New King James Version (NKJV)

Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

2 And he said,“Brethren and fathers, listen: TheGod of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt inHaran,

3 and said to him,‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’

4 Thenhe came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father wasdead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.

5 AndGodgave him no inheritance in it, not evenenoughto set his foot on. But even whenAbrahamhad no child,He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.

6 But God spoke in this way:that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them intobondage and oppressthemfour hundred years.

7 ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I willjudge,’ said God,‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’

8 Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision;and soAbrahambegot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day;and IsaacbegotJacob, andJacobbegotthe twelve patriarchs.

The Patriarchs in Egypt

9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious,sold Joseph into Egypt.But God was with him

10 and delivered him out of all his troubles,and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

11 Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.

12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

13 And thesecondtimeJoseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh.

14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob andall his relatives tohim,seventy-five people.

15 So Jacob went down to Egypt;and he died, he and our fathers.

16 Andthey were carried back to Shechem and laid inthe tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor,thefatherof Shechem.

God Delivers Israel by Moses

17 “But whenthe time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham,the people grew and multiplied in Egypt

18 till another kingarose who did not know Joseph.

19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers,making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.

20 At this time Moses was born, andwas well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months.

21 Butwhen he was set out,Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.

22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and wasmighty in words and deeds.

23 “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

24 And seeing one ofthemsuffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian.

25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.

26 And the next day he appeared totwoofthem as they were fighting, andtriedtoreconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’

27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying,‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’

29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where hehad two sons.

30 “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.

31 When Moses sawit,he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him,

32 saying,‘Iamthe God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look.

33 ‘Then theLordsaid to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

34 I have surelyseen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I willsend you to Egypt.” ’

35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying,‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God senttobea ruler and a delivererby the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.

36 He brought them out, after he hadshown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt,and in the Red Sea,and in the wilderness forty years.

Israel Rebels Against God

37 “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel,‘TheLordyour God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren.Him you shall hear.’

38 “This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness withthe Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, andwithour fathers,the one who received the livingoracles to give to us,

39 whom our fatherswould not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,

40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us;asforthis Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’

41 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, andrejoiced in the works of their own hands.

42 ThenGod turned and gave them up to worshipthe host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:

# ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrificesduringforty years in the wilderness,

O house of Israel?

43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch,

And the star of your god Remphan,

Images which you made to worship;

# AndI will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

God’s True Tabernacle

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Mosesto make it according to the pattern that he had seen,

45 which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles,whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until thedays of David,

46 who found favor before God andasked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.

47 But Solomon built Him a house.

48 “However,the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

49 ‘HeavenisMy throne,

And earthisMy footstool.

What house will you build for Me? says theLord,

Or whatisthe place of My rest?

50 Has My hand notmade all these things?’

Israel Resists the Holy Spirit

51 “Youstiff-necked anduncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathersdid,sodoyou.

52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming ofthe Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,

53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not keptit.”

Stephen the Martyr

54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him withtheirteeth.

55 But he,being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw theglory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

56 and said, “Look!I see the heavens opened and theSon of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

58 and they casthimout of the city and stonedhim.Andthe witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling onGodand saying, “Lord Jesus,receive my spirit.”

60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice,“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Saul Persecutes the Church

1 Now Saul was consenting to his death.

# At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; andthey were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men carried Stephentohisburial,andmade great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul,he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committingthemto prison.

Christ Is Preached in Samaria

4 Thereforethose who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

5 ThenPhilip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.

6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 Forunclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

8 And there was great joy in that city.

The Sorcerer’s Profession of Faith

9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previouslypracticed sorcery in the city andastonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,

10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”

11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.

12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the thingsconcerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

The Sorcerer’s Sin

14 Now when theapostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

15 who, when they had come down, prayed for themthat they might receive the Holy Spirit.

16 Foras yet He had fallen upon none of them.They had only been baptized inthe name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Thenthey laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,

19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, becauseyou thought thatthe gift of God could be purchased with money!

21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for yourheart is not right in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray Godif perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

23 For I see that you arepoisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

24 Then Simon answered and said,“Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”

25 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Christ Is Preached to an Ethiopian

26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke toPhilip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.

27 So he arose and went. And behold,a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, andhad come to Jerusalem to worship,

28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

# “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;

And as a lamb before its shearerissilent,

# So He opened not His mouth.

33 In His humiliation Hisjustice was taken away,

And who will declare His generation?

