Amplified Bible (AMP)

Introduction

1 The firstaccount I made, Theophilus, was [a continuous report] about all the things that Jesus began to do and toteach

2 until the day when He ascendedto heaven,after He had by the Holy Spirit given instruction to the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen.

3 To these [men] He also showed Himself alive after His suffering [in Gethsemane and on the cross], by [a series of] many infallible proofsandunquestionable demonstrations, appearing to them overa period offorty days and talking to them about the things concerning the kingdom of God.

4 While being togetherandeating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised,“Of which,”He said,“you have heard Me speak.

5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptizedandempoweredandunited with the Holy Spirit, not long from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked Himrepeatedly,“Lord, are You at this time reestablishing the kingdomandrestoring it to Israel?”

7 He said to them,“It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.

8 But you will receive powerandability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses[to tell people about Me]both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”

The Ascension

9 And after He said these things, He was caught up as they looked on, and a cloud took Him up out of their sight.

10 While they were looking intently into the sky as He was going, two men in white clothing suddenly stood beside them,

11 who said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This [same] Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

The Upper Room

12 Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet (Olive Grove), which is near Jerusalem, [only] a Sabbath day’s journey (less than one mile) away.

13 When they had enteredthe city,they went upstairs to the upper room where they were staying [indefinitely]; that is, Peter, and John and [his brother] James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew (Nathanael) and Matthew,Jamesthe sonof Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas (Thaddaeus) the son of James.

14 All these with one mindandone purpose were continually devoting themselves to prayer, [waiting together] along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

15 Now on one of these days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty believers was there) and he said,

16 “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the lips of David [king of Israel] about Judas [Iscariot], who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.

17 For he (Judas) was counted among us and received his share [by divine allotment] in this ministry.”

18 (Now Judas Iscariotacquired a piece of land [indirectly] with the [money paid him as a] reward for his treachery, and falling headlong, his body burst open in the middle and all his intestines poured out.

19 All the people in Jerusalem learned about this, so in their own dialect–Aramaic–they called the piece of land Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20 “For in the book of Psalms it is written,

‘Let his place of residence become desolate,

And let there be no one to live in it’;

and [again],

‘Let another take his position as overseer.’

21 So of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus spent with us,

22 beginning with the baptism by John [at the outset of Jesus’ ministry] until the day when He was taken up from us–one of these menmustbecome a witness with us [to testify] of His resurrection.”

23 And they put forward two men, Joseph, the one called Barsabbas (who was surnamed Justus), and Matthias.

24 They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know all hearts [their thoughts, motives, desires], show us which one of these two You have chosen

25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship which Judas left to go to his own place [of evil].”

26 And theycast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

The Day of Pentecost

1 When the day ofPentecost had come, they were all together in one place,

2 and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit].

4 And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in othertongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].

5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devoutandGod-fearing men from every nation under heaven.

6 And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own languageordialect.

7 They were completely astonished, saying, “Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?

8 Then how is it that each of us hears in our own languageornative dialect?

9 [Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus andAsia [Minor],

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism),

11 Cretans and Arabs–we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!”

12 And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, “What could this mean?”

13 But others were laughingandjokingandridiculing them, saying, “They are full of sweet wineandare drunk!”

Peter’s Sermon

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closelyandpay attention to what I have to say.

15 These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);

16 but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ says God,

‘ThatIwill pour outMySpirit upon all mankind;

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

And your young men shall see[divinely prompted]visions,

And your old men shall dream[divinely prompted]dreams;

18 Even onMy bond-servants,both men and women,

Iwill in those days pour outMySpirit

And they shall prophesy.

19 ‘AndIwill bring about wonders in the sky above

And signs(attesting miracles)on the earth below,

Blood and fire and smoking vapor.

20 ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness

And the moon into blood,

Before the great and glorious day of theLord comes.

21 ‘And it shall be thateveryone who calls upon the name of theLord[invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus]shall be saved(rescued spiritually).’

