Chapter 1
1 Theophilus, this is the first time I’ve put together all of the things that Jesus did and taught 2 up to the day he was taken [to heaven] and after he gave commandments to the Apostles who he selected by [God’s] Holy Breath. 3 He gave them so much proof that he was alive after what he suffered, and they saw him for forty days as he told them things about the Kingdom of God.
4 And when he met with them, he gave them the orders, ‘Don’t leave Jerusalem, but keep waiting for the promise that I told you would come from the Father, 5 because, although John baptized with water, in just a few days you will be baptized in [God’s] Holy Breath.’
6 Then when they all met with him they asked, ‘Lord, are you going to return the Kingdom to Israel now?’
7 But he said, ‘It isn’t your business to know the times and
periods over which the Father is in charge. 8 You will receive power when the
Holy Breath comes over you and you will be witnesses of me in
9 Then, after he said these things, while they were still looking at him, a cloud lifted him out of sight. 10 And as they stood staring into the sky watching him go, {Look!} two men in white clothes stood beside them 11 and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing and looking up in the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will return to you the same way that you saw him going to heaven.’
12 Then they returned to
15 It was during this period that Peter stood up in the
midst of the brothers (about a hundred and twenty people in all) and said, 16
‘Men! Brothers! The scripture had to be fulfilled
(which [God’s] Holy Breath foretold through David’s
mouth) about Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus, 17 because he had been
one of us and he had a share in this service. 18 The wage he was paid for his
wickedness was used to purchase a field, into the middle of which he fell
headfirst and burst, causing his intestines to pour out.
19 So, that field has become known to everyone living in
20 Now, it’s written in the book of Psalms: Let the place where he lives become desolate and let no one else live there; and give his office of oversight to someone else. 21 So, it’s important that one of the men who has been with us the entire time that the Lord Jesus carried out all of his activities, 22 starting with his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us, and [someone] who witnessed his resurrection, should become one of us.’
23 So, they asked two to stand up, Joseph (who is called BarSabbas and was surnamed Justus]) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, saying, ‘O Lord, You who know the hearts of everyone, so show which of these two You’ve chosen 25 to receive the position and Apostleship that Judas left to go his own way.’ 26 Then they gave them both lots, and the selected lot fell to Matthias. As the result, he was considered as being with the eleven Apostles.
Chapter 2
1 Now, toward the end of the day of Pentecost, while they were all there observing that celebration, 2 there was a noise that suddenly came from the sky. It sounded like a violent wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which were distributed so that one sat upon each of them. 4 And they all became filled with [God’s] Holy Breath and started speaking in different languages, saying whatever the Breath was telling them to say.
5 At the time, there were reverent Jews from every nation
under the sky who were living in
9 [There were] Parthinians, Medes, Elamites, those from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, from parts of Libya Cyrene, travelers from Rome (Jews and proselytes), 11 Cretans, and Arabians. [They said]: ‘We hear them talking about the wonderful things of God in our own languages.’
12 Yes, they were all astonished and confused. And they asked each other, ‘What’s this all about?’ 13 However, others joked about them saying, ‘They’re full of sweet wine.’
14 But Peter stood up beside the eleven, raised his voice,
and told them this, ‘Men of
22 ‘Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene was a man who was shown to you by God with power, omens, and signs that God performed through him in your midst, as you already know. 23 Yes, you gave this person (who received his advice and his ability to see the future from God) over to the hands of men who were without Law and you nailed him up. 24 But God resurrected him, freeing him from the cords of death, because it wasn’t possible for [death] to hold him.
25 ‘Then David said this about him, I‘ve put Jehovah before me always. And since He’s at my right hand, I will never be shaken. 26 For, my heart is cheerful, and with my tongue I rejoice, so my body will rest in hope. 27 You won’t abandon me in the grave, and You won’t allow Your loyal one to see corruption. 28 You’ve shown me the ways of life, and You’ll fill me with joy as I’ll look at Your face.’
29 ‘Men; brothers; it’s good to speak to you openly about the patriarch David. He died, he was buried, and his tomb is still with us today. 30 Yet he was a Prophet, and he knew that God swore an oath to him that He would put someone on his throne that was the fruit of his loins. 31 So, [David] looked into the future and spoke about the resurrection of the Anointed One; that he wouldn’t be abandoned in the grave and that his flesh wouldn’t see corruption.