# For His life istaken from the earth.”

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”

35 Then Philip opened his mouth,and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See,hereiswater.What hinders me from being baptized?”

37 Then Philip said,“If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

# And he answered and said,“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

39 Now when they came up out of the water,the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came toCaesarea.

The Damascus Road: Saul Converted

1 ThenSaul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

2 and askedletters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,“Saul, Saul,why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said,“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.Itishard for you to kick against the goads.”

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lordsaidto him,“Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 Andthe men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.

8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and broughthiminto Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascusnamed Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision,“Ananias.”

And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

11 So the Lordsaidto him,“Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas foronecalled Saulof Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.

12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and puttinghishand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man,how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind allwho call on Your name.”

15 But the Lord said to him,“Go, forhe is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name beforeGentiles,kings, and thechildrenof Israel.

16 ForI will show him how many things he must suffer for Myname’s sake.”

17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; andlaying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight andbe filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18 Immediately there fell from his eyessomethinglike scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened.Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul Preaches Christ

20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said,“Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

22 But Saul increased all the more in strength,and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that thisJesusis the Christ.

Saul Escapes Death

23 Now after many days were past,the Jews plotted to kill him.

24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him.

25 Then the disciples took him by night andlethimdown through the wall in a large basket.

Saul at Jerusalem

26 Andwhen Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him and broughthimto the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him,and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

28 Sohe was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.

29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against theHellenists,but they attempted to kill him.

30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

The Church Prospers

31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and wereedified. And walking in thefear of the Lord and in thecomfort of the Holy Spirit, they weremultiplied.

Aeneas Healed

32 Now it came to pass, as Peter wentthrough allpartsofthecountry,that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.

33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.

34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas,Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately.

35 So all who dwelt at Lydda andSharon saw him andturned to the Lord.

Dorcas Restored to Life

36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was fullof good works and charitable deeds which she did.

37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laidherinan upper room.

38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploringhimnot to delay in coming to them.

39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they broughthimto the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

40 But Peterput them all out, andknelt down and prayed. And turning to the body hesaid, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

41 Then he gave herhishand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa,and many believed on the Lord.

43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa withSimon, a tanner.

Cornelius Sends a Delegation

1 There was a certain man inCaesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

2 a devoutmanand one whofeared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

3 About the ninth hour of the dayhe saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”

So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

5 Nowsend men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

6 He is lodging withSimon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.He will tell you what you must do.”

7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.

8 So when he had explained allthesethings to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision

9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city,Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.

10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance

11 andsaw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.

12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

13 And a voice came to him,“Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord!For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

15 And a voicespoketo him again the second time,“What God hascleansed you must not call common.”

16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Summoned to Caesarea

17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.

18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

19 While Peter thought about the vision,the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you.

20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”

22 And they said, “Corneliusthecenturion, a just man, one who fears God andhas a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.”

23 Then he invited them in and lodgedthem.

# On the next day Peter went away with them,and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Peter Meets Cornelius

24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipedhim.

26 But Peter lifted him up, saying,“Stand up; I myself am also a man.”

27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.

28 Then he said to them, “You know howunlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. ButGod has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold,a man stood before mein bright clothing,

31 and said, ‘Cornelius,your prayer has been heard, andyour alms are remembered in the sight of God.

32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’

33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”

Preaching to Cornelius’ Household

34 Then Peter openedhismouth and said:“In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

35 Butin every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness isaccepted by Him.

36 The word whichGodsent to the children of Israel,preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, andbegan from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

38 howGod anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, whowent about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,for God was with Him.

39 And we arewitnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom theykilled by hanging on a tree.

40 HimGod raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,

41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God,evento uswho ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

42 AndHe commanded us to preach to the people, and to testifythat it is He who was ordained by GodtobeJudgeof the living and the dead.

43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name,whoever believes in Him will receiveremission of sins.”

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

44 While Peter was still speaking these words,the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter,because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered,

47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spiritjust as wehave?”

48 And he commanded them to be baptizedin the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Peter Defends God’s Grace

1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem,those of the circumcision contended with him,

3 saying,“You went in to uncircumcised menand ate with them!”

4 But Peter explaineditto themin order from the beginning, saying:

5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.