22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accreditedandpointed outandattested to you by God with [the power to perform] miracles and wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your [very] midst, just as you yourselves know–

23 thisMan,when handed over [to the Roman authorities] according to the predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawlessandgodless men.

24 But God raised Him up, releasing Himandbringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death’s power.

25 For David says of Him,

‘Isaw theLord constantly before me;

ForHe is at my right hand,so thatIwill not be shaken[from my state of security].

26 ‘Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly;

Moreover my flesh also will live in hope[that is, will encamp in anticipation of the resurrection];

27 ‘ForYou will not forsake meandabandon my soul toHades(the realm of the dead),

Nor letYourHolyOne undergo decay[after death].

28 ‘You have made known to me the ways of life;

You will fill me[infusing my soul]with joy withYour presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may confidentlyandfreely say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30 And so, being a prophet and knowing fully that God had sworn to him with an oath thatHe would seatoneof his descendants on his throne,

31 he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned[in death]toHades(the realm of the dead),nor didHis bodyundergo decay.

32 God raised this Jesus [bodily from the dead], and of that [fact] we are all witnesses.

33 Therefore having been exaltedto the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear.

34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says,

‘TheLord[the Father]said to myLord[the Son],

“Sit atMy right hand,

35 UntilImakeYour enemies afootstool forYour feet.”’

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)–this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The Ingathering

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.”

40 And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonishandurge them with many more words, saying, “Be saved from this crookedandunjust generation!”

41 So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers].

42 They were continuallyandfaithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, toeating meals together and to prayers.

43 A sense of awe was felt byeveryone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.

44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior]were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole].

45 And theybeganselling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need.

46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts,

47 praising Godcontinually,and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.

Healing the Lame Beggar

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.),

2 and a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at that gate of the temple which is calledBeautiful, so that he could beg alms from those entering the temple.

3 So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, hebeganasking [them] for coins.

4 But Peter, along with John, stared at him intently and said, “Look at us!”

5 And the manbeganto pay attention to them, eagerly expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give to you: In the name (authority, power) of Jesus Christ the Nazarene–[begin now to] walkandgo on walking!”

7 Then he seized the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankles became strongandsteady,

8 and with a leap he stood up andbeganto walk; and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

9 All the people saw him walking and praising God;

10 and they recognized him as the very man who usually satbeggingfor coins at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazementandwere mystified at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Second Sermon

11 Now while he was still holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly amazed, ran togetherandcrowded around them at the covered porch called Solomon’s portico.

12 And Peter, seeing this, said to the people, “You men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His ServantandSon Jesus [doing Him this honor],the Onewhom you handed over and disownedandrejected before Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

14 But you disownedanddenied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for [the pardon of] a murderer to be granted to you.

15 But you killed the Prince (Author, Originator, Source) of life, whom God raised [bodily] from the dead. To this [fact] we are witnesses [for we have seen the risen Christ].

16 And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith whichcomesthrough Him has given him this perfect healthandcomplete wholeness in your presence.

17 “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance [not fully aware of what you were doing], just as your rulers did also.

18 And so God has fulfilled what He foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ (Messiah, Anointed) would suffer.

19 So repent [change your inner self–your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God–seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day];

20 and that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you,

21 whom heaven must keep until the time for the [complete] restoration of all things about which God promised through the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

22 Moses said, ‘TheLordGod will raise up for you aProphetlike me from your countrymen;you shall listen toHimandobeyeverything He tells you.

23 ~‘And it will be that every person that does not listen toandheed that Prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

24 Indeed, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also announced these days.

25 You are the sons (descendants) of the prophets and [heirs] of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed(descendant)all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

26 It wasfor you firstof all thatGod raised up His ServantandSon [Jesus], and sent Him to bless you by turning every oneof youfrom your wicked ways.”

Peter and John Arrested

1 And while Peter and John were talking to the people, the priests and the captain [who was in charge of the temple area and] of the templeguardand the Sadducees came up to them,

2 being extremely disturbedandthoroughly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in [the case of] Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

3 So they arrested them and put them in jail until the next day, because it was evening.

4 But many of those who heard the message [of salvation] believed [in Jesus and accepted Him as the Christ]. And the number of the men came to be about 5,000.

