Acts 2 Cross References - Williams

¹ When the day of Pentecost had now come, they were all meeting in one mind, ² when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a terrific blast of wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, ³ And they saw tongues like flames of fire separating and resting on their heads, one to each of them, ⁴ and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit granted them to utter divine things. ⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every part of the world living in Jerusalem. ⁶ And when this sound was heard, the crowd rushed together in great excitement, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were perfectly astounded, and in bewilderment they continued to say, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ So how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native tongue? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, of Judea and Cappadocia, of Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ of Phrygia and Pamphylia, of Egypt and the district of Libya around Cyrene, transient dwellers from Rome, Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs -- we hear them all alike telling in our own tongues the great wonders of God." ¹² And thus they all continued to be astounded and bewildered, and continued to say to each other, "What can this mean?" ¹³ But others in derision were saying, "They are running over with new wine." ¹⁴ Then Peter stood with the Eleven around him, and raising his voice he addressed them, "Men of Judea and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you, and give close attention to my words. ¹⁵ These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. ¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ 'It will occur in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will have visions. Your old men will have dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my slaves, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will become prophets. ¹⁹ I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs upon the earth below, yes, blood and fire and smoky mist. ²⁰ The sun will turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ²¹ Then everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.' ²² "Fellow Israelites, listen to what I say. Jesus of Nazareth, as you yourselves well know, a man accredited to you by God through mighty deeds and wonders and wonder-works which God performed through Him right here among you, ²³ this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross; ²⁴ but God raised Him up by loosing Him from the pangs of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by the power of death. ²⁵ For David says of Him: 'I always kept my eyes upon the Lord, for He is at my right hand, so that I may not be removed. ²⁶ So my heart is glad and my tongue exults, and my body still lives in hope. ²⁷ For you will not forsake my soul to Hades. Nor will you let your Holy One experience decay. ²⁸ You have made known to me the ways of life, and you will fill me with delight in your presence.' ²⁹ "Brothers, I may confidently say to you about the patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and that his grave is here among us to this very day. ³⁰ So, as he was a prophet and knew that God with an oath had promised to put one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw the resurrection of the Christ and told of it, for He was not forsaken to Hades, and His body did not undergo decay. ³² I mean Jesus whom God raised from the dead, to which fact we are all witnesses, ³³ So He has been exalted to God's right hand and has received from His Father, as promised, and poured out upon us the Holy Spirit, as you see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not go up to heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, ³⁵ Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' ³⁶ "Therefore, let all the descendants of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ." ³⁷ When they heard this, they were stabbed to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" ³⁸ Peter said to them, "You must repent -- and, as an expression of it, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ -- that you may have your sins forgiven; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, ³⁹ for the promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are far away whom the Lord our God may call to Him." ⁴⁰ With many more words he continued to testify and to plead with them to save themselves from that crooked age. ⁴¹ So they accepted his message and were baptized, and about three thousand persons united with them on that day. ⁴² And they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship with one another, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ A sense of reverence seized everyone, and many wonders and wonder-works were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all the believers lived together and held all they had as common goods to be shared by one another. ⁴⁵ And so they continued to sell their property and goods and to distribute the money to all, as anyone had special need. ⁴⁶ Day after day they regularly attended the temple; they practiced breaking their bread together in their homes, and eating their food with glad and simple hearts, ⁴⁷ constantly praising God and always having the favor of all the people. And every day the Lord continued to add to them the people who were being saved.

³ Now when King Herod heard of it, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

¹⁵ he stayed there until Herod's death, so as to fulfill what the Lord had said by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my Son."

²³ He went to a town called Nazareth and made his home there, so that the saying of the prophet was fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

² and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near."

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? ⁸ Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess,

⁸ Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess, ⁹ and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather? For I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones.

⁹ and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather? For I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones. ¹⁰ Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree then that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire;

¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for this is the fitting way for both of us to do our full duty to God." Then he yielded to Him.

¹⁷ From that time Jesus continued to preach and say, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near." ¹⁸ As He was walking by the shore of the sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was summed Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ He said to them, "Come! Follow me, and I will make you fishermen for catching men." ²⁰ And at once they left the nets and followed Him. ²¹ And as He was going on from that point, He saw two others, brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, getting their nets in order; and He called them. ²² And at once they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

²² "The eye is the very lamp of the body. If then your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

⁸ And the crowds saw it, and were stricken with awe, and gave praise to God for giving such power to men.

¹⁹ But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak.

² Now when John in prison heard of the doings of the Christ, he sent this message by his disciples: ³ "Are you the One who was to come, or should we keep on looking for a different one?" ⁴ And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind are seeing and the crippled are walking, the lepers are being healed and the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised and the poor are having the good news preached to them. ⁶ And happy is the man who finds no cause for stumbling over me."

²³ And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven? No, you belong to the regions of the dead! For if the wonder-works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued until today.

²⁸ But if I by the Spirit of God am driving the demons out, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

³⁴ You brood of vipers! How can you, wicked as you are, say anything that is good? For the mouth talks about the things that fill the heart.

⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like a pot of gold which was buried in a field, which a man found and buried again; and for joy over it he went and sold all he had and bought that field. ⁴⁵ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a gem-dealer who was looking for beautiful pearls. ⁴⁶ One day he found a very costly pearl, and he went and sold all he had and bought it.

⁴ "It is a wicked and immoral age that is hankering for a spectacular sign, so no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah." Then He left them and went away.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered, "O you unbelieving and perverted people of the times! How long can I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"

²¹ Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come back here and follow me."

³ He went out again about nine o'clock and found others standing around doing nothing.

¹¹ And the crowds kept saying, "He is the prophet Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee."

²⁸ "But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons, He came to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in my vineyard today.' ²⁹ And he answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. ³⁰ Then he came to the second and said the same thing. And he answered, 'I will not.' But afterward he changed his mind and went. ³¹ Which of the two did what his father wanted?" They answered, "The second one." Jesus said to them, "I solemnly say to you, the tax-collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of heaven ahead of you. ³² For John came to you walking in the way of uprightness, and yet you did not believe him. The tax-collectors and prostitutes did believe him, but you, even though you saw that, would not change your minds afterward and believe him.

⁴² "What is your opinion of the Christ? Whose son is He?" They answered Him, "He is David's son." ⁴³ He asked them, "How then does David, under the guidance of the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says:

⁴³ He asked them, "How then does David, under the guidance of the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says: ⁴⁴ 'The Lord has said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, Until I put your enemies under your feet!' ⁴⁵ If David, then, calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"

³³ You serpents! You brood of vipers! How can you escape a sentence to the pit!

¹⁴ And this good news of the kingdom must be preached all over the inhabited world, for a testimony to all the heathen, and then the end will come.

²⁹ "And immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not shed its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the sky will be shaken.

²⁴ The Son of Man is going away as the Scriptures say of Him, but a curse will be on that man by whom He is betrayed. It would have been better for that man, if he had never been born!"

⁷³ A few minutes afterward the bystanders came up to Peter and said, "You are surely one of them, too, for your accent gives you away."

²⁰ But the high priests and the elders lined up the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to have Jesus put to death. ²¹ Still the governor answered, "Which of the two do you want me to set free for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." ²² Pilate asked them, "What then shall I do with Jesus. the so-called Christ?" They all answered, "Have Him crucified!" ²³ He asked, "Why, what has He done that is wrong?" But they kept on shouting louder and louder, "Have Him crucified!" ²⁴ So Pilate, since he saw that he was making no headway with them, but that a riot was about to break out instead, took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, and said, "I am not responsible for this man's death; you must see to it yourselves." ²⁵ And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

³² As they were going out of the city, they found a Cyrenian named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

³⁵ Then they crucified Him and divided among them His clothes by drawing lots,

⁴⁵ Now from twelve o'clock till three, darkness covered the whole land.

⁶³ and said, "Sir, we remember that that pretender said while He was living, 'After three days I will rise again.'

¹⁸ Then Jesus came up to them, and said, "Full authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came up to them, and said, "Full authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

¹⁹ Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teach them to practice all the commands that I have given you. And I myself will surely be with you all the days, down to the very close of an age."

¹⁵ "The time is ripe and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the good news."

²⁴ "What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, God's Holy One!"

²⁷ They were all so dumbfounded that they kept discussing it among themselves, and asking, "What does this mean? It is a new teaching. He gives orders with authority even to foul spirits, and they obey Him."

¹² Then he got up and at once picked up his pallet, and went out before them all. The result was that they were all dumbfounded and began to praise God and say, "We have never seen anything like this before."

¹⁶ In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy, ¹⁷ but it does not take real root in them, and so they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes on account of the truth, they at once fall by the way.

³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and my teaching in this unfaithful, sinful age, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when He comes back in His Father's splendor with the holy angels."

³⁶ David himself, Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, said: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'

²⁴ "But in those days, after that misery, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not shed its light,

²¹ They forced a certain passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry His cross -- Simon, a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

¹⁶ He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned. ¹⁷ And the following signs will attend those who believe: By using my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in foreign languages;

¹⁹ So the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was caught up into heaven and took His seat at God's right hand.

¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must drink no wine nor strong drink, and so he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his birth.

³¹ Listen! You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name Him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His forefather David, ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His reign will have no end."

³⁵ Then the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and so your child will be called holy, the Son of God.

⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped within her. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

⁶⁷ Now his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he uttered the following prophecy:

⁶⁹ and He has made a mighty Saviour for us in the house of His servant David, ⁷⁰ "as He promised by the lips of His ancient prophets,

¹⁰ But the angel said to them: "Stop being afraid, for now I bring you good tidings of great joy which is to be for all the people; ¹¹ for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord.

¹¹ for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord.

¹³ Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

²⁵ Now there was in Jerusalem a man named Symeon, an upright, devout man; he was expecting to see the consolation of Israel, and he was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

⁵² Meanwhile Jesus grew constantly in wisdom and in body, and in favor with God and man.

⁶ And all mankind must see the salvation of God.'"

¹⁰ So the crowds were asking him this question, "What then ought we to do?"

¹² Then even the tax-collectors came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what ought we to do?"

