Acts 4

¹And as they spoke to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple and the Sadducees came up to them,

²being greatly upset because they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from among the dead in connection with Jesus.

³And they grabbed them and put them in prison until the next day because it was already evening.

⁴But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about 5,000.

⁵And it came to pass on the next day that their rulers and elders and experts in the law were gathered together in Jerusalem,

⁶and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high priest’s family.

⁷And when they had placed them in their midst, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with the holy spirit, said to them, “rulers of the People, and elders,

⁹if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was made whole,

¹⁰let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth—whom you crucified, whom God raised from among the dead—in this name does this man stand here before you whole.

¹¹He is the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.

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

¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.

¹⁴And seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

¹⁵But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves,

¹⁶saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that a notable sign has been done by them is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny it.

¹⁷But in order that it does not spread any further among the People, let’s threaten them not to speak anymore to anyone in this name.”

¹⁸And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach, in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge,

²⁰for we are unable to stop speaking about the things that we saw and heard.”

²¹And when they had further threatened them, they released them, finding no way to punish them because of the people, because everyone glorified God for what had happened,

²²for the man on whom this miracle of healing had been done was more than 40 years old.

²³And when they were released, they came to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

²⁴And when they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Master, you who made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

²⁵who, by the mouth of our father David, your servant, said through holy spirit, Why do the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine worthless things?

²⁶The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.

²⁷For truly in this city, there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel,

²⁸to do whatever your hand and your counsel decided beforehand would happen.

²⁹And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,

³⁰while you stretch out your hand to heal and do signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹And when they had implored God, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the holy spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

³²And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one of them was saying that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

³³And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all.

³⁴For there was not a needy person among them, for everyone who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money from the things that were sold

³⁵and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each one, according to each person’s need.

³⁶And Joseph, who was surnamed Barnabas (which translated means, “Son of Encouragement”) by the apostles, a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

³⁷had a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.