Acts 5:1–11:30
5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.l
3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heartm to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.” 5 When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.n 6 The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.o
7 About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 “Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the land for this price?”
“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”p
10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband. 11 Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.
12 Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles.q They were all together in Solomon’s Colonnade.r 13 No one else dared to join them, but the people spoke well of them.s 14 Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—multitudes of both men and women. 15 As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadowt might fall on some of them. 16 In addition, a multitude came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
17 Then the high priest rose up. He and all who were with him, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.u 18 So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.v 19 But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out, and said,w 20 “Go and stand in the temple, and tell the people all about this life.”x 21 Hearing this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
THE APOSTLES ON TRIAL AGAIN
When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full council of the Israelites—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.a 22 But when the servants* got there, they did not find them in the jail; so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 AsB the captain of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, wondering what would come of this.
25 Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the commander went with the servants and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them.b 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name?c Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”d
29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus,e whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree.f 31 God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.g 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirith whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.i 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the menC to be taken outside for a little while.j 35 He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re about to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and came to nothing.k 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail;l 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.m 40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.n 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.D,o 42 Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
6 In those days, as the disciplesp were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.q 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation,f full of the Spirits and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen,t a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch.u 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayedv and laid their hands onw them.
7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increasedx greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”a 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. 13 They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law.b 14 For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”c 15 And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
7 “Are these things true?” the high priest asked.
2 “Brothers and fathers,” he replied, “listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,d 3 and said to him: Leave your country and relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.A,e
4 “Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land in which you are now living.f 5 He didn’t give him an inheritance in it—not even a foot of ground—but he promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him,g even though he was childless. 6 God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them for four hundred years. 7 I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, God said. After this, they will come out and worship me in this place.B,h 8 And so he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcisedi him on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.j
9 “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with himk 10 and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household.l 11 Now a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan,m and our ancestors could find no food. 12 When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time. 13 The second time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all,n 15 and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there,o 16 were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.p
17 “As the time was approaching to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egyptq 18 until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.C 19 He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them abandon their infants outside so that they wouldn’t survive.r 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. He was cared for in his father’s home for three months. 21 When he was put outside, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted and …