6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

7 And I heard a voice saying to me,‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’

8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’

9 But the voice answered me again from heaven,‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’

10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea.

12 Thenthe Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreoverthese six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.

13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter,

14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them,as upon us at the beginning.

16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said,‘John indeed baptized with water, butyou shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

17 If therefore God gave them the same gift asHegaveus when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ,who was I that I could withstand God?”

18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying,“Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Barnabas and Saul at Antioch

19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.

20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke tothe Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21 Andthe hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed andturned to the Lord.

22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent outBarnabas to go as far as Antioch.

23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, andencouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

24 For he was a good man,full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.And a great many people were added to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas departed forTarsus to seek Saul.

26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Relief to Judea

27 And in these daysprophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28 Then one of them, namedAgabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days ofClaudius Caesar.

29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to sendrelief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Herod’s Violence to the Church

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched outhishand to harass some from the church.

2 Then he killed Jamesthe brother of John with the sword.

3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it wasduringthe Days of Unleavened Bread.

4 Sowhen he had arrested him, he puthimin prison, and deliveredhimto four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Peter Freed from Prison

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.

7 Now behold,an angel of the Lord stood byhim,and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell offhishands.

8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”

9 So he went out and followed him, anddid not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thoughthe was seeing a vision.

10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city,which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain thatthe Lord has sent His angel, andhas delivered me from the hand of Herod andfromall the expectation of the Jewish people.”

12 So, when he had consideredthis,he came to the house of Mary, the mother ofJohn whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered togetherpraying.

13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because ofhergladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.

15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said,“It is his angel.”

16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they openedthedoorand saw him, they were astonished.

17 Butmotioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.

18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded thattheyshould be put to death.

And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayedthere.

Herod’s Violent Death

20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people ofTyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, becausetheir country was supplied with food by the king’scountry.

21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

23 Then immediately an angel of the Lordstruck him, becausehe did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

24 Butthe word of God grew and multiplied.

Barnabas and Saul Appointed

25 AndBarnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they hadfulfilledtheirministry, and they alsotook with themJohn whose surname was Mark.

1 Nowin the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers:Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,“Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the workto which I have called them.”

3 Then,having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sentthemaway.

Preaching in Cyprus

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed toCyprus.

5 And when they arrived in Salamis,they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also hadJohn astheirassistant.

6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they founda certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose namewasBar-Jesus,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

8 ButElymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 Then Saul, who alsoiscalledPaul,filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him

10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud,youson of the devil,youenemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

11 And now, indeed,the hand of the Lordisupon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

At Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; andJohn, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, andwent into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

15 Andafter the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Menandbrethren, if you haveany word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning withhishand said, “Men of Israel, andyou who fear God, listen:

17 The God of this people Israelchose our fathers, and exalted the peoplewhen they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm Hebrought them out of it.

18 Nowfor a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.

19 And when He had destroyedseven nations in the land of Canaan,He distributed their land to them by allotment.

20 “After thatHe gavethemjudges for about four hundred and fifty years,until Samuel the prophet.

21 And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave themSaul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

22 Andwhen He had removed him,He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said,‘I have found David thesonof Jesse,a man after Myownheart, who will do all My will.’

23 From this man’s seed, accordingtothepromise, God raised up for Israela Savior—Jesus—

24 after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And as John was finishing his course, he said,‘Who do you think I am? I am notHe.But behold,there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

26 “Menandbrethren, sons of the family of Abraham, andthose among you who fear God,to you the word of this salvation has been sent.

27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers,because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilledthemin condemningHim.

28 And though they found no cause for deathinHim,they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.

29 Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him,they tookHimdown from the tree and laidHimin a tomb.

30 But God raised Him from the dead.

31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.

32 And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.

33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

# ‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.’

34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus:

# ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’

35 Therefore He also says in anotherPsalm:

# ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’

36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God,fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;

37 but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.

38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, thatthrough this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

39 andby Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41 ‘Behold,you despisers,

Marvel and perish!

For I work a work in your days,

A work which you will by no means believe,

Though one were to declare it to you.’ ”

Blessing and Conflict at Antioch

42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them,persuaded them to continue inthe grace of God.

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, theyopposed the things spoken by Paul.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said,“It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; butsince you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold,we turn to the Gentiles.