32 ‘Then this Jesus was resurrected by God, and we are all witnesses to that. 33 He was lifted to God’s right hand, where he received the Holy Breath (which the Father had promised). And he’s the one who has poured out all of this that you’re seeing and hearing.
34 ‘Now, David didn’t go to heaven, but he said, Jehovah said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand 35 until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet. 36 So, let the entire House of Israel know for sure that God made Jesus (whom you impaled) the Lord and Anointed One.
37 Well, when they heard this they were stabbed to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other Apostles, ‘Men; brothers; what should we do?’
38 Then Peter told them, ‘Repent, and each of you get baptized in the name of Jesus the Anointed One, so your sins can be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Breath. 39 That’s a promise to you, to your children, and to all those who are far away; to everyone who Jehovah our God calls to Himself.’
40 So, he went on and witnessed to them a lot more, and
advised them, ‘Get saved from this crooked
generation.’ 41 Then, those who welcomed his words were baptized, and about
three thousand people were added that day. 42 These continued to attend,
listening to the Apostles teach (they all participated), as they shared in
meals and prayers. 43 But every one there started to become frightened because of
the signs and omens that came through the Apostles. 44 And all that became
believers shared whatever they had. 45 They sold their belongings and properties
and distributed the proceeds to everyone who was in need. 46 They all agreed to
go to the
Chapter 3
1 Now, Peter and John went to the
5 So, he looked at them, expecting to get something. 6 Then
Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold, but I will give you what I have.
In the name of Jesus the Anointed One, the Nazarene, walk!’ 7 So, he took him
by the right hand and lifted him, and instantly the soles of his feet and
anklebones were made well. 8 So he jumped up and stood, then he started
walking, and he entered the
9 Well, everyone noticed him walking and praising God, 10 and they started to recognize that he was the man who used to sit and beg at the Temple’s Beautiful Gate. This astonished them and they were delighted by what had happened to him. 11 And as the man was holding onto Peter and John near what were called the Columns of Solomon, all the people came running to them, surprised out of their wits. 12 So, when Peter saw this, he said, ‘Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this or why are you staring at us as though we made him walk by our own power or devotion? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the God of our ancestors – has glorified His servant Jesus, who you betrayed and disowned before the face of Pilate, when he decided to release him. 14 Yes, you disowned that holy and righteous man and you asked him to release a man who was a murderer! 15 Then you killed the one who is in charge of life. However, God raised him from the dead, which we witnessed!
16 ‘And it was because of faith in his name that this man here, who you see and know, was made well. And it’s because of faith that everything you see has happened.
17 ‘And now brothers, I know that what you did was done in ignorance; and that was true of your rulers. 18 But because of this, God fulfilled the thing that He would do, which He announced ahead of time through the mouths of all the Prophets; that His Anointed One would suffer.
19 ‘Now, repent and turn around to get your sins erased, so you may see a period of refreshment from Jehovah. 20 Then He will send the one who was appointed, the Anointed Jesus, 21 who must be kept in the heavens until the time when everything that God told us through the mouths of the holy [ones] in His age of the Prophets, is restored. 22 In fact, it was Moses who said: Jehovah God will raise a Prophet like me from among your brothers, and you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 If people don’t listen to that Prophet, they will be destroyed.
24 ‘All the Prophets from Samuel on – everyone who spoke – clearly talked about these days. 25 And you are the sons of the Prophets and of the Sacred Agreement that God made with your fathers, when he told Abraham: And your seed will bring praise to all the families of the earth. 26 So God raised this Servant and sent him to you first (in praise of you), to get each of you to turn away from the bad things you’re doing.’
Chapter 4
1 Well, while Peter and John were talking to the people, the Chief Priests, the captain of the Temple, and the Sadducees came up, 2 and they were very annoyed by the fact that [Peter and John] were teaching the people and telling them how Jesus had been resurrected from the dead. 3 So they grabbed them and held them until the next day (since it was evening already). 4 However, many of those who listened to the speech believed, and their number now grew to about five thousand men.
5 The next day, they held a meeting in Jerusalem that included the rulers, elders, and Scribes, 6 as well as AnNas the Chief Priest, CaiAphas, John, Alexander, and all the rest of the Chief Priest’s relatives. 7 So, they stood [Peter and John] in their midst and asked, ‘Who gave you the authority, and who told you that you could do this?’