¹⁴ Then some soldiers too were asking him, "What ought we too to do?" So he said to them, "Never extort money from anyone, never make a false accusation, and always be satisfied with your wages."

¹ Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and for forty days He was led about in the desert under the Spirit's guidance,

³⁴ "Ha! What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are God's Holy One."

⁵ Simon answered, "We have toiled all night and caught nothing, but since you tell me to do so, I will set the nets again." ⁶ They did so and caught so vast a shoal of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷ So they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

¹⁶ So awe seized them all, and they began to praise God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has visited His people!"

²⁰ So the men went to Him and said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the One who was to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?'" ²¹ At that very hour He cured many people of diseases and scourges and evil spirits, and graciously granted sight to many blind persons. ²² And so He answered them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind are seeing and the crippled are walking, the lepers are being healed and the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised and the poor are having the good news preached to them. ²³ And happy is the man who finds no cause for stumbling over me."

³⁷ Then all the inhabitants of the country around Gerasa asked Him to go away from them, because they were terribly frightened. So He got into a boat and went back.

²⁰ But if I by the finger of God am driving the demons out, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

⁴¹ But dedicate once for all your inner self, and at once you will have everything clean.

¹² for at that very moment the Holy Spirit will teach you what you ought to say."

³³ Sell your property and give to charity. Provide for yourselves purses that will never wear out, riches that never fail in heaven, where a thief cannot come near nor a moth destroy, ³⁴ For wherever your treasure is, there too your heart will be.

¹ Now all the tax-collectors and notorious sinners were crowding around Him to listen to Him. ² And so the Pharisees and scribes continually grumbled, and said, "This fellow is welcoming notorious sinners, and even eating with them." ³ So He told them the following story: ⁴ "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep, and if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and continue to look for the lost one until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, with joy he puts it on his shoulders, ⁶ and when he reaches home he calls in his friends and neighbors, and says to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!' ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinful person who repents than over ninety-nine upright people who do not need any repentance. ⁸ "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and look carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls in her friends and neighbors, and says, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin which I lost!' ¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinful person who repents!" ¹¹ Then He said: "There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' So he divided his property between them. ¹³ Not many days after that, the younger son got together all he had and went away to a distant country, and there he squandered all his property by living in dissipation. ¹⁴ After he had spent it all, a severe famine struck that country, and he began to suffer want. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, and he sent him to his fields to feed hogs. ¹⁶ And often he craved to fill himself with the carob-pods which the hogs were eating, and nobody gave him a bite. ¹⁷ Then he came to himself and said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more to eat than they need, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your opinion; ¹⁹ I no longer deserve to be called your son; just treat me like one of your hired men."' ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. But, while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and his heart was moved with pity for him, and he ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him affectionately. ²¹ His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your opinion; I no longer deserve to be called your son; just treat me like one of your hired men.' ²² But his father said to his slaves, 'Bring out at once a robe, yes, the finest one, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; ²³ take the fattening calf and kill it, and let us feast and celebrate, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found!' So they began to celebrate. ²⁵ "Now his elder son was in the field. So, on coming in, as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ Then he called one of the servant-boys and asked him what this meant.

²⁶ Then he called one of the servant-boys and asked him what this meant. ²⁷ He said to him, 'Your brother has come back, and your father has killed the fattening calf, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.' ²⁸ So he became angry and would not go into the house. Then his father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, 'See! I have served you all these years and have never disobeyed a command of yours, but you have never given me even a kid, so that I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours arrives, who has eaten up your property with immoral women, you have killed for him the fattening calf.' ³¹ Then he said to him, 'My child, you have been with me all the time, and all I have is yours. ³² But we just had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found.'"

⁹ So I tell you, make friends by the right use of your money, which so easily tends to wrongdoing, so that when it fails, your friends may welcome you to the eternal dwellings.

²³ And in Hades he looked up, in constant tortures as he was, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus his bosom companion.

²⁴ for just as when the lightning flashes, it shines from one end of the sky to the other, so will the Son of Man be when He comes.

²² When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell everything you have, and distribute the money among the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come back and follow me."

³⁶ As he heard a crowd going by, he asked what it meant.

⁸ Then Zaccheus got up and said to the Lord, "Listen, Lord! I now give to the poor half of my property, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay him back four times as much."

²⁷ But bring those enemies of mine here who did not want me to become king over them and slay them in my presence!'"

⁴⁸ but they could not find, as hard as they tried, what to do with Him, for all the people continued to hang on His words.

¹⁶ He will come and put those tenants to death and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "May it never be so!" ¹⁷ But He glanced at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean: 'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone'? ¹⁸ Everyone who falls upon that stone will be shattered, and he on whom it falls will be crushed to dust."

⁴² For David himself in the Book of Psalms says: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, ⁴³ until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'

¹⁵ for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute.

²⁵ And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on earth despair of nations in bewilderment at the roaring of the sea and its waves,

³⁶ But ever be watching and always praying, so that you may have strength to escape all this that is going to take place, and so you may take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

²² For the Son of Man is going away, as it has been divinely decreed, but a curse will be on that man by whom He is betrayed!"

³⁷ For I tell you, what has been written about me must be fulfilled: 'He was classed with the outlaws.' Yes, that saying about me has its fulfillment."

¹ Now on the Sabbath they rested, in accordance with the commandment, but on the first day of the week at early dawn they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. ² But they found the boulder rolled back from the tomb, ³ and yet on going inside they did not find the body. ⁴ And as they were being perplexed about this, two men in dazzling robes suddenly took their stand beside them. ⁵ Because the women were so frightened and were turning their faces to the ground, they said to them, "Why are you looking among the dead for Him who is alive? ⁶ [He is not here but has risen.] Remember what He told you while He was still in Galilee, when ⁷ He said that the Son of Man had to be turned over to wicked men and crucified, but was to rise again on the third day." ⁸ Then they recalled His words ⁹ and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the Eleven and all the rest. ¹⁰ They were Mary of Magdala and Joanna, and Mary, James's mother, who, with the other women, reported these things to the apostles. ¹¹ But the report seemed to them to be nonsense, and so they continued to disbelieve the women. ¹² [Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb, and stooped down and saw the linen clothes but nothing else. Then he went home wondering at what had taken place.] ¹³ On that very day, strange to say, two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and were talking together about all these things that had taken place. ¹⁵ And as they were talking, and discussing these things, Jesus Himself came up near to them and continued to walk with them, ¹⁶ but their eyes were in such a state as to keep them from recognizing Him. ¹⁷ Then He said to them, "What is this that you are discussing together as you walk?" So they stopped and stood still with puzzled countenances. ¹⁸ Finally one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered Him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who has not heard of the things that have taken place there in these last days?"

¹⁸ Finally one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered Him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who has not heard of the things that have taken place there in these last days?" ¹⁹ And He said to them, "What sort of things?" They answered Him, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who in the sight of God and of all the people became a prophet mighty in deed and word, ²⁰ and how the high priests and leading men turned Him over to be sentenced to death, and had Him crucified.

²⁰ and how the high priests and leading men turned Him over to be sentenced to death, and had Him crucified. ²¹ But we kept hoping that He was the One who was coming to set Israel free. Moreover, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred. ²² Yes, indeed, some women of our number have astounded us! They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ and could not find His body, but came and told us that they had actually had a vision of angels who said He was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our company went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Him." ²⁵ Then He said to them, "O men sluggish in mind and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have said! ²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and thus to enter into His glory?" ²⁷ Then He began with Moses and went through all the prophets and explained to them all the passages in the Scriptures about Himself. ²⁸ Then they approached the village to which they were going, and He acted as though He were going on farther, ²⁹ but they earnestly urged Him, and said, "Stop and stay with us, for it is getting toward evening and the day is nearly spent." So He went in to stay with them. ³⁰ And after He had taken His place at table with them, He took the loaf and blessed it and broke it in pieces and handed it to them.

³⁰ And after He had taken His place at table with them, He took the loaf and blessed it and broke it in pieces and handed it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were instantly opened and they recognized Him, and at once He vanished from them. ³² Then they said to each other, "Did not our hearts keep burning in our bosoms as He was talking to us on the road, as He went on explaining the Scriptures to us?"

³² Then they said to each other, "Did not our hearts keep burning in our bosoms as He was talking to us on the road, as He went on explaining the Scriptures to us?" ³³ So at once they got up and went back to Jerusalem and found the Eleven and their company all together, ³⁴ who told them that the Lord had really risen and had been seen by Simon. ³⁵ Then they themselves began to tell what had occurred on the road, and how He was recognized by them when He broke the loaf in pieces.

³⁵ Then they themselves began to tell what had occurred on the road, and how He was recognized by them when He broke the loaf in pieces. ³⁶ Even while they were talking about these things, He took His stand among them Himself, [and said to them, "Peace to you!"] ³⁷ and they were so startled and terror-stricken that they were beginning to think that they saw a ghost. ³⁸ But He said to them, "Why are you so disturbed and why are doubts arising in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet, for it is I, myself. Feel of me and see for yourselves, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." ⁴⁰ [After He had said this He showed them His hands and His feet.] ⁴¹ So while they were still disbelieving for sheer joy and still wondering about it, He asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" ⁴² Then they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and He took it and ate it before their eyes. ⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled." ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds so that they might continue to understand the Scriptures,

⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds so that they might continue to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, "The Scriptures said that the Christ should suffer as He has suffered, should rise from the dead on the third day,

⁴⁶ and said to them, "The Scriptures said that the Christ should suffer as He has suffered, should rise from the dead on the third day,

⁴⁶ and said to them, "The Scriptures said that the Christ should suffer as He has suffered, should rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem

⁴⁷ and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem

⁴⁷ and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem ⁴⁸ you are to continue as witnesses to these things.

⁴⁸ you are to continue as witnesses to these things. ⁴⁹ And I will send down upon you what my Father has promised. But you, on your part, must stay right here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

⁴⁹ And I will send down upon you what my Father has promised. But you, on your part, must stay right here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." ⁵⁰ Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifted up His hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ And while He was blessing them, He parted from them, and was taken up to heaven. ⁵² And with great joy they went back to Jerusalem; ⁵³ and they were continually in the temple, praising God.

