to pass in those days she, having ailed, died, and having bathed her, they laid her in an upper chamber,

and Lydda being nigh to Joppa, the disciples having heard that Peter is in that [place], sent two men unto him, calling on him not to delay to come through unto them.

And Peter having risen, went with them, whom having come, they brought into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing coats and garments, as many as Dorcas was making while she was with them.

And Peter having put them all forth without, having bowed the knees, did pray, and having turned unto the body said, 'Tabitha, arise;' and she opened her eyes, and having seen Peter, she sat up,

and having given her [his] hand, he lifted her up, and having called the saints and the widows, he presented her alive,

and it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord;

and it came to pass, that he remained many days in Joppa, with a certain one, Simon a tanner.

And there was a certain man in Caesarea, by name Cornelius, a centurion from a band called Italian,

pious, and fearing God with all his house, doing also many kind acts to the people, and beseeching God always,

he saw in a vision manifestly, as it were the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, 'Cornelius;'

and he having looked earnestly on him, and becoming afraid, said, 'What is it, Lord?' And he said to him, 'Thy prayers and thy kind acts came up for a memorial before God,

and now send men to Joppa, and send for a certain one Simon, who is surnamed Peter,

this one doth lodge with a certain Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea; this one shall speak to thee what it behoveth thee to do.'

And when the messenger who is speaking to Cornelius went away, having called two of his domestics, and a pious soldier of those waiting on him continually,

and having declared to them all things, he sent them to Joppa.

And on the morrow, as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing nigh to the city, Peter went up upon the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour,

and he became very hungry, and wished to eat; and they making ready, there fell upon him a trance,

and he doth behold the heaven opened, and descending unto him a certain vessel, as a great sheet, bound at the four corners, and let down upon the earth,

in which were all the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the heaven,

and there came a voice unto him: 'Having risen, Peter, slay and eat.'

And Peter said, 'Not so, Lord; because at no time did I eat anything common or unclean;'

and [there is] a voice again a second time unto him: 'What God did cleanse, thou, declare not thou common;'

and this was done thrice, and again was the vessel received up to the heaven.

And as Peter was perplexed in himself what the vision that he saw might be, then, lo, the men who have been sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for the house of Simon, stood at the gate,

and having called, they were asking if Simon, who is surnamed Peter, doth lodge here?

And Peter thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Lo, three men do seek thee;

but having risen, go down and go on with them, nothing doubting, because I have sent them;'

and Peter having come down unto the men who have been sent from Cornelius unto him, said, 'Lo, I am he whom ye seek, what [is] the cause for which ye are present?'

And they said, 'Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous and fearing God, well testified to, also, by all the nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy messenger to send for thee, to his house, and to hear sayings from thee.'

Having called them in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the morrow Peter went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa went with him,

and on the morrow they did enter into Caesarea; and Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kindred and near friends,

and as it came that Peter entered in, Cornelius having met him, having fallen at [his] feet, did bow before [him];

and Peter raised him, saying, 'Stand up; I also myself am a man;'

and talking with him he went in, and doth find many having come together.

And he said unto them, 'Ye know how it is unlawful for a man, a Jew, to keep company with, or to come unto, one of another race, but to me God did shew to call no man common or unclean;

therefore also without gainsaying I came, having been sent for; I ask, therefore, for what matter ye did send for me?'

And Cornelius said, 'Four days ago till this hour, I was fasting, and [at] the ninth hour praying in my house, and, lo, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

and he said, Cornelius, thy prayer was heard, and thy kind acts were remembered before God;

send, therefore, to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter; this one doth lodge in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea, who having come, shall speak to thee;

at once, therefore, I sent to thee; thou also didst do well, having come; now, therefore, are we all before God present to hear all things that have been commanded thee by God.'

And Peter having opened his mouth, said, 'Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons,

but in every nation he who is fearing Him, and is working righteousness, is acceptable to Him;

the word that he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming good news — peace through Jesus Christ (this one is Lord of all,)

ye — ye have known; — the word that came throughout all Judea, having begun from Galilee, after the baptism that John preached;

Jesus who [is] from Nazareth — how God did anoint him with the Holy Spirit and power; who went through, doing good, and healing all those oppressed by the devil, because God was with him;

and we — we are witnesses of all things that he did, both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem, — whom they did slay, having hanged upon a tree.

'This one God did raise up the third day, and gave him to become manifest,