5 On the next day, their magistrates and elders and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) were gathered together in Jerusalem;

6 andAnnas the high priestwas there,andCaiaphas andJohn and Alexander, and all others who were of high-priestly descent.

7 When they had put the men infront of them, they repeatedly asked, “By what sort of power, or in what name [that is, by what kind of authority], did you do this [healing]?”

8 Then Peter, filled with [the power of] the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people [members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court],

9 if we are being put on trial today [to interrogate us] for a good deed done to [benefit] a disabled man, as to how this man has been restored to health,

10 let it be knownandclearly understood by all of you, and by all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you [demanded be] crucified [by the Romans and], whom God raised from the dead–in this name [that is, by the authority and power of Jesus] this man stands here before you in good health.

11 This Jesus is thestone which wasdespisedandrejectedby you,the builders,butwhich became thechiefCornerstone.

12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”

Threat and Release

13 Now when the men of the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Court) saw the confidenceandboldness of Peter and John, and grasped the fact that they wereuneducated and untrained [ordinary] men, they were astounded, andbeganto recognize that they had been with Jesus.

14 And seeing the man who had been healed standingtherewith them, they had nothing to say in reply.

15 But after ordering them to step out of the Council [chamber], theybeganto confer among themselves,

16 saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that an extraordinary miracle has taken place through them is public knowledgeandclearly evident to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

17 But to keep it from spreading further among the peopleandthe nation, let us [sternly] warn them not to speak again to anyone in this name.”

18 So they sent for them, and commanded them not to speak [as His representatives] or teach at all in the name of Jesus [using Him as their authority].

19 But Peter and John replied to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to youandobey you rather than God, you must judge [for yourselves];

20 for we, on our part, cannot stop telling [people] about what we have seen and heard.”

21 When the rulers and Council members had threatened them further, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because [of their fear] of the people, for they were all praisingandglorifyingandhonoring God for what had happened;

22 for the man to whom this sign (attesting miracle) of healing had happened was more than forty years old.

23 After Peter and John were released, they returned to their own [people] and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “O Sovereign Lord [having complete power and authority], it is You whomade the heaven and the earth and the sea,and everything that is in them,

25 who by the Holy Spirit,throughthe mouth of our father David, Your servant, said,

‘Why did the nations(Gentiles)become arrogantandrage,

And the peoples devise futile things[against the Lord]?

26 ‘The kings of the earth took their stand[to attack],

And the rulers were assembled together

Against theLord and againstHisAnointed(the Christ, the Messiah).’

27 For in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined [before the creation of the world] to occur [and so without knowing it, they served Your own purpose].

29 And now, Lord, observe their threats [take them into account] and grant that Your bond-servants may declare Your message [of salvation] with great confidence,

30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of Your holy ServantandSon Jesus.”

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit andbeganto speak the word of God with boldnessandcourage.

Sharing among Believers

32 Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one [of them] claimed that anything belonging to him was [exclusively] his own, but everything was common propertyandfor the use of all.

33 And with great abilityandpower the apostles werecontinuouslytestifying to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace [God’s remarkable lovingkindness and favor and goodwill] rested richly upon them all.

34 There was not a needy person among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them, and bringing the proceeds of the sales

35 and placingthe moneydown at the apostles’ feet. Then it was distributed to each as anyone had need.

36 Now Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus, who was surnamedBarnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),

37 sold a field belonging to him and brought the money and set it at the apostles’ feet.

Fate of Ananias and Sapphira

1 Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

2 and with his wife’s full knowledge [and complicity] he kept back some of the proceeds, bringing only aportion of it, and set it at the apostles’ feet.

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?