⁵³ and they were continually in the temple, praising God.

³² Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. ³³ I did not know Him myself, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, is the One who is to baptize in the Holy Spirit.'

⁴⁵ Philip sought out Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found the One about whom Moses wrote in the law and the One about whom the prophets wrote; it is Jesus, the son of Joseph, who comes from Nazareth."

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, "Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it in three days." ²⁰ Then the Jews retorted, "It took forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and you are going to raise it in three days!" ²¹ But He meant the sanctuary of His body.

² He came to Jesus one night and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that you have come from God, for no one can perform the wonder-works that you are doing, unless God is with him."

⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. That is just the way it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

³⁵ The Father loves His Son and has put everything in His hands. ³⁶ Whoever trusts in the Son possesses eternal life, but whoever refuses to trust in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God continues to remain on him.

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will never believe."

¹⁷ Then He answered them, "My Father is still working, and so am I." ¹⁸ It was on account of this that the Jews tried all the harder to put Him to death, because He not only persisted in breaking the Sabbath, but also kept on saying that God was His Father, and so was making Himself equal to God. ¹⁹ So Jesus answered them: "I most solemnly say to you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, except as He sees the Father doing it, for whatever the Father is in the habit of doing the Son also persists in doing. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing, and He will show Him greater deeds than these, so that you will keep on wondering.

²² For the Father passes sentence on no one, but He has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all men may honor the Son as they do the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. ²⁴ "I most solemnly say to you, whoever listens to me and believes Him who has sent me possesses eternal life, and will never come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life. ²⁵ I most solemnly say to you, a time is coming -- indeed, it is already here -- when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen to it will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself. ²⁷ He has also granted to Him authority to act as Judge because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Stop being surprised at this, for the time is coming when all that are in the graves will listen to His voice, ²⁹ and those who have done good will come out for a resurrection to life, but those who have done evil for a resurrection to condemnation.

³⁶ But I have testimony that is higher than John's, for the works which my Father has committed to me to finish, the very works that I am doing, testify to me that the Father has sent me;

¹⁴ When the people, therefore, saw the wonder-works that He performed, they began to say, "This is surely the prophet who was to come into the world."

²⁷ Stop toiling for the food that perishes, but toil for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for God the Father has given Him authority to do so."

³¹ But many of the crowd believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform greater wonder-works than He did, will He?"

³⁸ Whoever continues to believe in me will have, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water continuously flowing from within him." ³⁹ By this He referred to the Spirit that those believing in Him were going to receive -- for the Spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

³⁹ By this He referred to the Spirit that those believing in Him were going to receive -- for the Spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

⁵² Then they answered him, "You are not from Galilee, too, are you? Search the record and see that no prophet has ever come from Galilee."

⁹ Having heard, they began to leave one by one, starting with the eldest, until only Jesus was left with the woman.

³¹ So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him, "If you live in accordance with what I teach, you are really my disciples, ³² and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."

³³ If this man had not come from God, He could not have done anything like this."

¹⁸ No one has taken it from me, but I am giving it as a free gift. I have the right to give it and I have the right to take it back. I have gotten this order from my Father."

³⁵ If men to whom God's message came are called gods -- and the Scriptures cannot be made null and void --

³⁷ If I am not doing the things that my Father is doing, do not believe me.

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life myself. Whoever continues to believe in me will live right on even though he dies, ²⁶ and no person who continues to live and believe in me will ever die at all. Do you believe this?"

³⁹ Jesus said, "Slip the stone aside." The dead man's sister, Martha, said to Him, "Lord, by this time he is offensive, for he has been dead four days." ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, "Did I not promise you that if you would believe in me, you should see the glory of God?" ⁴¹ So they slipped the stone aside. And Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you for listening to me; ⁴² yes, I knew that you always listen to me. But I have said this for the sake of the crowd that is standing by, that they may come to believe that you have sent me."

⁴⁷ So the high priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and began to say, "What are we to do? For this man is certainly performing many wonder-works.

¹⁷ The crowd that had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the grave and raised him from the dead, kept on talking about it.

²⁰ There were some Greeks among those who were coming up to worship at the feast,

³⁹ So they could not believe, for Isaiah again has said:

⁶ Jesus answered him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in union with the Father and that the Father is in union with me? I am not saying these things on my own authority, but the Father who always remains in union with me is doing these things Himself. ¹¹ You must believe me, that I am in union with the Father and that the Father is in union with me, or else you must do so because of the very things that I am doing. ¹² I most solemnly say to you, whoever perseveres in believing in me can himself do the things that I am doing; yes, he can do even greater things than I am doing, because I am going to the Father.

¹⁶ And I will ask I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, to remain with you to the end of the age;

²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send to represent me, will teach you everything Himself, and cause you to remember everything that I have told you.

²⁴ If I had not done things among them that no one else has ever done, they would not be guilty of sin. But now the fact is, they have seen and even hated both my Father and me.

²⁶ "When the Helper comes whom I will send from the Father to you, the Spirit of truth that comes from the Father, He will testify to me. ²⁷ And you too are to bear testimony to me, because you have been with me from the start."

⁷ Yet it is nothing but the truth I now tell you, that it is better for you that I should go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come into close fellowship with you, but if I do go away, I will send Him to be in close fellowship with you. ⁸ "And when He comes, He will bring conviction to worldly people about sin and uprightness and judgment;

⁸ "And when He comes, He will bring conviction to worldly people about sin and uprightness and judgment; ⁹ about sin, because they do not believe in me;

⁹ about sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about uprightness, because I go away to the Father so that you can no longer see me;

¹⁰ about uprightness, because I go away to the Father so that you can no longer see me; ¹¹ about judgment, because the evil ruler of this world has been condemned.

¹¹ about judgment, because the evil ruler of this world has been condemned. ¹² "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot grasp it now. ¹³ But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because He will take the things that belong to me and tell them to you. ¹⁵ Everything that the Father has is mine; this is why I have told you, 'He will take the things that are mine and tell them to you.'

³² Listen! A time is coming, yea, it is right here, when you will all be scattered to your homes and will leave me alone. And yet, I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

² just as you have given Him authority over all mankind to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him.

⁵ So now, Father, glorify me up there in your presence just as you did before the world existed.

³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would have been fighting to keep me from being turned over to the Jews. But as a matter of fact, my kingdom does not come from such a source." ³⁷ Then Pilate said to Him, "So you are a king then?" Jesus answered, "Certainly I am a king. For this very purpose I was born, for this very purpose I have come into the world, to testify for truth. Everybody who is a friend of truth listens to my voice."

¹⁹ Pilate had a placard written and had it put over the cross: "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

²⁴ So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but let us draw for it to see who gets it." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my clothes among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." Now this was what the soldiers did.

³¹ As it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, that the bodies might not remain on the crosses during the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a very important one, the Jews requested Pilate to have their legs broken and their bodies taken down. ³² So the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus, as they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs, ³⁴ but one of the soldiers thrust a lance into His side and blood and water at once flowed out. ³⁵ The man who saw it has testified to it -- and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth -- in order that you too may come to believe it. ³⁶ For this took place that this Scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of His will be broken." ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, "They shall look at Him whom they pierced."

⁹ For they had not previously understood the Scripture which said that He must rise from the dead.

²² On saying this, He breathed upon them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit!

²⁶ Just a week later the disciples were in the room again and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were bolted, Jesus came in and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands, and take your hand and put it in my side, and stop being an unbeliever, but be a believer!" ²⁸ Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Is it because you have seen me, Thomas, that you believe? Blessed be those who believe, even though they have not seen me!" ³⁰ Now there are many other wonder-works which Jesus performed in the disciples' presence which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these have been recorded, in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life, as bearers of His name.

²⁵ There are many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were all written down in detail, I do not suppose that the world itself could hold the books that would have to be written.

⁴ And once while He was eating with them, He charged them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. "You have heard me speak of it," He said, ⁵ "for John baptized people in water, but in a few days you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit."

⁸ but you are going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you must be witnesses for me in Jerusalem and all over Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."

¹¹ and said to them, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This very Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in just the way you have seen Him go up into heaven."

¹³ When they reached the city, they went to the room upstairs where they had been staying; they were: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

¹³ When they reached the city, they went to the room upstairs where they had been staying; they were: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ With one mind they were all continuing to devote themselves to prayer, with the women and Mary and His brothers.

¹⁴ With one mind they were all continuing to devote themselves to prayer, with the women and Mary and His brothers.

¹⁴ With one mind they were all continuing to devote themselves to prayer, with the women and Mary and His brothers. ¹⁵ At that time Peter got up among the brothers (there were about a hundred and twenty present) and said,

¹⁵ At that time Peter got up among the brothers (there were about a hundred and twenty present) and said, ¹⁶ "Brothers, that Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit uttered by the mouth of David in the former times about Judas who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus;

²² from the time of His baptism by John down to the day when He was taken up from us, must be added to our number as a witness to His resurrection."

²⁶ They then drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.

¹ When the day of Pentecost had now come, they were all meeting in one mind, ² when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a terrific blast of wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting,

⁴ and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit granted them to utter divine things.

⁷ They were perfectly astounded, and in bewilderment they continued to say, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

¹¹ Cretans and Arabs -- we hear them all alike telling in our own tongues the great wonders of God." ¹² And thus they all continued to be astounded and bewildered, and continued to say to each other, "What can this mean?"

¹⁵ These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. ¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ 'It will occur in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will have visions. Your old men will have dreams.

¹⁷ 'It will occur in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will have visions. Your old men will have dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my slaves, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will become prophets.

²² "Fellow Israelites, listen to what I say. Jesus of Nazareth, as you yourselves well know, a man accredited to you by God through mighty deeds and wonders and wonder-works which God performed through Him right here among you,

²² "Fellow Israelites, listen to what I say. Jesus of Nazareth, as you yourselves well know, a man accredited to you by God through mighty deeds and wonders and wonder-works which God performed through Him right here among you, ²³ this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross; ²⁴ but God raised Him up by loosing Him from the pangs of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by the power of death.