8 Then Peter, filled with Holy Breath, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders; 9 if we are being questioned today simply because [we] did a good deed for a handicapped man, and if we are being asked who made him well, 10 then you and all the people of Israel should know that it was done in the name of Jesus the Anointed One… the Nazarene that you hung on a pole. However, God raised him from the dead and he stood beside the man you’re now looking at, healthy.
11 ‘This is the stone that was treated as worthless by you builders, but it has become the cornerstone! 12 Salvation doesn’t come from anyone else, because there isn’t another name that has been given to any man under heaven that we need to save us.’
13 Now, when they saw the confidence of Peter and John and
realized that they were uneducated and common, they were amazed. Then they
started to recognize them and remembered that they used to be with Jesus. 14
However, as they looked at the man standing beside them who had been cured,
they couldn’t come up with anything to say. 15 So, they sent them outside the Jewish High Court hall and
talked it over, 16 saying, ‘What will we do with them? It’s a fact that a sign
has come through them, and everyone in
18 Then they called them back in and warned them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus anywhere. 19 However, Peter and John replied, ‘If it’s righteous in God’s eyes to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves. 20 But we can’t stop talking about the things we’ve seen and heard.’
21 So, after they threatened them a little more, they let them go, because they couldn’t find any reason to punish them. [They also chose to do nothing] on account of the people, because they were all praising God over what had happened, 22 since the man who was healed was more than forty years old.
23 Well, after they were released, [Peter and John] returned to
their [brothers] and reported what the Chief Priests and elders told them. 24
And on hearing this, they raised their voices to God all together and said: ‘O our only King; You’re the
One who made the earth, the sky,
the seas, and everything in them, 25 and who (through Your Breath)
asked by the mouth of our father (David Your servant): Why are the nations
so noisy, and why do the people think foolish things? 26 For the kings and
the rulers of the earth have united against You and against Your Anointed. 27 For a fact; Herod and Pontius
Pilate ([men of] the nations) and the people of
31 And as they were asking God for this, the place where they were meeting shook. Then everyone was filled with the Holy Breath and they boldly started speaking the Word of God.
32 There was a huge crowd of those who started to believe, and they shared a single heart and being. None of them claimed that anything they had was their own, but they shared everything. 33 And all the while, the Apostles continued to give a powerful witness about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. So, [God’s] greatness and favor was upon them all. 34 In fact, nobody could be described as being needy among them, because all those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought back the money for the things they sold, 35 putting it at the feet of the Apostles. Then everything was distributed among them according to their needs.
36 So Joseph, who the Apostles called BarNabas (which
translates as Son of Comfort), who was a Levite and a native of
Chapter 5
1 However, a man named AnaNias (along with his wife SapPhira) sold some property that they owned 2 and he secretly kept some of the money… and his wife also knew about this. Then he brought just part of it and laid it at the feet of the Apostles.
3 But Peter asked, ‘AnaNias; why has the Opposer made you so bold as to try to fool the Holy Breath and secretly hold back some of the money for the field? 4 For, as long you owned it, it was yours. And after you sold it, wasn’t the money still yours? So, why did you plan to do such a thing in your heart? You weren’t lying to men, but to God.’
5 And as he heard those words, AnaNias fell to the ground and died. This really frightened everyone who heard about it. 6 Then, some of the younger men got up and wrapped him in a cloth, then carried him outside and buried him.
7 And about three hours later, his wife came in, and she didn’t know what had happened. 8 So Peter asked her, ‘Tell me, did you sell the field for (so much)?’
And she answered, ‘Yes, for (so much).’
9 SThen Peter said: ‘Why did you agree between [the two of] you to test the Breath of Jehovah? Look! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they’ll carry you out too.’ 10 At that, she instantly dropped dead at his feet. So, when the young men returned, they also found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her next to her husband. 11 Then, when the whole congregation (and everyone else) heard about this, they were frightened by all that had happened.
12 After that, many signs and omens continued to be performed among the people at the hands of the Apostles, and they would meet among the Columns of Solomon. 13 It’s true that no one else had enough courage to join them there, but the people spoke well of them.
