5Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, men of piety, from every nation under heaven. 6And when this report spread, the multitude collected around them, and were overwhelmed with astonishment, because they heard them speaking every one in his own peculiar dialect. 7And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying one to another, Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how do we hear every man in our own peculiar dialect, in which from our birth we were brought up? 9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and they who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, 10and Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia adjoining Cyrene, and the sojourners, who are Romans, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own several tongues the marvellous things of God. 12And they were all amazed, and much perplexed, and knew not what to think, saying one to another, What can this mean? 13But others scoffing said, These men are brimful of sweet wine. 14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them; Men of Judea, and all ye who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words: 15for these men are not, as ye suppose, drunk, for it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18and upon my servants and my handmaidens in those days will I pour out of my spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19and I will perform prodigies in the heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and illustrious day of the Lord come. 21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Lord shall be saved[25].” 22Men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus the Nazarean, a man from God, pointed out to you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as yourselves also know: 23him, by the destined counsel and foreknowledge of God delivered up, ye have seized, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: forasmuch as it was not possible that he should be held thereby. 25For David speaketh concerning him, “I have seen the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I might not be shaken: 26therefore is my heart full of joy, and my tongue hath exulted; and still shall my flesh also repose in hope, 27that thou wilt not leave my soul in the mansion of the dead, nor permit that Holy One of thine to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt fill me with delight by thy countenance[26].”
29Men and brethren, permit me to speak with freedom to you concerning the patriarch David, that he hath been both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Messiah to sit upon his throne; 31he, foreseeing this, spake of the resurrection of the Messiah, that his soul should not be left in the mansion of the dead, and that his flesh should not see corruption. 32This very Jesus hath God raised up, of which we all are witnesses. 33He therefore being exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, hath poured out this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: for he saith himself, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit on my right hand, 35until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy feet[27].” 36Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him Lord and Messiah, even that very Jesus whom ye crucified.
37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you into the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off; even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40And with many other words he testified and exhorted, saying, Be saved from this untoward generation.
41They therefore who gladly received his discourse were baptised: and there were added to them that day about three thousand souls. 42And they persevered stedfastly in the doctrine of the apostles, and in communion, and in breaking bread, and in prayers. 43And on every soul there was an awe: and many miracles and signs were done by the apostles. 44Now all who believed were together, and had all things common; 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as every one had need. 46And daily continuing with one mind at the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with great joy and simplicity of heart, 47praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added the saved ones daily to the church.
[CHAP. III.]
NOW at that time Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth; 2when a certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, to ask alms of those who were entering into the temple; 3who seeing Peter and John just going into the temple, asked to receive alms.
4Then Peter fixing his eves stedfastly on him with John, said, Look on us. 5So he attentively regarded them, expecting to receive something from them. 6Then said Peter, I have neither silver nor gold; but what I have, that I give thee: By the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean, arise, and walk! 7And taking him by the right hand, he raised him up: and immediately his feet and ancles were restored to strength. 8And springing up he stood on his feet, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9And all the people beheld him walking and praising God: 10and they took notice of him, that it was the same person who had sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with astonishment and amazed at what had happened to him. 11But as the lame man that was cured held fast Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them into the portico called Solomon’s, in vast amazement.
12Then Peter observing it, addressed himself to the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why gaze ye upon us, as if by our own power or piety we had enabled this man to walk?
13The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. 14But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and besought that a man, a murderer, might as a favour be given unto you; 15but ye slew the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead: of which we are witnesses. 16And through faith in his name hath his name restored this man to strength, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the sight of you all. 17And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance ye did this deed, as did also your rulers. 18But the things which God before announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Messiah should suffer, he hath thus fulfilled. 19Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when refreshing seasons shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20and he will send Jesus Christ, who was before preached unto you: 21whom the heaven indeed must receive, until the times of restoration of all things, which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets from the beginning of the world. 22For Moses truly said unto the fathers, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like myself; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall speak to you. 23But it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly exterminated from amidst the people[28].” 24And all the prophets indeed from Samuel, and those who succeeded him, as many as have spoken, have also foretold those days. 25Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed[29].” 26Unto you in the first instance, hath God, after raising up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, to the end that every one of you should turn away from your iniquities.