²⁷ For you will not forsake my soul to Hades. Nor will you let your Holy One experience decay.

²⁹ "Brothers, I may confidently say to you about the patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and that his grave is here among us to this very day. ³⁰ So, as he was a prophet and knew that God with an oath had promised to put one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw the resurrection of the Christ and told of it, for He was not forsaken to Hades, and His body did not undergo decay. ³² I mean Jesus whom God raised from the dead, to which fact we are all witnesses,

³⁷ When they heard this, they were stabbed to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" ³⁸ Peter said to them, "You must repent -- and, as an expression of it, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ -- that you may have your sins forgiven; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, ³⁹ for the promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are far away whom the Lord our God may call to Him."

³⁹ for the promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are far away whom the Lord our God may call to Him."

⁴¹ So they accepted his message and were baptized, and about three thousand persons united with them on that day. ⁴² And they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship with one another, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

⁴⁶ Day after day they regularly attended the temple; they practiced breaking their bread together in their homes, and eating their food with glad and simple hearts, ⁴⁷ constantly praising God and always having the favor of all the people. And every day the Lord continued to add to them the people who were being saved.

¹ Peter and John were on their way up to the temple at the three o'clock hour of prayer,

⁶ But Peter said, "No silver or gold have I, but what I do have I will give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth start walking." ⁷ Then he took him by the right hand and lifted him, and his feet and ankles instantly grew strong, ⁸ and at once he leaped to his feet and started walking; then he went into the temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹ When all the people saw him walking about and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the very man who used to sit at The Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg, they were completely astounded and bewildered at what occurred to him. ¹¹ While he was still clinging to Peter and John, all the people in utter amazement crowded around them in what was called Solomon's portico. ¹² When Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Fellow Israelites, why are you so surprised at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though we had by our own power or piety made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you yourselves betrayed and disowned before Pilate, although he had decided to set Him free. ¹⁴ Yes, you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked a murderer to be pardoned as a favor to you,

¹⁴ Yes, you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked a murderer to be pardoned as a favor to you, ¹⁵ and you killed the Prince of life, but God raised Him from the dead, to which fact we are witnesses.

¹⁵ and you killed the Prince of life, but God raised Him from the dead, to which fact we are witnesses.

¹⁸ But in this way God fulfilled what He by the lips of all the prophets foretold, that the Christ should suffer. ¹⁹ So now repent and turn to Him, to have your sins wiped out, that times of revival may come from the presence of the Lord,

²⁵ And you are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the sacred compact which God made with your forefathers, when He said to Abraham: 'All the families of the earth are to be blessed through your posterity.' ²⁶ It was to you first that He sent His Servant, after raising Him from the dead, to bless you by causing every one of you to turn from his wicked ways."

²⁶ It was to you first that He sent His Servant, after raising Him from the dead, to bless you by causing every one of you to turn from his wicked ways."

⁴ But many of those who heard their message believed, and the number of the men grew to about five thousand.

⁸ Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of the people,

¹⁰ you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well.

¹⁰ you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well. ¹¹ He is the stone that was thrown away by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.

¹¹ He is the stone that was thrown away by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² There is no salvation by anyone else, for no one else in all the wide world has been appointed among men as our only medium by which to be saved."

²¹ So, after further threatening them, they turned them loose, because they could not find any way to punish them, on account of the people, because they all continued to praise God for what had taken place,

²³ When they were turned loose, the apostles went back to their companions and told them what the high priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard this, with one united prayer to God they said: "O Lord, you are the Maker of heaven, earth, and sea, and everything that is in them, and the One

²⁷ "For in this city they actually met against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you had consecrated -- Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do all that your hand and will had predetermined to take place.

³¹ When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and continued courageously to speak God's message. ³² Now there was but one heart and soul in the vast number of those who had become believers, and not one of them claimed that anything that he had was his own, but they shared everything that they had as common property. ³³ So with great power the apostles continued to give their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's favor rested richly on them all. ³⁴ For none of them was in want, for as many of them as were owners of farms or houses proceeded to sell them, one by one, and continued to bring the money received for the things sold

⁴ As long as it was unsold, was it not yours, and when it was sold, was not the money at your disposal? How could you have the heart to do such a thing! You did not lie to men but to God!"

¹¹ So a strange awe seized the whole church and everybody who heard it. ¹² Many signs and wonders were continuously performed by the apostles among the people. And by common consent they all used to meet in Solomon's portico.

¹² Many signs and wonders were continuously performed by the apostles among the people. And by common consent they all used to meet in Solomon's portico.

¹² Many signs and wonders were continuously performed by the apostles among the people. And by common consent they all used to meet in Solomon's portico. ¹³ Not one of those on the outside dared to associate with them, although the people continued to hold them in high regard,

¹³ Not one of those on the outside dared to associate with them, although the people continued to hold them in high regard, ¹⁴ but still a vast number of people, both men and women, who believed in the Lord, continued to join them, ¹⁵ so that they kept bringing out into the streets their sick ones and putting them on little couches or pallets, that at least the shadow of Peter, as he went by, might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Even from the towns around Jerusalem crowds continued coming in to bring their sick ones and those troubled with foul spirits, and they were all cured.

²¹ So they obeyed, and about the break of day they went into the temple square and began to teach. The high priest and his party arrived and called a meeting of the council and the whole senate of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have the men brought in.

³⁰ The God of our forefathers raised Jesus to life after you had hanged Him on a cross and killed Him.

³⁰ The God of our forefathers raised Jesus to life after you had hanged Him on a cross and killed Him. ³¹ God has exalted to His right hand this very One as our Leader and Saviour, in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

³¹ God has exalted to His right hand this very One as our Leader and Saviour, in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

³¹ God has exalted to His right hand this very One as our Leader and Saviour, in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³² We and the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who practice obedience to Him are witnesses to these things." ³³ When they heard this, they were furious, and wanted to kill them.

³⁵ then he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, take care as to what you are about to do to these men.

⁴² and not for a single day did they stop teaching in the temple square and in private houses the good news of Jesus the Christ.

¹ In those days, as the number of the disciples was increasing, complaint was made by the Greek-speaking Jews against the native Jews that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. ² So the Twelve called together the whole body of the disciples, and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave off preaching the word of God to wait on tables. ³ So, brothers, you must select from your number seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit, and of good practical sense, and we will assign them to this business,

³ So, brothers, you must select from your number seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit, and of good practical sense, and we will assign them to this business, ⁴ while we will go on devoting ourselves to prayer and the word of God." ⁵ This suggestion was approved by the whole body, and so they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, who was a convert to Judaism.

⁸ Now Stephen, full of grace and power, went on performing great signs and wonders among the people. ⁹ But members of the synagogue known as that of the Libyans, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, got to debating with Stephen,

¹⁴ for we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will tear this place down, and change the customs which Moses handed down to us."

² He answered: "Listen, brothers and fathers. The glorious God appeared to our forefather Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia before he ever made his home in Haran,

⁸ And with Abraham He made the sacred compact of circumcision, and he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. ⁹ And the patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him

⁵² Which of the prophets did your forefathers fail to persecute? They killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have betrayed and murdered Him,

⁵⁴ As they continued to listen to this address, they were becoming infuriated and began to grind their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But since he was full of the Holy Spirit, he looked right into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand.

² Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation for him.

⁶ As the crowds continued to listen to his message and continued to see his wonder-works which he was performing, with one mind they became interested in what was said by Philip. ⁷ For many of those under the power of foul spirits cried out and the spirits came out of them, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. ⁸ So there was great rejoicing in that city.

¹² But when the people came to believe the good news proclaimed by Philip about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were constantly baptized.

¹⁵ They came and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for as yet He had not come upon any of them, but they had been baptized merely in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they laid their hands upon them, and one by one they received the Holy Spirit.

²⁰ But Peter said to him, "Your money go to perdition with you for even dreaming you could buy the gift of God with money!

²⁷ So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian official, a member of the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, her chief treasurer, who had come to Jerusalem to worship,

³⁶ As they continued down the road, they came to some water, and the official said, "Look! here is some water! What is there to keep me from being baptized?" ³⁷ Omitted Text. ³⁸ So he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the official both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

⁵ He asked, "Who are you, sir?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and go into the city, and there it will be told you what you ought to do."

¹¹ And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called 'The Straight Street,' and ask at the house of Judas for one named Saul, from Tarsus, for he is now praying there.

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name to the heathen and their kings, and to the descendants of Israel.

¹⁷ So Ananias left and went to that house, and there he laid his hands upon Saul, and said, "Saul, my. brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming here, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

³⁴ So Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ now cures you! Get up and make your bed!" And at once he got up.

⁴⁰ Then Peter put them all out of the room, knelt down and prayed, and, turning to the body, said, "Tabitha, get up!" Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

² a religious man, too, who revered God with all his household, who was always liberal in his many deeds of charity to the people, and who had the habit of praying to God.

⁷ After the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants, and a religious soldier who was one of his devoted attendants,

¹⁷ Now while Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked for the way to Simon's house and had stopped at the gate;

³⁶ He has sent His message to the descendants of Israel, by telling them the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know the story yourselves that spread all over Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached,

³⁷ You know the story yourselves that spread all over Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached, ³⁸ how God consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and then He went about doing good and curing all who were overpowered by the devil, because God was with Him.

³⁸ how God consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and then He went about doing good and curing all who were overpowered by the devil, because God was with Him. ³⁹ We are witnesses of everything that He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Yet they murdered Him by hanging Him upon a tree.

³⁹ We are witnesses of everything that He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Yet they murdered Him by hanging Him upon a tree. ⁴⁰ But God raised Him to life on the third day, and permitted Him to be dearly seen,

⁴⁰ But God raised Him to life on the third day, and permitted Him to be dearly seen, ⁴¹ not by all the people but by witnesses whom God had beforehand appointed, namely, by us who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead.