14 [Yet, during this time], large numbers of men and women kept on being
added to those who believed in the Lord. 15 [People] even brought their sick
out into the main streets and laid them on little beds and cots, so that as
Peter passed, his shadow could fall on some of them. 16 Also, throngs
from the cities around
17 However, the High Priest and all those who were with him
(particularly the sect of the Sadducees) became very jealous. 18 So they came
against the Apostles, grabbed them, and locked them up in a public jail. 19 But
during the night, Jehovah’s messenger opened the
doors of the jail, and brought them out and said: 20 ‘Now, go and continue to
stand in the
Well, when the High Priest and those with him finally
arrived, they assembled the Jewish High Court and all the elders of the sons of
24 And when the
27 Next, they brought them in and stood them in the Jewish
High Court hall, where the High Priest questioned them, 28 saying, ‘We ordered
you not to teach about this name. But look! You’ve filled
29 Then Peter and the Apostles replied, ‘We must obey God as
ruler rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised this Jesus, who you
manhandled then hung on a pole. 31 Then God
lifted him to His right hand to be the primary leader and savior, and to cause
33 Now, when they heard this, they were really cut down, and they wanted to do away with [the Apostles]. 34 But a certain man stood up in the Jewish High Court, a Pharisee named GamaliEl, a teacher of the Law who was highly regarded by everyone, and he commanded that the men be put outside for a little while.
35 Then he said: ‘Men of Israel; be very careful about what you plan to do with these men. 36 Do you remember when Theudas came along saying that he was somebody important, and quite a few men (about four hundred of them) followed him? Yett he was done away with, and all those who listened him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 And after him, Judas the Galilean arose during the registration, and he drew people after him. But then he died, and everyone who listened to him was scattered. 38 So, in this situation, I tell you not to mess with these men. Leave them alone! Because, if the thing they’re doing is from men, it will be overthrown. 39 But if it’s from God, you won’t be able to overthrow them, and you’ll actually be fighting against God.’
40 Well, they all agreed with him; so they called the Apostles back in, had them whipped, and ordered them to stop talking about the name of Jesus, then they let them go.
41 And as they were leaning the Jewish High Court, they were rejoicing because
they had been found worthy of being dishonored for [Jesus’] name. 42 So, they
didn’t stop… they taught and announced the good news about Jesus the Anointed One every day in the
Chapter 6
1 Now, back in those days when the disciples were increasing, the Greek-speaking Jews started grumbling about the Hebrew-speaking Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 So, the twelve called all the disciples to them and said, ‘The thought of our having to abandon the word of God to serve tables is displeasing to us. 3 So brothers, find seven qualified men among you who are filled with wisdom and the Breath [of God]. Then we will appoint them to handle these needs, 4 so we can continue in our prayers and serving the Word.’
5 Well, what they suggested sounded good to the whole group,
so they selected Stephen (a man who was filled with faith and Holy Breath), as
well as Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicolaus (a proselyte
of
7 So, the Word of God kept spreading and the number of
disciples in
8 Now, Stephen was filled with joy and power, and he was performing great omens and signs among the people. 9 But certain men came from the so-called Synagogue of Freemen (along with some Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians, and Asians) to argue with Stephen. 10 However, their arguments couldn’t stand against the wisdom and Breath [of God] with which he was speaking. 11 So, they talked some men into saying, ‘We heard him say blasphemous things against Moses and God.’ 12 And they stirred up the people.
Then some of the elders and Scribes came and grabbed him, and
dragged him before the Jewish High Court, 13 where they produced some
false witnesses who said: ‘This man keeps saying things against this
15 And as all those who were sitting in the Jewish High Court stared at him, they saw that his face became like that of a messenger [of God].
Chapter 7
1 Then, the High Priest asked, ‘Is all of this true?’
2 So, [Stephen] said: ‘Men, brothers, fathers… Listen! Our
father Abraham saw the God of Glory while he was in
‘But [God] promised to give him property that he could own and pass on to his seed, although he didn’t have any children. 6 Then God said that his seed would live in a foreign land where they would be slaves and be oppressed for four hundred years. 7 And God said, I will judge the nation [that made them] slaves. Then they will leave and serve Me here.
8 ‘So, he gave him a Sacred Agreement of circumcision, and [Abraham] went on to father Isaac and to circumcise him on the eighth day… as did Isaac to Jacob and Jacob to the twelve family heads.
