Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira
1But there was a man named Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira sold some property that belonged to them. 2But with his wife's agreement he kept part of the money for himself and handed the rest over to the apostles. 3Peter said to him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property? 4Before you sold the property, it belonged to you; and after you sold it, the money was yours. Why, then, did you decide to do such a thing? You have not lied to human beings — you have lied to God!” 5As soon as Ananias heard this, he fell down dead; and all who heard about it were terrified. 6The young men came in, wrapped up his body, carried him out, and buried him.
7About three hours later his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8Peter asked her, “Tell me, was this the full amount you and your husband received for your property?”
“Yes,” she answered, “the full amount.”
9So Peter said to her, “Why did you and your husband decide to put the Lord's Spirit to the test? The men who buried your husband are now at the door, and they will carry you out too!” 10At once she fell down at his feet and died. The young men came in and saw that she was dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11The whole church and all the others who heard of this were terrified.
Miracles and Wonders
12Many miracles and wonders were being performed among the people by the apostles. All the believers met together in Solomon's Porch. 13Nobody outside the group dared to join them, even though the people spoke highly of them. 14But more and more people were added to the group — a crowd of men and women who believed in the Lord. 15As a result of what the apostles were doing, sick people were carried out into the streets and placed on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16And crowds of people came in from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were ill or who had evil spirits in them; and they were all healed.
The Apostles are Persecuted
17Then the High Priest and all his companions, members of the local party of the Sadducees, became extremely jealous of the apostles; so they decided to take action. 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19But that night an angel of the Lord opened the prison gates, led the apostles out, and said to them, 20“Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new life.” 21The apostles obeyed, and at dawn they entered the Temple and started teaching.
The High Priest and his companions called together all the Jewish elders for a full meeting of the Council; then they sent orders to the prison to have the apostles brought before them. 22But when the officials arrived, they did not find the apostles in prison, so they returned to the Council and reported, 23“When we arrived at the jail, we found it locked up tight and all the guards on watch at the gates; but when we opened the gates, we found no one inside!” 24When the chief priests and the officer in charge of the temple guards heard this, they wondered what had happened to the apostles. 25Then a man came in and said to them, “Listen! The men you put in prison are in the Temple teaching the people!” 26So the officer went off with his men and brought the apostles back. They did not use force, however, because they were afraid that the people might stone them.
27They brought the apostles in, made them stand before the Council, and the High Priest questioned them. 28#Mt 27.25“We gave you strict orders not to teach in the name of this man,” he said; “but see what you have done! You have spread your teaching all over Jerusalem, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God, not men. 30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from death, after you had killed him by nailing him to a cross. 31God raised him to his right-hand side as Leader and Saviour, to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven. 32We are witnesses to these things — we and the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to those who obey him.”
33When the members of the Council heard this, they were so furious that they wanted to have the apostles put to death. 34But one of them, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was a teacher of the Law and was highly respected by all the people, stood up in the Council. He ordered the apostles to be taken out for a while, 35and then he said to the Council, “Fellow-Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. 36You remember that Theudas appeared some time ago, claiming to be somebody great, and about 400 men joined him. But he was killed, all his followers were scattered, and his movement died out. 37After that, Judas the Galilean appeared during the time of the census; he drew a crowd after him, but he also was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38And so in this case, I tell you, do not take any action against these men. Leave them alone! If what they have planned and done is of human origin, it will disappear, 39but if it comes from God, you cannot possibly defeat them. You could find yourselves fighting against God!”
The Council followed Gamaliel's advice. 40They called the apostles in, had them whipped, and ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus; and then they set them free. 41As the apostles left the Council, they were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus. 42And every day in the Temple and in people's homes they continued to teach and preach the Good News about Jesus the Messiah.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Acts 5
5
1 But a certain man named Hananiah, with Shappirah his wife, sold a possession, 2and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, then brought a certain part and laid it at the emissaries’ feet. 3But Peter said, “Hananiah, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.”
5Hananiah, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things. 6The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him. 7About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.”
She said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 But Peter asked her, “How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
10 She fell down immediately at his feet and died. The young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. 11Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things.
12 By the hands of the emissaries many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 13None of the rest dared to join them; however, the people honored them. 14More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. 15They even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might overshadow some of them. 16The multitude also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits; and they were all healed.
17 But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy 18and laid hands on the emissaries, then put them in public custody. 19But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out and said, 20“Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”
21 When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and taught. But the high priest and those who were with him came and called the council together, with all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22But the officers who came didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23“We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this. 25One came and told them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.” 26Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.
27 When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
29 But Peter and the emissaries answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised up Yeshua, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. 32We are his witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and were determined to kill them. 34But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Torah, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the emissaries out for a little while. 35He said to them, “You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do. 36For before these days Todah rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves. He was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed and came to nothing. 37After this man, Judah of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. 38Now I tell you, withdraw from these men and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown. 39But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!”
40 They agreed with him. Summoning the emissaries, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Yeshua, and let them go. 41They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Yeshua’s name.
42 Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming Yeshua, the Messiah.
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PUBLIC DOMAIN