⁴¹ not by all the people but by witnesses whom God had beforehand appointed, namely, by us who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead. ⁴² He also ordered us to proclaim to the people and solemnly to testify that this is the One whom God has appointed to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴² He also ordered us to proclaim to the people and solemnly to testify that this is the One whom God has appointed to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these truths, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. ⁴⁵ Then the Jewish believers who had gone along with Peter were astounded because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been showered upon the heathen too,

⁴⁵ Then the Jewish believers who had gone along with Peter were astounded because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been showered upon the heathen too, ⁴⁶ for they heard them speaking in foreign languages and telling of the greatness of God. Then Peter asked,

⁴⁸ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to stay on there a few days.

¹⁵ When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as He did upon us at the beginning,

¹⁵ When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as He did upon us at the beginning, ¹⁶ and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.' ¹⁷ So if God had given them the same gift that He gave us when we believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to try -- and how could I if I tried -- to thwart God?" ¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no answer to make, but gave God the glory, saying, "So God has given even the heathen the repentance that leads to life."

²⁰ But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who on reaching Antioch began to speak to the Greeks too, and proceeded to tell them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

²³ When he reached there and saw the spiritual blessing God had given them, he was delighted, and continuously encouraged them all with hearty purpose to continue to be devoted to the Lord; ²⁴ for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. So a large number of people were united to the Lord.

²⁸ and one of them named Agabus got up and, through the Holy Spirit, foretold that there was going to be a great famine all over the world, which occurred in the reign of Claudius. ²⁹ So the disciples decided to send a contribution, each in proportion to his prosperity, to help the brothers who lived in Judea.

¹ Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who is called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen who was an intimate friend of the governor, and Saul.

⁹ Then Saul, who was also called Paul, because he was full of the Holy Spirit, looked him straight in the eye

¹³ Then Paul and his party set sail from Paphos and crossed over to Perga in Pamphylia. Here John quit them and returned to Jerusalem,

¹⁶ Then Paul got up and motioned with his hand and said: "Fellow Israelites, and you who reverence God, listen!

²⁷ For the people of Jerusalem and their leaders, because they were ignorant of Him, by condemning Him have actually fulfilled the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath,

²⁷ For the people of Jerusalem and their leaders, because they were ignorant of Him, by condemning Him have actually fulfilled the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, ²⁸ and although they could not find Him guilty of a capital offense, they begged Pilate to have Him put to death. ²⁹ When they had carried out everything that had been written in the Scriptures about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised Him from the dead,

³⁰ But God raised Him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now witnesses for Him to the people. ³² So now we are bringing you the good news about the promise that was made to our forefathers,

³² So now we are bringing you the good news about the promise that was made to our forefathers, ³³ that God has fulfilled it to us their children, by raising Jesus to life, just as the Scripture says in the Second Psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have become your Father.'

³³ that God has fulfilled it to us their children, by raising Jesus to life, just as the Scripture says in the Second Psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have become your Father.'

³³ that God has fulfilled it to us their children, by raising Jesus to life, just as the Scripture says in the Second Psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have become your Father.' ³⁴ Now as a proof that He has raised Him from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken this, 'I will fulfill to you the holy promises made to David.'

³⁴ Now as a proof that He has raised Him from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken this, 'I will fulfill to you the holy promises made to David.'

³⁴ Now as a proof that He has raised Him from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken this, 'I will fulfill to you the holy promises made to David.' ³⁵ Because in another psalm he says, 'You will not let your Holy One experience decay.'

³⁵ Because in another psalm he says, 'You will not let your Holy One experience decay.'

³⁵ Because in another psalm he says, 'You will not let your Holy One experience decay.' ³⁶ For David, after having served God's purpose in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his forefathers, and so he did experience decay,

³⁶ For David, after having served God's purpose in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his forefathers, and so he did experience decay,

³⁶ For David, after having served God's purpose in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his forefathers, and so he did experience decay, ³⁷ but He whom God raised to life did not experience it.

³⁷ but He whom God raised to life did not experience it.

⁴³ and after the congregation had broken up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism allied themselves with Paul and Barnabas, and they kept talking to them and urging them to continue to rely on the unmerited favor of God.

⁴⁸ The heathen kept on listening and rejoicing and giving the glory to God's message, and all who had been destined to eternal life believed,

⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the devout women of high rank and the men of first rank in town, and so started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

⁵² and the disciples continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit.

¹¹ So the crowds, because they saw what Paul had done, shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods in human form have come down to us!" ¹² They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul, because he was the principal speaker, Hermes.

²² strengthening the hearts of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith, and warning them that it is through enduring many hardships that we must get into the kingdom of God.

²⁴ Then they passed through Pisidia and went down to Pamphylia,

²⁷ On arriving there they called the church together, and in detail reported to them all that God had done through them as instruments, and how He had opened to the heathen the door of faith.

³ So they were endorsed and sent on by the church, and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told of the conversion of the heathen and brought great rejoicing to all the brothers.

⁸ And God who knows men's hearts testifies for them by giving them the Holy Spirit, as He did us,

¹⁴ Symeon has told how God at first graciously visited the heathen to take from among them a people to bear His name.

¹⁸ who has been making this known from ages past.'

³² Now Judas and Silas, as they were prophets themselves, in a lengthy talk encouraged and strengthened the brothers.

³⁸ Paul, however, did not consider such a man fit to take along with them, the man who deserted them in Pamphylia and did not go on with them to the work.

⁵ So the churches through faith continued to grow in strength and to increase in numbers from day to day. ⁶ Then they crossed Phrygia and Galatia. But because they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia,

¹⁵ When she and her household were baptized, she begged us by continuing to say, "If you have made up your mind that I am a real believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she continued to insist that we do so.

²⁵ But about midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, ²⁶ suddenly there was an earthquake so great that it shook the very foundations of the jail, the doors all flew open, and every prisoner's chains were unfastened.

²⁹ Then the jailer called for lights and rushed in and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. ³⁰ After leading them out of the jail, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" ³¹ They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved."

³¹ They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved." ³² Then they told God's message to him and to all the members of his household. ³³ Even at that time of the night he took them and washed their wounds, and he and all the members of his household at once were baptized. ³⁴ Then he took them up to his house and gave them food, and he and all the members of his household were happy in their faith in God.

³⁴ Then he took them up to his house and gave them food, and he and all the members of his household were happy in their faith in God.

²⁰ For some of the things you bring sound startling to us; so we want to know just what they mean."

³⁰ Though God overlooked those times of ignorance, He now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ since He has set a day on which He will justly judge the world through a man whom He has appointed. He has made this credible to all by raising Him from the dead."

² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had issued an edict for all Jews to leave Rome. So Paul paid them a visit,

²³ After spending some time there, he started out again, and by a definite schedule traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia, imparting new strength to all the disciples.

⁴ Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." ⁵ On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, ⁶ and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy.

¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that everybody living in the province of Asia, Greeks as well as Jews, heard the Lord's message.

²⁷ Now the danger facing us is, not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into contempt and that she whom all Asia and all the world now worship will soon be dethroned from her majestic glory!"

³¹ Some of the public officials in Asia, who were friendly to him, also sent word to him, begging him not to risk himself in the theatre.

² He passed through those districts and by continuing to talk to them encouraged the people. He then went on to Greece

⁷ On the first day of the week when we had met to break bread, Paul addressed them, since he was leaving the next day, and prolonged his speech till midnight.

⁹ and a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting by the window, was gradually overcome by heavy drowsiness, as Paul kept speaking longer and longer, and at last he went fast asleep and fell from the third story to the ground and was picked up dead.

¹¹ So he went back upstairs, and broke the bread and ate with them, and after talking with them extendedly, even till daylight, he left them.

¹⁶ For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia; for he was eager, if possible, to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost.

¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived among you all the time from the day I first set foot in the province of Asia, and how I continued

²¹ but constantly and earnestly I urged Greeks as well as Jews to turn with repentance to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus.

²⁴ But now I count as nothing the sacrifice of my life, if only I can finish my race and render the service entrusted to me by the Lord Jesus, of faithfully telling the good news of God's favor.

⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses. ¹⁰ While we were spending some days here, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

²⁸ as they kept shouting, "Men of Israel, help! help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and the law and this place; yea, more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and desecrated this sacred place."

⁸ I answered, 'Who are you, Sir?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.'

¹⁰ Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' And the Lord answered, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you what you are destined to do.'

¹² There a man named Ananias, a man devout in strict accordance with the law, of good reputation among all the Jews who lived there,

¹⁶ And now, why are you waiting? Get up and be baptized and wash your sins away by calling on His name.'

¹¹ But that same night the Lord stood by Paul's side and said, "Courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, you must testify for me in Rome, too."

⁵ For we have found this man a perfect pest and a distributor of the peace among the Jews throughout the world. He is a ringleader in the sect of the Nazarenes;

²⁵ But as he continued to talk about uprightness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became alarmed, and said, "For the present you may go, but when I find a good opportunity, I will send for you." ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping to get money from Paul, and so he kept on sending for him and talking with him.

⁹ I myself, indeed, once thought it my duty to take extreme measures in hostility to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'

²⁰ but I began to preach first to the people of Damascus and Jerusalem, and all over Judea, and then to the heathen, to repent and turn to God, and to live lives consistent with such repentance.

²⁶ The king, indeed, knows about this and I can speak to him with freedom. I do not believe that any of this escaped his notice, for it did not occur in a corner!

⁵ and after sailing the whole length of the sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.

⁷ For a number of days we sailed on slowly and with difficulty arrived off Cnidus. Then, because the wind did not permit us to go on, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Cape Salmone,

¹² And as the harbor was not fit to winter in, the majority favored the plan to set sail from there and see if they could reach Phoenix and winter there, this being a harbor in Crete facing west-southwest and west-north-west.

¹⁵ Because the brothers at Rome had heard of our coming, they came as far as Appius' Market and the Three Taverns to meet us, and as soon as Paul caught sight of them, he thanked God and took courage.

²³ So they set a day for him, and came in large numbers to see him at the place where he was lodging, and from morning till night he continued to explain to them the kingdom of God, at the same time giving them his own testimony and trying from the law of Moses and the prophets to convince them about Jesus.