9 ‘But then these family heads became jealous of [their brother]
Joseph and sold him into
11 ‘Then a famine came upon
17 ‘However, as the time approached for [fulfillment of] the
promise that God gave to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in
20 ‘That’s when Moses was born. And he was beautiful to the God, so he nursed for three months in [his] father’s home. 21 But when he was discovered, the daughter of Pharaoh picked him up and raised him as her own son. 22 This is how Moses came to be trained in the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he grew up to be powerful in all that he said and did.
23 ‘Then, when he turned forty years old, he decided to pay
more attention to his brothers, the sons of
25 ‘Now, he thought his brothers would understand that God was going to use him to save them, but they just didn’t get it. 26 Then he came to [his people] the next day and found [two of them] fighting. And he tried to bring them together peacefully, saying, Men, you’re brothers. So, why are you treating each other so badly?
27 ‘But the one who was mistreating his neighbor just pushed
him away and asked, Who appointed you as ruler and judge over us? 28 You
don’t want to kill me the same as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?
29 So, when Moses heard this, he ran away and lived in the
30 ‘And after forty more years, a messenger [from God] appeared to him in the burning
flames of a thorn bush, while he was in the desert near
‘Well, Moses started to shake so hard that he didn’t want to
investigate any further. 33 Then Jehovah said to him, Remove your sandals, because the place
where you’re standing is holy ground. 34 I’ve seen the bad treatment of My people in
35 ‘Yet, this is the same Moses that [the Israelites] had disowned,
asking, Who appointed you as our ruler and judge? Yet, God sent this man
off as both a ruler and savior by the hand of [God’s] messenger who appeared
to him in the thorn bush. 36 And this man led them out of
37 ‘This is the same Moses who told the sons of
41 ‘Then they made [an image of] a calf and offered
sacrifices to the idol. And they were very happy with this thing that they made
with their hands. 42 So, God handed them over to worship [the false gods] of
heaven, just as it’s written in the Book of the Prophets: It wasn’t to Me
that you offered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the desert, was it,
O house of Israel? 43 Rather, you took the images that you made for worship to
the tent of Moloch, and to the star of the god Rephan. So, I’m going to
exile you beyond
44 ‘Our ancestors had the Tent of Proofs [when they lived] in the desert, which He ordered Moses to build, using the pattern that he was shown. 45 And our ancestors who received it (as they came here with Joshua) brought it into the land that was owned by nations who God pushed out ahead of them.
‘[That Tent] stayed here until the time of David. 46 Then he
found God’s favor and asked to [to be allowed] to provide a
51 ‘You with the hard necks, whose hearts and ears aren’t circumcised; you’re always resisting [God’s] Holy Breath, just as your ancestors did. 52 Which of the Prophets didn’t your ancestors persecute? Yes, they killed those who announced the coming of the Righteous One ahead of time, whose betrayers and murderers you’ve now become. 53 Yes, you who received the Law from [God’s] messengers, but you haven’t kept it.’
54 Well, when they heard this, they were really cut down and were grinding their teeth at him. 55 But, being filled with [God’s] Holy Breath, he stared into the sky and saw the Glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. 56 And he said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opening up and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand.’
57 Well at this, they started shouting as loud as they could and putting their hands over their ears. Then they all ran up to him, 58 grabbed him, took him outside the city, and started stoning him, as those who came to watch laid their capes at the feet of a young man called Saul.
59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed this, ‘Lord Jesus; receive my breath.’ 60 Then he got down on his knees and shouted loudly, ‘Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.’ And with that, he fell asleep [in death].
Chapter 8
1 And Saul approved of murdering him.
Well, on that day a tremendous amount of persecution was
directed toward the congregation in
3 [This is when] Saul started to devastate the congregation, for he invaded one house after another and dragged both the men and women out, and sent them to prison. 4 However, those who had been scattered just went on preaching the good news of the Word throughout the land.
5 Well, Philip went to the city of
9 Now, there was a man named Simon who lived in the city who
used to practice magic. He amazed the people of
14 Well, when the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria was starting to accept the Word of God, they sent Peter and John there. 15 And they prayed for [the believers there] to receive the Holy Breath, 16 because it hadn’t come to any of them yet, although they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 But when [Peter and John] laid their hands on them, they started to receive Holy Breath.
18 Now, when Simon saw that the Apostles could give the Breath by just touching someone, he offered them money, 19 saying, ‘Give me the power, so that anyone I lay my hands on can receive Holy Breath.’
