³³With great power the apostles continued to testify that the Lord Jesus had come back to life. ⸤God’s⸥ abundant good will^awas with all of them. ³⁴None of them needed anything. From time to time, people sold land or houses and brought the money ³⁵to the apostles. Then the money was distributed to anyone who needed it.

³⁶Joseph, a descendant of Levi, had been born on the island of Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means “a person who encourages.” ³⁷He had some land. He sold it and turned the money over to the apostles.

5TH CHAPTER

Ananias and Sapphira

¹A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some property. ²They agreed to hold back some of the money ⸤they had pledged⸥ and turned only part of it over to the apostles.

³Peter asked, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill you with the idea that you could deceive the Holy Spirit? You’ve held back some of the money you received for the land. ⁴While you had the land, it was your own. After it was sold, you could have done as you pleased with the money. So how could you do a thing like this? You didn’t lie to people but to God!”

⁵When Ananias heard Peter say this, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard about his death was terrified. ⁶Some young men got up, wrapped his body in a sheet, carried him outside, and buried him.

⁷About three hours later Ananias’ wife arrived. She didn’t know what had happened. ⁸So Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?”

She answered, “Yes, that was the price.”

⁹Then Peter said to her, “How could you and your husband agree to test the Lord’s Spirit? Those who buried your husband are standing at the door, and they will carry you outside for burial.”

¹⁰Immediately, she dropped dead in front of Peter. When the young men came back, they found Sapphira dead. So they carried her outside and buried her next to her husband. ¹¹The whole church and everyone else who heard about what had happened were terrified.

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Footnotes

a 4:33 Or “grace.”