³ about His Son, who on the physical side became a descendant of David, and on the holy, spiritual side

⁷ to all those in Rome who are God's loved ones, called to be His people: spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ So, as far as I can, I am eager to preach the good news to you at Rome, too.

¹⁷ as the Scripture says, "I have made you the father of many nations." That is, the promise is in force in the sight of God in whom he put his faith, the God who can bring the dead to life and can call to Himself the things that do not exist as though they did.

²⁴ it was for our sakes too, for it is going to be credited to us who put our faith in God who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus,

⁵ and hope never disappoints us; for through the Holy Spirit that has been given us, God's love has flooded our hearts.

³ Or, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into union with Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ So through baptism we have been buried with Him in death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glorious power, so we too should live an entirely new life.

⁹ I was once alive when I had no connection with the law, but when the command came, sin revived, and then I died;

¹¹ If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead has His home within you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give your mortal bodies life through His Spirit that has His home within you.

³⁰ and those whom He marked off as His own He also calls; and those whom He calls He brings into right standing with Himself; those whom He brings into right standing with Himself He also glorifies.

³⁴ who can condemn them? Christ Jesus who died, or rather, who was raised from the dead, is now at God's right hand, and is actually pleading for us.

³ for I could wish myself accursed, even cut off from Christ, for the sake of my brothers, my natural kinsmen. ⁴ For they are Israelites; to them belong the privileges of sonship, God's glorious presence, the special covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, the promises,

⁴ For they are Israelites; to them belong the privileges of sonship, God's glorious presence, the special covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, the promises, ⁵ the patriarchs, and from them by natural descent the Christ has come, who is exalted over all, God blessed forever. Amen! ⁶ But it is not that God's word has failed. For not everybody that is descended from Israel really belongs to Israel,

²⁴ even us whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but from among the heathen too?

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out about Israel, "Although the sons of Israel are as numberless as the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,

⁹ For if with your lips you acknowledge the fact that Jesus is Lord, and in your hearts you believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹² But there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is over them all, because He is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

⁵ So it is at the present time; a remnant remains, in accordance with God's unmerited favor. ⁶ But if it is by His unmerited favor, it is not at all conditioned on what they have done. If that were so, His favor would not be favor at all. ⁷ What are we then to conclude? Israel has failed to obtain what it is still in search for, but His chosen ones have obtained it. The rest have become insensible to it,

¹⁶ If the first handful of dough is consecrated, so is the whole mass; if the tree's root is consecrated, so are the branches. ¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and yet you, although you were wild olive suckers, have been grafted in among the native branches, and been made to share the rich sap of the native olive's root,

²⁹ for the gracious gifts and call of God are never taken back.

³³ How fathomless the depths of God's resources, wisdom, and knowledge! How unsearchable His decisions, and how mysterious His methods! ³⁴ For who has ever understood the thoughts of the Lord, or has ever been His adviser? ³⁵ Or who has ever advanced God anything to have Him pay him back? ³⁶ For from Him everything comes, through Him everything lives, and for Him everything exists. Glory to Him forever! Amen.

⁸ or of one who encourages others, in the field of encouragement; or one who gives his money, with liberality; or one who leads others, with earnestness; or one who does deeds of charity, with cheerfulness.

¹² ever happy in hope, always patient in suffering, ever persistent in prayer,

⁸ indeed, if we live, we always live in relation to the Lord, and if we die, we always die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For Christ died and lived again for the very purpose of being Lord of both the dead and the living.

⁹ For Christ died and lived again for the very purpose of being Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ Then why should you criticize your brother? Or, why should you look down on your brother? Surely, we shall all stand before God to be judged, ¹¹ for the Scripture says: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall make acknowledgment to God.'" ¹² So each of us must give an account of himself to God.

¹⁸ whoever in this way continues serving Christ is well-pleasing to God and approved by men.

⁶ that with united hearts and lips you may praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹² And again Isaiah says: "The noted Son of Jesse will come, even He who rises to rule the heathen; on Him the heathen will set their hope." ¹³ May the hope-inspiring God so fill you with perfect joy and peace through your continuing faith, that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

⁵ Remember me to the church too, that meets at their house. Remember me to my dear Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

²⁰ Now the peace-giving God will soon crush Satan under your feet. The spiritual blessing of our Lord Jesus be with you.

² to the church of God at Corinth, to those who are consecrated by union with Christ Jesus, and called to be God's people, in fellowship with those who anywhere call upon the name of Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

¹³ Christ has been parceled out by you! It was not Paul who was crucified for you, was it? You were not baptized in Paul's name, were you? ¹⁴ I am thankful that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so as to keep anyone from saying that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ Yes, I did baptize the family of Stephanas, too; I do not now recall that I baptized anyone else. ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the good news -- but not by means of wisdom and rhetoric, so that the cross of Christ may not be emptied of its power. ¹⁸ For the message of the cross is nonsense to those who are in the process of being destroyed, but it is the power of God to those who are in the process of being saved.

⁵ to turn such a man as this over to Satan for the destruction of his lower nature, in order that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

¹⁴ And as God by His power raised the Lord to life, so He will raise us too.

¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is consecrated by union with his wife and the unbelieving wife by union with her Christian husband, for otherwise your children would be unblessed, but in this way they are consecrated.

²¹ Were you called while a slave? Stop letting that annoy you. Yet, if you can win your freedom, take advantage of such an opportunity. ²² For the slave who has been called to union with the Lord is the Lord's freedman; in the same way the freeman who has been called is a slave of Christ.

¹⁶ Is not the consecrated cup which we consecrate a sign of our sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the loaf which we break a sign of our sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf.

²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons.

³⁰ If I give thanks and thus partake of food, why am I to be blamed for that for which I give thanks? ³¹ So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God.

² I prize and praise you for always remembering me and for firmly standing by the teachings as I passed them on to you.

²⁰ So when you hold your meetings, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper,

²⁰ So when you hold your meetings, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, ²¹ for each of you is in a rush to eat his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

²¹ for each of you is in a rush to eat his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk. ²² It is not that you have no houses to eat and drink in, is it? Or, are you trying to show your contempt for the church of God and trying to humiliate those who have no houses? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? No, I cannot praise you for this.

²² It is not that you have no houses to eat and drink in, is it? Or, are you trying to show your contempt for the church of God and trying to humiliate those who have no houses? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? No, I cannot praise you for this. ²³ For the account that I passed on to you I myself received from the Lord Himself, that the Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed took a loaf of bread ²⁴ and gave thanks for it and broke it and said, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me." ²⁵ In the same way, after supper, He took the cup of wine, saying, "This cup is the new covenant ratified by my blood. Whenever you drink it, do so in memory of me." ²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes again.

¹⁰ to another, power for working wonders; to another, prophetic insight; to another, the power to discriminate between the true Spirit and false spirits; to another, various ecstatic utterances; and to another, the power to explain them.

²⁸ And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as prophets, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then people with power to cure the sick, helpers, managers, ecstatic speakers.

²⁸ And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as prophets, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then people with power to cure the sick, helpers, managers, ecstatic speakers. ²⁹ Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all are wonder-workers, are they? ³⁰ Not all are people with power to cure the sick, are they? Not all are ecstatic speakers, are they? Not all can explain ecstatic speaking, can they?

¹ If I could speak the languages of men, of angels too, and have no love, I am only a rattling pan or a clashing cymbal.

⁸ Love never fails; if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if now exist ecstatic speakings, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will soon be set aside;

⁵ I would like for all of you to speak in ecstasy, but I would rather that you prophesy. The man who speaks with real prophetic insight renders greater service than the man who speaks in ecstasy, unless the latter explains it, so the congregation may receive an uplift.

¹⁸ Thank God, I speak in ecstasy more than any of you.

²¹ In the law it is written, "By men of foreign languages and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." ²² So speaking in ecstasy is meant as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is meant, not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³ Hence, if the whole church has met and everybody speaks in ecstasy, and illiterate people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are crazy?

²³ Hence, if the whole church has met and everybody speaks in ecstasy, and illiterate people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are crazy? ²⁴ But if everybody prophesies, and some unbeliever or illiterate man comes in, he is convinced of his sins by all, he is closely questioned by all, ²⁵ the secrets of his heart are laid bare, he falls upon his face and worships God, declaring, "God is really among you." ²⁶ Then what is our conclusion, brothers? When you meet together, everybody has a song, something to teach, a revelation, an ecstatic utterance, or an explanation of one. It must all be for the upbuilding of all.

²⁶ Then what is our conclusion, brothers? When you meet together, everybody has a song, something to teach, a revelation, an ecstatic utterance, or an explanation of one. It must all be for the upbuilding of all. ²⁷ If anybody speaks in ecstasy, there must be only two, or three at most, and let one speak at a time, and someone explain what he says.

²⁷ If anybody speaks in ecstasy, there must be only two, or three at most, and let one speak at a time, and someone explain what he says. ²⁸ But if there is no one to explain it, let him keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God alone.

²⁸ But if there is no one to explain it, let him keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God alone. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and the rest consider carefully what is said;

²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and the rest consider carefully what is said; ³⁰ and if anything is revealed to another who is seated, let the speaker stop.

³⁰ and if anything is revealed to another who is seated, let the speaker stop. ³¹ For in this way you can all, one after another, speak your prophetic message, so that all may learn and be encouraged,

³¹ For in this way you can all, one after another, speak your prophetic message, so that all may learn and be encouraged, ³² for the spirits of prophets yield to prophets;

¹² Now if we preach that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?

¹⁵ and we are found guilty of lying about God, for we have testified that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if indeed the dead are never raised.

²⁵ for He must continue to be king until He puts all His enemies under His feet.

⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised with bodies not subject to decay, and we shall be changed.

⁵⁵ O Death, where is your victory now? O Death, where is your sting?"

⁸ But I shall stay on in Ephesus until the time of Harvest Feast. ⁹ For I have an opportunity here that is great and calls for work, and it has many opponents.

¹⁹ The churches of Asia wish to be remembered to you. Aquila and Prisca, with the church that meets at their house, send you their cordial Christian greetings.