4 As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God.”

5 And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fearandawe gripped those who heard of it.

6 And the young men [in the congregation] got up and wrapped up the body, and carried it out and buried it.

7 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

8 Peter asked her, “Tell me whether you sold your land for so much?” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”

9 Then Peter said to her, “How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

10 And at once she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

11 And great fearandawe gripped the whole church, and all who heard about these things.

12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders (attesting miracles) werecontinuallytaking place among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in [the covered porch called] Solomon’s portico.

13 But none of the rest [of the people, the non-believers] dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteemandwere speaking highly of them.

14 Moreandmore believers in the Lord, crowds of men and women, were constantly being added totheir number,

15 to such an extent that they even carried their sick out into the streets and put them on cots and sleeping pads, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on one of them [with healing power].

16 And the people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

Imprisonment and Release

17 But thehigh priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousyandresentment.

18 They arrested the apostles and put them in a public jail.

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and leading them out, he said,

20 “Go, stand andcontinueto tell the people in the temple [courtyards] the whole message of this Life [the eternal life revealed by Christ and found through faith in Him].”

21 When they heard this, they went into the temple [courtyards] about daybreak andbeganteaching.

Now when the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), even all the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent word to the prison for the apostles to be brought [before them].

22 But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison; and they came back and reported,

23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened [the doors], we found no one inside.”

24 Now when the captain of the templeguardand the chief priests heard these things, they were greatly perplexed, wondering what would come of this.

25 But someone came and told them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing [right here] in the temple [area], teaching the people!”

26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).

27 So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them,

28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring thisMan’s blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers].”

29 Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice].

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on across [and you are responsible].

31 God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and SaviorandDeliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins.

32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Counsel

33 Now when they heard this, they were infuriated and they intended to kill the apostles.

34 But a Pharisee namedGamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.

35 Then he said to the Council, “Men of Israel, be careful in regard to what you propose to do to these men.

36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody [of importance], and a group of about four hundred men allied themselves with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.

37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up, [and led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew people after him; he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered.

38 So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men [merely human in origin], it will failandbe destroyed;

39 but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!”

40 The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

41 So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.

42 And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Choosing of the Seven

1 Now about this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint was made by theHellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the [native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily servingof food.

2 So theTwelve called the disciples together and said, “It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tablesandmanage the distribution of food.

3 Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

4 But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5 The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selectedStephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch.

6 They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].

7 And the message of God kept on growingandspreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].

8 Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people.

9 However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questionedandargued with Stephen.

10 But they were not able to successfully withstandandcope with the wisdomandthe intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

11 Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, “We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses andagainstGod.”

12 And they provokedandincited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court).

13 They presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses];

14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditionsandcustoms which Moses handed down to us.”

15 Then all those who were sitting in the Council, stared [intently] at him, and they saw that Stephen’s face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen’s Defense

1 Now thehigh priest asked [Stephen], “Are these charges true?”

2 And he answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

3 and He said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives,and come to the land thatIwill show you.’

4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died,Godsent him to this country in which you now live.

5 But He did not give him inheritable property, not even enough ground to take a step on, yet He promised that He would give it toHim as a possession,and to his descendants after him.

6 And this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That hisdescendants would be aliens(strangers)in a foreign land,and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

7 ‘AndIwill judge any nation to whom they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘andafter that they will come out and serveMe[in worship]in this place.’

8 And God gave Abraham a covenant [a formal agreement to be strictly observed] of [which] circumcision [was the sign]; and so [under these circumstances] Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father] ofJacob, and Jacob [became the father] of thetwelve patriarchs.

9 “The [ten elder] patriarchs,overwhelmedwith jealousy, sold [their younger brother] Joseph into [slavery in] Egypt; but God was with him,

10 and He rescued him from all his suffering, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made Joseph governor over Egypt and over his entire household.

11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great distress and our fathers could not find food [for their households and livestock].

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

13 And on the secondvisitJoseph identified himself to his brothers, and Joseph’s familyandbackground were revealed to Pharaoh.