20 But Peter said, ‘May your silver be destroyed along with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift that God gives freely. 21 You aren’t going to have any part in this, nor will you share in it, because God sees that your heart is crooked. 22 So, turn away from your badness and beg the Lord to forgive you for the [bad] thoughts in your heart. 23 Because, I see bitterness and hate in you, and an unrighteous alliance.’
24 Then Simon said, ‘Please beg the Lord on my behalf, so that none of the things you said will happen.’
25 Then, after they had given everyone a complete testimony and
repeated what the Lord told them, they returned to
26 Then Jehovah’s messenger
spoke to Philip, saying: ‘Get up and go south to the road that runs from
27 So, he went there and {Look!} found an Ethiopian who held the office of Eunuch of the Treasury for Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 28 And while he was returning [home], he was sitting in his chariot reading [a scroll] of the Prophet IsaiJah aloud.
29 So, [God’s] Breath told Philip, ‘Go catch up with his chariot,’ 30 Philip ran up; and on hearing him reading the Prophet IsaiJah aloud, he asked, ‘Do you understand what you’re reading?’
31 But he replied, ‘How could I, unless I had someone to explain it to me?’ So he begged Philip to climb on and to sit with him.
32 Now, the particular scripture he was reading at the time was this: ‘He was brought like a sheep to the slaughter. And like a lamb that’s quiet before its shearer, he didn’t open his mouth. 33 When he was humiliated, justice was denied. So, who will tell the details to his generation, for his life was removed from the earth?’
34 In answer to the eunuch, Philip said: ‘Allow me ask; just who is the Prophet saying this about? Is he talking about himself or someone else?’
35 Then Philip proceeded to explain this scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 Now, as they were traveling along the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said; ‘Look! Here’s some water. What’s to prevent me from getting baptized?’ 37 —— 38 Then he commanded the chariot [driver] to stop, and Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, and he baptized him there.
39 Well, after they came out of the water, Jehovah’s Breath
sent Philip away quickly; and the eunuch didn’t see him anymore. But he
continued on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, found himself in
Chapter 9
1 However, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the Lord’s disciples. So, he went to the High Priest 2 and asked him to write letters to carry to the synagogues in Damascus that would empower him to arrest anyone that he found who belonged to The Way, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
3 But as he was getting close to
5 And he asked, ‘Who are you Lord?’
Then the answer came, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 6 Now, get up and enter the city and you’ll be told what to do.’
7 All the while, the men who were traveling with him stood
there speechless, because they heard the sound of a voice, but they didn’t see
anyone. 8 And when Saul got up off the ground, although his eyes were open, he
couldn’t see. So, they took him by the hand and led him into
10 In
And he replied, ‘Here I am Lord.’
11 Then the Lord said: ‘Get up and go to
13 But AnaNias answered,: ‘Lord,
I’ve heard about this man from many people, and of all the bad things he did
to your Holy Ones in
15 But the Lord replied: ‘Go on, because this man is the one
I’ve chosen to carry my name before nations, kings, and the sons of
17 So, AnaNias went over to the house, went inside, then laid his hands on him and said, ‘Saul; brother; the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me to restore your sight and to fill you with [God’s] Holy Breath.’
18 And immediately, what looked like scales fell from his eyes and he started to see, and he got up and was baptized. 19 So, he started eating again and regained his strength.
Thereafter, he spent several days with the disciples in
22 But Saul’s power kept growing and he really confused the
Jews who lived in
23 Then after several days, the Jews finally met to discuss ways to get rid of him, 24 but Saul learned about their plot against him. So, because they watched the city gates closely both day and night to arrest him, 25 one night his disciples lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26 Well, when he got to
29 He talked and argued a lot with the Greek-speaking Jews,
and they attempted to do away with him. 30 So when the brothers learned about
this, they took him to
31 Thereafter, there was a period of peace for the congregations of
32 Now, as Peter was traveling around, he finally reached
the Holy Ones who lived in Lydda. 33 And there he
found a man named Aeneas who had spent eight years lying flat on his back on a
cot, because he was paralyzed. 34 So Peter told him: ‘Aeneas; Jesus the
Anointed One heals you. Get up and make up your bed.’ And he got up
immediately. 35 So, all those who lived in Lydda and
the area of
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named TabiTha (which translates as Dorcas). She was well known for the good things she did and for helping others when they were in need. 37 However, one day she got sick and died. So, they washed her body and laid her in an upstairs room.