⁸ For I do not want you to be uninformed about the sorrow that I suffered in Asia, because I was so crushed beyond any power to endure that I was in dire despair of life itself.

¹² For my boast is this, to which my conscience testifies, that before the world, but especially before you, I have acted from pure motives and in sincerity before God, not depending on worldly wisdom but on God's unmerited favor.

¹² When I went to Troas to preach the good news of Christ, although I had an opportunity in the service of the Lord,

¹⁴ because I know that He who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will raise me too in fellowship with you.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment-bar of Christ, that each may get his pay for what he has done, whether it be good or bad.

²⁰ So I am an envoy to represent Christ, because it is through me that God is making His appeal. As one representing Christ I beg you, be reconciled to God.

¹⁷ Therefore: "'Come out of company with them, and separate from them,' the Lord has said, 'And stop touching what is unclean; then I will welcome you,

⁹ For by experience you know the unmerited favor shown by our Lord Jesus Christ; that although He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, in order that by His poverty you might become rich.

¹⁴ but through an equalizing of matters in the present crisis I do want your abundance to relieve their need, that some day their abundance may relieve your need, so that equality may exist -- ¹⁵ just as the Scripture says, "The man who gathered much did not have too much, and the man who gathered little did not have too little."

¹ It is really superfluous for me to write to you about this service which is being rendered to God's people,

⁶ Now this is the way it is: Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly too, but whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully too. ⁷ Each must give what he has purposed in his heart to give, not sorrowfully or under compulsion, for it is the happy giver that God loves. ⁸ And God is able to make your every spiritual blessing overflow for you, so that you will always have in every situation an entire sufficiency and so overflow for every good cause; ⁹ as the Scripture says: "He has generously given to the poor; His deeds of charity go on forever."

⁹ as the Scripture says: "He has generously given to the poor; His deeds of charity go on forever." ¹⁰ He who always supplies the sower with seed and the eater with bread will supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest which your deeds of charity yield. ¹¹ In every way you will grow richer and richer so as to give with perfect liberality, which will through me result in thanksgiving to God for it. ¹² Because the service rendered by this sacred offering is not only fully supplying the needs of God's people, but it is also running over with many thanks to God for it. ¹³ For through the test you get by doing this service you will continue praising God for your fidelity to your confession of the good news of Christ, and for the liberality of your contributions to them and all others; ¹⁴ and so in their prayers for you they will continue longing for you, because of God's surpassing favor shown you. ¹⁵ Thank God for His unspeakable gift!

³ But I am apprehensive that, somehow or other, as the serpent by his cunning deceived Eve, your thoughts may be turned aside from single-hearted devotion to Christ.

¹² The marks that signify the genuine apostle were exhibited among you in my perfect patience, in signs, wonders, and wonder-works.

¹ Paul, an apostle sent not from men or by any man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead --

⁶ I am astonished that you are beginning so soon to turn away from Him who called you by the favor of Christ, to a different good news,

¹⁷ and before I went up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I retired to Arabia, and afterwards returned to Damascus.

¹⁴ that the blessing promised to Abraham might through Jesus Christ come to the heathen, so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

²⁸ There is no room for Jew or Greek, no room for slave or freeman, no room for male or female, for you are all one through union with Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ but still you did not scorn the test my illness made of you, nor did you spurn me for it; on the contrary, you welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. ¹⁵ Where is your self-congratulation? For I can testify that you would have torn out your very eyes, if you could, and have given them to me.

²⁵ that is, Hagar (and Hagar means Mount Sinai, in Arabia) and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for Jerusalem is in slavery with her children.

³ I again insist that if any man lets himself be circumcised, he is under obligation to obey the whole law.

¹⁸ by having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so that you may know what the hope is to which He calls you, how glorious rich God's portion in His people is,

²⁰ when He raised Christ from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heaven,

²⁰ when He raised Christ from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heaven, ²¹ far above every other government, authority, power, and dominion, yea, far above every other title that can be conferred, not only in this world but in the world to come. ²² And so He has put all things under His feet and made Him the supreme Head of the church,

²² And so He has put all things under His feet and made Him the supreme Head of the church, ²³ which is His body, that is being filled by Him who fills everything everywhere.

¹³ But now through your union with Christ Jesus you who were once far away have through the blood of Christ been brought near. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, He is the one who has made us both into one body and has broken down the barrier that kept us apart; ¹⁵ through His human nature He has put a stop to the hostility between us, namely, the law with its commands and decrees, in order to create one new humanity out of the two parties and so make peace through union with Himself, and in one body ¹⁶ to reconcile them both to God with His cross after He had killed the hostility through it. ¹⁷ When He came, He brought the good news of peace for you who were far away and for you who were near; ¹⁸ for it is by Him through one Spirit that both of us now have an introduction to the Father. ¹⁹ So you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are fellow-citizens of God's people and members of His family; ²⁰ for you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself the cornerstone.

²⁰ for you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself the cornerstone. ²¹ In union with Him the whole building is harmoniously fitted together and continues to grow into a temple, sacred through its union with the Lord, ²² and you yourselves, in union with Him, in fellowship with one another, are being built up into a dwelling for God through the Spirit.

⁵ which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets -- ⁶ that the heathen through union with Christ Jesus are fellow-heirs with the Jews, are members with them of the same body, and sharers with them of the promise through the good news, ⁷ for which I was called to serve in accordance with the gift of God's unmerited favor which was bestowed on me by the exercise of His power-- ⁸ yes, on me, the very least of all His people, this unmerited favor was bestowed -- that I might preach as good news to the heathen the boundless riches of Christ,

¹⁹ yes, to come at last to know the love of Christ, although it far surpasses human understanding, so that you may be filled with the perfect fullness of God.

⁴ There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope resulting from the call you have received;

⁸ Concerning this the Scripture says: "He led a host of captives, when He went up on high, and granted gifts to men."

¹⁷ So I mean this and now testify to it in the name of the Lord: You must now stop living as the heathen usually do, in the frivolity of their minds,

¹⁸ Stop getting drunk on wine, for that means profligacy, but ever be filled with the Spirit,

⁵ You slaves must practice obedience to your earthly masters, with reverence and awe, with sincerity of heart, as you would obey Christ,

¹⁸ Keep on praying in the Spirit, with every kind of prayer and entreaty, at every opportunity, be ever on the alert with perfect devotion and entreaty for all God's people,

²⁷ Only you must practice living lives that are worthy of the good news, so that whether I come and see you or stay away, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, and that with one purpose you are continuing to cooperate in the fight for faith in the good news.

² fill up my cup of joy by living in harmony, by fostering the same disposition of love, your hearts beating in unison, your minds set on one purpose.

⁹ This is why God has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name that is above every other name, ¹⁰ so that in the name of Jesus everyone should kneel, in heaven, on earth, and in the underworld, ¹¹ and everyone should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the praise of God the Father.

¹⁵ so that you may prove to be blameless and spotless, faultless children of God in a crooked and perverted age, in which you shine as light-bearers in the world as you continue

²³ if indeed you continue well grounded and firm in faith and never shift from the hope inspired by the good news you heard, which has been preached all over the world, and of which I, Paul, have been made a minister.

¹² for you were buried with Him in baptism and raised to life with Him through your faith in the power of God who raised Him from the dead.

¹¹ In this new relation there is no Greek and Jew, no circumcised and uncircumcised, no barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is everything and in us all.

²² Slaves, practice obedience to your earthly masters in everything, not as though they were watching you and as though you were merely pleasing men, but with sincerity of heart, because you fear the Lord.

² You must persevere in prayer and by this means stay wide awake when you give thanks.

⁶ And you followed the example set by us and by the Lord, because you welcomed our message with a joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, in spite of the painful persecutions it brought you,

¹⁰ and to wait for the coming from heaven of His Son, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

¹¹ for you know how, as a father deals with his children, we used to encourage you, cheer you on, and charge each of you

² for you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night.

⁵ for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. ⁶ So let us stop sleeping as others do, but let us stay awake and keep sober. ⁷ For those who sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunken at night, ⁸ but let us who belong to the day keep sober, clothed with faith and love for a coat of mail and with the hope of salvation for a helmet.

⁷ and to give rest to you who are being crushed with sorrows, along with us, at the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, with His mighty angels ⁸ in a flame of fire, who will take vengeance on those who do not know God, that is, those who will not listen to the good news of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These will receive the punishment of eternal destruction as exiles from the presence of the Lord and His glorious might, ¹⁰ when on that day He comes to be glorified in His consecrated ones and to be admired by all who believe in Him because our testimony has been confidently accepted among you. ¹¹ With this in view we are always praying for you too, that our God may make you worthy of His call, and by His power fully satisfy your every desire for goodness, and complete every activity of your faith,

¹³ We ought always to be thanking God for you, brothers dearly loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through the Spirit's consecration of you and through your faith in the truth, ¹⁴ and to this end He called you by our preaching of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ Make it your habit to pay close attention to yourself and your teaching. Persevere in these things, for if you do you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

¹⁸ charge them to continue doing good and being rich in good deeds, open-handed and generous hearted, ¹⁹ in this way amassing for themselves the riches that forever endure in the life to come, so that at last they may grasp the life that is life indeed.

⁹ For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with anything that we had done, but in accordance with His own purpose and unmerited favor which was shown us through union with Christ Jesus eternal ages ago,

¹⁵ You know that everyone here who belongs to the Roman province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁷ Yes, when he got to Rome he took pains to look me up and finally found me.

⁸ Continue to remember Jesus Christ as risen from the dead, and descended from David, in accordance with the good news that I preach,

¹⁴ But you, on your part, must continue to abide by what you have learned and been led to rely upon, because you know from whom you learned it

⁵ I left you in Crete for this express purpose, to set in order the things that are lacking, and to appoint elders in each town, as I directed you --

¹² One of them, a prophet of their own countrymen, has said, "Cretans are always liars, wicked brutes, lazy bellies."

⁴ But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Saviour were brought to light,

⁴ But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Saviour were brought to light, ⁵ He saved us, not for upright deeds that we had done, but in accordance with His mercy, through the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

⁵ He saved us, not for upright deeds that we had done, but in accordance with His mercy, through the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

⁵ He saved us, not for upright deeds that we had done, but in accordance with His mercy, through the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ which He abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour,

⁶ which He abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour,

² but in these latter days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He had appointed lawful owner of everything, and through whom He had made the worlds.