47 For so the Lord has commanded us:

# ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,

That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord.And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.

50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city,raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

52 And the discipleswere filled with joy andwith the Holy Spirit.

At Iconium

1 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of theGreeks believed.

2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.

3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord,who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs andwonders to be done by their hands.

4 But the multitude of the city wasdivided: part sided with the Jews, and part with theapostles.

5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers,to abuse and stone them,

6 they became aware of it andfled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.

7 And they were preaching the gospel there.

Idolatry at Lystra

8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.

9 Thisman heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

10 said with a loud voice,“Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonianlanguage,“The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates,intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this,they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out

15 and saying, “Men,why are you doing these things?We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn fromthese useless thingsto the living God,who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,

16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.

17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good,gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts withfood and gladness.”

18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

Stoning, Escape to Derbe

19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes,they stoned Paulanddraggedhimout of the city, supposing him to bedead.

20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Strengthening the Converts

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that cityand made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples,exhortingthemto continue in the faith, andsaying,“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

23 So when they hadappointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.

25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.

27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together,they reported all that God had done with them, and that He hadopened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

28 So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Conflict over Circumcision

1 Andcertainmencame down from Judea and taught the brethren,“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined thatPaul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.

3 So,being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria,describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to commandthemto keep the law of Moses.”

The Jerusalem Council

6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.

7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose upandsaid to them:“Menandbrethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

8 So God,who knows the heart, acknowledged them bygiving them the Holy Spirit, just asHedidto us,

9 and made no distinction between us and them,purifying their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore, why do you test Godby putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 Butwe believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God hadworked through them among the Gentiles.

13 And after they had become silent,James answered, saying, “Menandbrethren, listen to me:

14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.

15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

16 ‘Afterthis I will return

And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;

I will rebuild its ruins,

And I will set it up;

17 So that the rest of mankind may seek theLord,

Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,

Says theLordwho does all these things.’

18 “Known to God from eternity are all His works.

19 ThereforeI judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles whoare turning to God,

20 but that wewrite to them to abstainfrom things polluted by idols,fromsexual immorality,fromthings strangled, andfromblood.

21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city,being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

The Jerusalem Decree

22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas,namely,Judas who was also namedBarsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

23 They wrote thisletterby them:

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

24 Since we have heard thatsome who went out from us have troubled you with words,unsettling your souls, saying, “Youmustbe circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave nosuchcommandment—

25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

29 that you abstain from things offered to idols,from blood, from things strangled, and fromsexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Farewell.

Continuing Ministry in Syria

30 So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.

31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.

32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves beingprophets also,exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.

33 And after they had stayedtherefor a time, they weresent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles.

34 However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.

35 Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Division over John Mark

36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord,andseehow they are doing.”

37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with themJohn called Mark.

38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with themthe one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.

39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed toCyprus;

40 but Paul chose Silas and departed,being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.

41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia,strengthening the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

1 Then he came toDerbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there,named Timothy,theson of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his fatherwasGreek.

2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.

3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And hetookhimand circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them thedecrees to keep,which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

The Macedonian Call

6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region ofGalatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

8 So passing by Mysia, theycame down to Troas.

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. Aman of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to goto Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia Baptized at Philippi

11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the nextdaycame to Neapolis,

12 and from there toPhilippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.

13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who metthere.

14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heardus.She was a seller of purple from the city ofThyatira, who worshiped God.The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

15 And when she and her household were baptized, she beggedus,saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” Soshe persuaded us.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girlpossessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her mastersmuch profit by fortune-telling.

17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

18 And this she did for many days.

# But Paul,greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”And he came out that very hour.

19 Butwhen her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas anddraggedtheminto the marketplace to the authorities.

20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews,exceedingly trouble our city;

21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”

22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothesand commandedthemto be beaten with rods.

23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threwtheminto prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.

24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Saved

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediatelyall the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30 And he brought them out and said,“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 So they said,“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washedtheirstripes. And immediately he and all hisfamilywere baptized.

34 Now when he had brought them into his house,he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Paul Refuses to Depart Secretly

35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”

36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemnedRomans,andhave thrownusinto prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”

38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.

39 Then they came and pleaded with them and broughtthemout, andaskedthemto depart from the city.

40 So they went out of the prisonand enteredthehouseofLydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.