38 Now, since Lydda was close to Joppa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him to beg: ‘Please hurry and come to us.’ 39 And at that, Peter got up and went with them.
Well, when he got [to Joppa], they took him upstairs to the room, and all the widows came to him crying and showing him the many pieces of clothing that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 So, Peter sent everyone outside, then he got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, ‘TabitTha, be resurrected!’
And at that, she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 So, he gave her his hand and stood her up. Then he called the Holy Ones and widows in, and presented her to them alive.
42 Well, this event became well known throughout Joppa, and many became believers in the Lord as the result. 43 Then, for several days after that, [Peter] stayed in Joppa [in the home of] Simon the Tanner.
Chapter 10
1 Now, in
4 And at this, the man stared at [the messenger] in fright and asked, ‘What do you want, Lord?’
And he answered, ‘Your prayers and kind gifts have arisen and have been remembered before God. 5 Now, send some men to Joppa and call for a man named Simon (who is called Peter). 6 He’s the guest of Simon the Tanner who has a house by the sea.’
7 Well, as soon as the messenger [from God] who spoke to him left, he called two of his house servants and a devout soldier who stayed with him, 8 then told them everything that happened, and sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they were on their way and getting close to the city, Peter went up to the roof at about the sixth hour, to pray. 10 He was very hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing [the meal], he fell into a trance.
11 Then he saw the sky opening, and some sort of container that looked like a huge linen sheet that was being held at its four corners, was coming down to the earth. 12 And inside it were all kinds of four-footed animals, things that crawl on the ground, and birds of the sky. 13 Then a voice came to him that said, ‘Get up Peter; slaughter [the animals] and eat them!’
14 But Peter said: ‘Not me Lord, because I’ve never eaten anything that is dirty and unclean.’
15 And the voice [spoke] to him a second time, saying, ‘Stop calling the things that God has made clean, dirty!’ 16 This also happened a third time, then the container was immediately taken back to heaven.
17 Now, Peter was confused about what this vision meant. However, {Look!} the men that were sent by Cornelius were already there at Simon’s house, standing at the gate and asking for him. 18 They called out and asked whether Simon, who is called Peter, was a guest there. 19 And as Peter was thinking about the vision, the Breath said, ‘Look, three men are searching for you. 20 Get up! Go downstairs and travel with them. Don’t have any doubts, because I sent them.’
21 So, Peter went downstairs to the men and said, ‘{Look!} I’m the one you’re looking for. Why are you here?’
22 And they replied: ‘Cornelius, an army officer who is a righteous
and God-fearing man that the whole nation of the Jews speak well of, was given
Divine instructions by a holy messenger to ask you to come to his house, so he can
hear what you have to say.’ 23 Then [Peter] invited them in and showed them some
hospitality. And the next day, he got up and went with them, along with some
of the brothers from Joppa, 24 arriving at
Of course, Cornelius was expecting them, so he called for all his relatives and closest friends. 25 Then as Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet, bowing low. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Get up! I’m just a man too.’ 27 And as they talked, he walked inside and found many people assembled.
28 Then he told them, ‘You know very well how illegal it is for a Jew to be friends with, or even to talk to, a man of another race. Yet, God has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man dirty or unclean. 29 So when I was called for, I came without any objections. Now, let me ask: Why have you sent for me?
30 Then Cornelius said, ‘Exactly four days ago I was praying here in my house at the ninth hour, when {Look!} a man in bright clothes stood in front of me 31 and said: Cornelius, your prayers have been heard and your kind gifts have been remembered before God. 32 So, send to Joppa and call for Simon who is called Peter. He’s staying by the sea in the house of Simon the Tanner.
33 As the result, I sent for you right away… and it’s good that you came. Now, we’re all here before God to hear everything that the Lord commanded you to say.’
34 And at this, Peter said, ‘I can see for a fact that God isn’t prejudiced. 35 He accepts men from any nation who fear Him and do righteous things.
36 ‘He sent word to the Sons of Israel to announce the good news of peace to
them through Jesus the Anointed One, for he is their
Lord. 37 So, now you know what is being talked about throughout all of
‘But, then they killed him by hanging him on a pole. 40 And God raised him on the third day and allowed him to become visible 41 (not to everyone, but to witnesses who were appointed by God ahead of time). [He appeared] to us, and we ate and drank with him after he was resurrected from the dead. 42 Then he ordered us to preach to the people and to test