God's New Bible

The Acts of the Apostles

Literal Standard Version 2020

- Chapter 4 -

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And as they are speaking to the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees
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being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the resurrection out of the dead
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and they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was evening already;
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and many of those hearing the word believed, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.
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And it came to pass the next day, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem,
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and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the chief priest,
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and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, “In what power, or in what name did you do this?”
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Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
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if we are examined today concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he has been saved,
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be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised out of the dead, in Him has this one stood by before you whole.
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This is the stone that was set at nothing by youthe builders, that became head of a corner;
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and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men, in which it is required of us to be saved.”

The Name Forbidden

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And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are illiterate men and commoners, they were wonderingthey were also taking knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus
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and seeing the man standing with them who has been healed, they had nothing to say against [it],
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and having commanded them to go away out of the Sanhedrin, they took counsel with one another,
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saying, “What will we do to these men? Because that, indeed, a notable sign has been done through them [is] apparent to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny [it];
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but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them to no longer speak in this Name to any man.”
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And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the Name of Jesus,
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and Peter and John answering to them said, “Whether it is righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge;
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for we cannot but speak what we saw and heard.”
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And they having further threatened [them], let them go, finding no way how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which has been done,
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for above forty years of age was the man on whom had been done this sign of the healing.

The Believers’ Prayer

(Psalm 2:1–12)
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And being let go, they went to their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said to them,
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and they having heard, lifted up the voice to God with one accord and said, “LORD, You [are] God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that [are] in them,
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who, through the mouth of Your servant David, said, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things?
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The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ;
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for gathered together of a truth against Your holy child Jesus, whom You anointed, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel,
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to do whatever Your hand and Your counsel determined before to come to pass.
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And now, LORD, look on their threatenings, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all freedom,
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in the stretching forth of Your hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the Name of Your holy child Jesus.”
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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,

Sharing among Believers

(Acts 2:42–47)
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and of the multitude of those who believed, the heart and the soul were one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were in common to them.
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And with great power the apostles were giving the testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, great grace was also on them all,
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for there was not anyone among them who lacked, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling [them], were bringing the prices of the thing sold,
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and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as anyone had need.
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And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas—which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comforta Levite, of Cyprus by birth,
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a field being his, having sold [it], brought the money and laid [it] at the feet of the apostles.