1 T he religious leaders and the leader of the house of God and some of the religious group who believe no one will be raised from the dead came to Peter and John while they were talking to the people.

And as they are speaking unto the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees --

2 T hey were angry because Peter and John had been teaching the people and preaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the rising again out of the dead --

3 S o they took them and put them in prison until the next day because it was evening.

and they laid hands upon them, and did put them in custody unto the morrow, for it was evening already;

4 B ut many of those who heard what Peter and John said put their trust in Christ. The group of followers was now about 5, 000 men. Peter Speaks to the Religious Leaders’ Court

and many of those hearing the word did believe, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.

5 T he next day the leaders of the court and the leaders of the people and the teachers of the Law came together in Jerusalem.

And it came to pass upon the morrow, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem,

6 A nnas the head religious leader was there. Caiaphas and John and Alexander were there also and all who were in the family of the head religious leader.

and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the chief priest,

7 T hey put the missionaries in front of them and asked, “By what power or in whose name have you done this?”

and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, `In what power, or in what name did ye do this?'

8 T hen Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said, “You who are leaders of the people,

Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them: `Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

9 a re you asking us today about the good work we did to a man who needed help? Are you asking how he was healed?

if we to-day are examined concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he hath been saved,

10 Y ou and all the Jews must know that it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you nailed to a cross and God raised from the dead. It is through Him that this man stands in front of you well and strong.

be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye did crucify, whom God did raise out of the dead, in him hath this one stood by before you whole.

11 C hrist is the Stone that was put aside by you workmen. But He has become the most important Stone in the building.

`This is the stone that was set at nought by you -- the builders, that became head of a corner;

12 T here is no way to be saved from the punishment of sin through anyone else. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we can be saved.” Peter and John Are Free to Go but Are Told Not to Preach

and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.'

13 T hey were surprised and wondered how easy it was for Peter and John to speak. They could tell they were men who had not gone to school. But they knew they had been with Jesus.

And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering -- they were taking knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been --

14 T hey were not able to argue about what Peter and John had said because the man who had been healed was standing with them.

and seeing the man standing with them who hath been healed, they had nothing to say against,

15 T he religious leaders told Peter and John to leave the court so the leaders could talk together.

and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another,

16 T hey said, “What should we do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows a powerful work has been done by them. We cannot say that it did not happen.

saying, `What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem manifest, and we are not able to deny;

17 L et us tell them with strong words that they must not speak again to anyone in this name. This will keep the news from going out among the people.”

but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'

18 T hen they called them in and told them they must not speak or teach anymore in the name of Jesus.

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

19 P eter and John said, “If it is right to listen to you more than to God, you decide about that.

and Peter and John answering unto them said, `Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;

20 F or we must tell what we have seen and heard.”

for we cannot but speak what we did see and hear.'

21 A fter they had spoken more sharp words to them, they let them go. They could not beat them because the people were giving thanks to God for what had happened.

And they having further threatened, let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which hath been done,

22 T he man on whom this powerful work of healing had been done was more than forty years old. The Prayer of the Young Church

for above forty years of age was the man upon whom had been done this sign of the healing.

23 A s soon as the missionaries were free to go, they went back to their own group. They told them everything the religious leaders had said.

And being let go, they went unto their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said unto them,

24 W hen they heard it, they all prayed to God, saying, “Lord God, You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them.

and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, `Lord, thou God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that in them,

25 Y ou said through the Holy Spirit by the mouth of our father David, ‘Why are the nations so shaken up and the people planning foolish things?

who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things?

26 T he kings of the earth stood in a line ready to fight, and the leaders were all against the Lord and against His Christ.’

the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ;

27 Y ou know that Herod and Pilate and the Jews and the people who are not Jews gathered together here against Jesus. He was Your Holy Son and the One You had chosen

for gathered together of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel,

28 t o do everything You planned and said would happen.

to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel did determine before to come to pass.

29 A nd now, Lord, listen to their sharp words. Make it easy for your servants to preach Your Word with power.

`And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word,

30 M ay You heal and do powerful works and special things to see through the name of Jesus, Your Holy Son!” The Christians Are Filled with the Holy Spirit

in the stretching forth of Thy hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the name of Thy holy child Jesus.'

31 W hen they had finished praying, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. It was easy for them to speak the Word of God. The New Way of Life

And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom,

32 T he many followers acted and thought the same way. None of them said that any of their things were their own, but they shared all things.

and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common.

33 T he missionaries told with much power how Jesus was raised from the dead. God’s favor was on them all.

And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them all,

34 N o one was in need. All who owned houses or pieces of land sold them and brought the money from what was sold.

for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling, were bringing the prices of the thing sold,

35 T hey gave it to the missionaries. It was divided to each one as he had need.

and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need.

36 J oseph was among them. The missionaries called him Barnabas. His name means Son of Comfort. He was from the family group of Levi and from the country of Cyprus.

And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas -- which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort -- a Levite, of Cyprus by birth,

37 H e had some land which he sold and brought the money to the missionaries.

a field being his, having sold, brought the money and laid at the feet of the apostles.