with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and 18 they were filled with jealousy, and laid hands on 19 the apostles, and put them in public ward. But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison 20 doors, and brought them out, and said, Go ye, and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the 21 words of this Life. And when they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison22 house to have them brought. But the officers that came found them not in the prison; and they re23 turned, and told, saying, The prison-house we found shut in all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were much perplexed 25 concerning them whereunto this would grow. And there came one and told them, Behold, the men whom ye put in the prison are in the temple standing and 26 teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them, but without violence; for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, We straitly charged you not to teach in this name: and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon 29 us. But Peter and the apostles answered and said, 30 We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew, hanging 31 him on a tree. Him did God exalt 1with his right 2 Some hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give re- ancient 32 pentance to Israel, and remission of sins. And we are add in him. witnesses2 of these things; and so is the Holy Ghost, 3 Gr. sayings. whom God hath given to them that obey him. 33 1 Or, at authorities 4 Some read and God hath given But they, when they heard this, were cut to the authorities 34 heart, and were minded to slay them. But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in honour of all the people, and that obey him. the Holy Ghost to them 1 Gr. Hellenists. 2 Gr. pleasing. 3 Or, minister to tables 4 Some ancient authorities read But, brethren, look ye out from among you. commanded to put the men forth a little while. And 35 Now in these days, when the number of the disciples 6 was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the 1Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples 2 unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve tables. Look ye 3 out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will continue 4 stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they 5 chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: whom they set before the apostles: and when 6 they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 8 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought 9 great wonders and signs among the people. But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of 10 Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit 11 by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words 12 against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the 13 council, and set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, 14 and the law: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change 15 the customs which Moses delivered unto us. And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. 7 And the high priest said, Are these things so ? 2 And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in 3 Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, 4 and come into the land which I shall shew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldæans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into this land, wherein ye now 5 dwell and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his 6 seed after him, when as yet he had no child. And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil, four hundred years. And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will : I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. And he gave him 8 the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. And the 9 patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him, and delivered 10 him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now 11 there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, 12 he sent forth our fathers the first time. And at the 13 second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's race became manifest unto Pharaoh. And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, 14 and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. And 15 Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself, and our fathers; and they were carried over unto 16 Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought 1 Gr. Emmor. for a price in silver of the sons of Hamor in Shechem. But as the time of the promise drew nigh, 17 which God vouchsafed unto Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, till there arose another king 18 over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. The same dealt 19 subtilly with our race, and evil entreated our fathers, that they should cast out their babes to the end they 3 Gr. be pre- might not live. At which season Moses was born, 20 and was exceeding fair; and he was nourished three months in his father's house: and when he was cast 21 out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was instructed in 22 all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works. But when he was well-nigh 23 forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of 24 them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian: and he 25 supposed that his brethren understood how that God by his hand was giving them deliverance; but they 2 Or, he served alive. 4 Or, fair unto God 5 Or, salvation 2 4 3 5 26 understood not. And the day following he appeared unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye 27 wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler 28 and a judge over us? Wouldest thou kill me, as thou 29 killedst the Egyptian yesterday? And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of 30 Midian, where he begat two sons. And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: redeemer. and as he drew near to behold, there came a voice of 32 the Lord, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. And Moses 33 trembled, and durst not behold. And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the 34 place whereon thou standest is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them: and now come, I will send 35 thee into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? him hath God sent to be both a ruler and a 1 deliverer with the 1 Gr. hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilder37 ness forty years. This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, 2 like unto me. 2 Or, as he 38 This is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to 39 give unto us: to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back 40 in their hearts unto Egypt, saying unto Aaron, Make us gods which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, which led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we wot not 41 what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced 42 in the works of their hands. But God turned, and 3 raised up me 3 Or, congre gation |