14 Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

15 And Jacob (Israel) went down into Egypt, andthere he died, as did our fathers;

16 and [from Egypt]their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 “But as the time [for the fulfillment] of the promise which God had made to Abraham was approaching, the [Hebrew] people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

18 until [the time when]there arose another king over egypt who did not know joseph[nor his history and the merit of his service to Egypt].

19 He shrewdly exploited our race and mistreated our fathers, forcing them to expose their [male] babies so that they would die.

20 It was at this [critical] time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and for three months he was nourished in his father’s house.

21 Then when he was set outside [to die], Pharaoh’s daughter rescued himandclaimed him for herself, and cared for him as her own son.

22 So Moses was educated in all the wisdomandculture of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.

23 But when he reached the age of forty, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.

24 And when he saw one [of them] being treated unfairly, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by strikingandkilling the Egyptian.

25 He expected his countrymen to understand that God was granting them freedom through him [assuming that they would accept him], but they did not understand.

26 Then on the next day he suddenly appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another?’

27 But the man who was injuring his neighbor pushed Moses away, saying, ‘Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?

28 ~‘Do you intend to kill me as you killed theEgyptian yesterday?’

29 At this remark Moses fled and became an exile in the land ofMidian, where he fathered two sons.

30 “After forty years had passed,an angel appeared to him in the wilderness ofMountSinai,in the flame of a burning thorn bush.

31 When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight; but as he went near to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came [to him, saying]:

32 ‘Iam theGod of your fathers,theGod ofAbraham and ofIsaac and ofJacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

33 Then theLord said to him, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet,for the place where you are standing is holy ground[worthy of reverence and respect].

34 ~‘Ihave most certainly seen the oppression ofMy people inEgypt and have heard their groaning,andIhave come down to rescue them. Now come,andIwill send you toEgypt[as My messenger].’

35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the very one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

36 This man led them out [of Egypt] after performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you aProphetlike me from your countrymen.’

38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, andwho waswith our fathers; and he received living oracles [divine words that still live] to be handed down to you.

39 Our fathers were unwilling to be subject to him [and refused to listen to him]. They rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

40 They said toAaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us;for thisMoses who led us out of the land ofEgypt,we do not know what has happened to him.’

41 In those days they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoicedandcelebrated over the works of their hands.

42 But God turned away [from them] and handed them over to serve thehost of heaven. As it is writtenandforever remains written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not[really]toMe that you offered victims and sacrifices forforty years in the wilderness,was it, Ohouse ofIsrael?

43 ~‘You also took along the tabernacle(portable temple)ofMoloch and the star of the godRompha,the images which you made to worship;andIwill remove you beyondBabylon[carrying you away into exile].’

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as God directed Moses to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

45 Our fathers also brought it in [with them into the land] with Joshua when they dispossessed thenations whom God drove out before our fathers, [and so it remained here] until the time of David,

46 who found favor (grace, spiritual blessing) in the sight of God and asked that he might [be allowed to] find a dwelling place for theGod of Jacob.

47 But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

48 However, the Most High [the One infinitely exalted above humanity] does not dwell inhousesmade by human hands; as the prophet [Isaiah] says,

49 ‘Heaven isMy throne,

And the earth is the footstool forMy feet;

What kind of house will you build forMe?’ says the Lord,

‘Or what place is there forMy rest?

50 ‘Was it notMy hand that made all these things?’

51 “You stiff-neckedandstubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did.

52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

53 you who received the law as ordainedanddelivered to you by angels, and yet you did not obey it!”

Stephen Put to Death

54 Now whenthey heard this [accusation and understood its implication], they were cut to the heart, and theybegangrinding their teeth [in rage] at him.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spiritandled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory [the great splendor and majesty] of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

56 and he said, “Look! I see the heavens opened up [in welcome] andthe Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and together rushed at him [considering him guilty of blasphemy].

58 Then they drove him out of the city andbeganstoning him; and the witnesses placed their outer robes at the feet of a young man namedSaul.

59 They continued stoning Stephen as he called onthe Lordand said, “Lord Jesus, receiveandacceptandwelcome my spirit!”

60 Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!” When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].