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And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

being distressed on account of their teaching the people and preaching by Jesus the resurrection from among [the] dead;

and they laid hands on them, and put them in ward till the morrow; for it was already evening.

But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men had become [about] five thousand.

And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together at Jerusalem,

and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of [the] high priestly family;

and having placed them in the midst they inquired, In what power or in what name have *ye* done this?

Then Peter, filled with [the] Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders [of Israel],

if *we* this day are called upon to answer as to the good deed [done] to the infirm man, how *he* has been healed,

10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazaraean, whom *ye* have crucified, whom God has raised from among [the] dead, by *him* this [man] stands here before you sound [in body].

11 *He* is the stone which has been set at nought by you the builders, which is become the corner stone.

12 And salvation is in none other, for neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved.

13 But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlettered and uninstructed men, they wondered; and they recognised them that they were with Jesus.

14 And beholding the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to reply;

15 but having commanded them to go out of the council they conferred with one another,

16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed an evident sign has come to pass through their means is manifest to all that inhabit Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

17 But that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely no longer to speak to any man in this name.

18 And having called them, they charged [them] not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John answering said to them, If it be righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge ye;

20 for as for us *we* cannot refrain from speaking of the things which we have seen and heard.

21 But they, having further threatened them, let them go, finding no way how they might punish them, on account of the people, because all glorified God for what had taken place;

22 for the man on whom this sign of healing had taken place was above forty years old.

23 And having been let go, they came to their own [company], and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

24 And they, having heard [it], lifted up [their] voice with one accord to God, and said, Lord, *thou* art the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them;

25 who hast said by the mouth of thy servant David, Why have [the] nations raged haughtily and [the] peoples meditated vain things?

26 The kings of the earth were there, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.

27 For in truth against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hadst anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with [the] nations, and peoples of Israel, have been gathered together in this city

28 to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before should come to pass.

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and give to thy bondmen with all boldness to speak thy word,

30 in that thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place through the name of thy holy servant Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.

32 And the heart and soul of the multitude of those that had believed were one, and not one said that anything of what he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them;

33 and with great power did the apostles give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

34 For neither was there any one in want among them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, brought the price of what was sold

35 and laid it at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each according as any one might have need.

36 And Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which is, being interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, Cyprian by birth,

37 being possessed of land, having sold [it], brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.

Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

The priests and the captain of the temple guard(A) and the Sadducees(B) came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.(C) They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail(D) until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew(E) to about five thousand.

The next day the rulers,(F) the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas,(G) John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,(H) said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!(I) If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame(J) and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,(K) whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead,(L) that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
    which has become the cornerstone.’[a](M)

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”(N)

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John(O) and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men,(P) they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.(Q) 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin(R) and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?”(S) they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign,(T) and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.(U) 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him?(V) You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking(W) about what we have seen and heard.”(X)

21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people(Y) were praising God(Z) for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

The Believers Pray

23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.(AA) “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.(AB) 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:(AC)

“‘Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.[b][c](AD)

27 Indeed Herod(AE) and Pontius Pilate(AF) met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus,(AG) whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.(AH) 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.(AI) 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders(AJ) through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”(AK)

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.(AL) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit(AM) and spoke the word of God(AN) boldly.(AO)

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.(AP) 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify(AQ) to the resurrection(AR) of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace(AS) was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them,(AT) brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet,(AU) and it was distributed to anyone who had need.(AV)

36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas(AW) (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 4:11 Psalm 118:22
  2. Acts 4:26 That is, Messiah or Christ
  3. Acts 4:26 Psalm 2:1,2