² but in these latter days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He had appointed lawful owner of everything, and through whom He had made the worlds. ³ He is the reflection of God's glory and the perfect representation of His being, and continues to uphold the universe by His mighty word. After He had procured man's purification from sins, He took His seat at the right hand of God's majesty, ⁴ thus proving Himself to be as much superior to angels as the title He has inherited is superior to theirs.

¹³ But to what angel did He ever say: "Just keep your seat at my right hand, until I make your foes a footstool for your feet"?

⁴ while God continued to confirm their testimony with signs, marvels, and various sorts of wonder-works, and with gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed in accordance with His will.

¹⁴ Since then the children mentioned share our mortal nature, He too took on Himself a full share of the same, in order that He by His death might put a stop to the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

¹ Therefore, my Christian brothers, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Messenger and High Priest whom we profess to follow,

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "If you but hear His voice today,

¹² See to it, my brothers, that no wicked, unbelieving heart is found in any of you, as shown by your turning away from the ever-living God, ¹³ but day by day, as long as "Today" shall last, continue to encourage one another, so that not one of you may be hardened by sin's deceiving ways,

⁷ He again fixes a definite day, saying long afterward through David, as has been quoted: "If you but hear His voice, you must not harden your hearts."

¹² For God's message is alive and full of power in action, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the depths of soul and spirit, to the dividing of joints and marrow, and passing judgment on the thoughts and purposes of the heart. ¹³ No creature of His can escape God's sight, but everything is bare and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we have to give account.

¹⁶ So let us continue coming with courage to the throne of God's unmerited favor to obtain His mercy and to find His spiritual strength to help us when we need it.

¹⁷ Therefore, because God wanted to make the strongest demonstration of the unchangeable character of His purpose, He interposed with an oath,

¹ For this man Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was coming back from the defeat of the kings, and put his blessing on him, ² to whom Abraham contributed a tenth of all his spoils, who first of all, in accordance with the meaning of his name, is king of righteousness, and then king of Salem, which means king of peace;

⁴ Now see how great this man must have been that even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of his spoils.

²¹ for the Levitical priests were appointed without His taking an oath, but He with His oath, when He said to Him: "The Lord took oath and will not change, You are a priest forever" --

¹⁵ And this is why He is the Mediator of a new covenant, in order that, after He had suffered death for securing redemption from the offenses committed under the first covenant, those who had been invited to share it might obtain the eternal inheritance promised them.

¹² But this One offered up once for all and for all time one sacrifice for sins, and once for all took His seat at God's right hand,

²⁵ Let us stop neglecting our meeting together, as some do, but let us continue to encourage one another, and all the more because you see that the great day is drawing near.

³⁹ But we are not of a disposition to draw back so as to perish, but we have faith that leads to the saving of the soul.

² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the perfect leader and example of faith, who, instead of the joy which lay before Him, endured the cross with no regard for its shame, and since has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

²⁰ May God, who gives us peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, who through the blood by which He ratified the everlasting covenant, is now the Great Shepherd of the sheep,

⁵ Listen, my dearly loved brothers. Has not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

¹⁴ My brothers, what good is there in a man's saying that he has faith, if he has no good deeds to prove it? Such faith cannot save him, can it? ¹⁵ If some brother or sister is thinly clad and has no food for the day, ¹⁶ and one of you says to him, "Blessings on you, keep warm, eat until you have aplenty," without giving him the things that are needed for the body, what good does it do?

⁶ And the tongue is a fire, and takes its place among the parts of our bodies as a world of evil; it soils the whole body and sets on fire the circle of man's nature, and itself is set on fire by hell.

⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Get your hands clean, you sinners. Get your hearts purified, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable, mourn ... and weep aloud. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you high.

¹ Come now, you rich people, weep aloud and howl over the miseries that are sure to overtake you. ² Your wealth has rotted, your clothes are moth-eaten, ³ your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will testify against you and devour your flesh like fire. You have stored up these things for the last days.

³ your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will testify against you and devour your flesh like fire. You have stored up these things for the last days. ⁴ See, the wages that you have kept back from the laborers who reaped your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. ⁵ Here on earth you have lived in luxury and self-indulgence; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the foreign-born Jews who are scattered over Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² the people chosen in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: spiritual blessing and peace to you in increasing abundance.

¹¹ earnestly trying to find out the time, and the nature of the times, which the Spirit of the Christ within them pointed to, in foretelling the sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow them. ¹² It was made known to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in their searching for these things that have already been told to you by those who through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven brought you the good news. The angels long to take a peep into these things.

¹² It was made known to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in their searching for these things that have already been told to you by those who through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven brought you the good news. The angels long to take a peep into these things.

²⁰ who was foreordained for it before the foundation of the world but was brought out to public view at the end of the ages, for the sake of you ²¹ who through Him trust in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory; so that your faith and hope may rest in God.

⁸ and: "A stone for them to stumble over and a rock to trip them up." They keep on stumbling over the message, because they are disobedient to it, and this is their appointed doom.

²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this figure, now saves you, too -- I do not mean the mere removal of physical stains, but the craving for a clear conscience toward God -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone to heaven and is now at God's right hand, with angels, heavenly authorities and powers made subject to Him.

¹⁰ And God, the giver of every spiritual blessing, who through your union with Christ has called you to His eternal glory, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself make you perfect, firm, and strong,

¹² By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I regard him, I have written you this short letter, to encourage you and to testify that this is the true, unmerited favor of God. Stand firm in it.

³ because His divine power has given us everything that is needful for life and piety, through our full knowledge of Him who through His glory and excellence has called us to Him.

¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more in earnest to make certain to yourselves God's call and choice of you. For if you cultivate these qualities, you will never slip,

²¹ for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

¹ This is the second letter, dearly beloved, that I have already written to you, in both of which I am trying by reminders to stir up your unsullied minds ² to remember the things foretold by the holy prophets, and the command of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles. ³ First of all, you must understand this, that in the last days mockers will come with their mockeries, living in accordance with their evil passions,

⁷ But by the same command the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire and are kept for the day when godless men are to be doomed and destroyed.

¹⁰ The day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, the heavenly bodies will be destroyed by being burned up, and the earth with all its works will melt away.

¹⁷ So, dearly beloved, since you have been forewarned, you must always be on your guard against being led astray by the errors of lawless men, and so against falling away from your present firmness; ¹⁸ but instead, you must continue to grow in the spiritual strength and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory now and forever!

³ I repeat, it is what we have seen and heard that we now announce to you, so that you too may share this fellowship with us, for this fellowship that we have is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ;

⁷ But if we continue to live in the light, just as He is in the light, we have unbroken fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son continues to cleanse us from every sin.

¹⁹ They have gone out from our own number, but they did not really belong to us; for if they had, they would have stayed with us. It was to show that none of those who went out really belonged to us. ²⁰ But you have been anointed by the Holy One. You all know the truth;

¹⁶ We know what love is from the fact that He laid down His life for us; and so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world's means of supporting life and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how can love to God remain in him?

¹⁷ But if anyone has the world's means of supporting life and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how can love to God remain in him? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us stop loving with words or lips alone, but let us love with actions and in truth.

⁴ For certain persons have sneaked in -- their doom was written down long ago -- godless persons, who turn the favor of our God into an excuse for licentiousness, and disown our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

²⁰ But you, dearly beloved, must continue to build yourselves up on the groundwork of your most holy faith and to pray in the Holy Spirit;

⁴ John to the seven churches in Asia: spiritual blessing and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before His throne,

¹¹ "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

¹⁸ yea, the ever-living One. I once was dead, but now I live forever and ever. I carry the keys of death and the underworld.

⁷ "To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The Holy and True One, who carries the keys of David, who opens and no one can shut, who shuts and no one can open, speaks as follows:

¹⁷ Because you say, 'I am rich, I have already become rich, I need nothing,' and you do not know that you are the very one that is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked; ¹⁸ I advise you to buy of me gold that has been refined in the fire, so that you may become rich, and white clothes to put on, to hide your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, to make you see. ¹⁹ The people whom I dearly love, I always reprove and discipline. So keep on being earnest and once for all repent.

¹² When He broke the sixth seal, I looked, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun turned black as sackcloth, and the full moon became like blood,

³ And I will permit my two witnesses, clothed in sackcloth, to prophesy for one thousand, two hundred and sixty days."

⁸ and their lifeless bodies will lie on the streets of the great city that is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord also was crucified.

⁸ All the inhabitants of the earth whose names, from the foundation of the world, have not been written in the slaughtered Lamb's book of life, will worship him.

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, with eternal good news to tell to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

⁸ Then the fourth angel emptied his bowl upon the sun, and permission was given it to scorch mankind with its fiery heat,

¹⁴ They will make war upon the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, and His chosen, elect, and faithful followers will conquer with Him, too, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings."

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins and suffer from her plagues. ⁵ For her sins are piled clear up to heaven, and God has remembered the wrongs which she has done.

⁹ Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are they who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' These," he said to me, "are the true words of God."

¹⁶ On His garment and on His thigh He has this title written: King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹⁹ Then I saw the wild beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gather to go to war with the Rider of the horse and His army.

⁸ He will go forth to lead astray the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and to muster them for battle, and their number will be like the sands of the seashore. ⁹ They came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, and the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. ¹⁰ Then the devil who led them astray was hurled into the fiery lake of burning brimstone, where the wild beast and false prophet were, and there they are to be tortured day and night forever and ever. ¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it, from whose presence earth and sky fled away, no more to be found. ¹² I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened; it was the book of life, And the dead were judged by what was written in the books in accordance with what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the underworld gave up the dead that were in them, and they were all judged in accordance with what they had done.

¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the underworld gave up the dead that were in them, and they were all judged in accordance with what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and the underworld were hurled into the fiery lake, This is the second death -- the fiery lake. ¹⁵ If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was hurled into the fiery lake.