Acts 5:1-21

Ananias and Sapphira

1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

2 and with his wife’s knowledge ¹he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and ²laid it at the apostles’ feet.

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has ³Satan filled your heart to lie ⁴to the Holy Spirit and ⁵to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but ⁶to God. ”

5 When Ananias heard these words, he ⁷fell down and breathed his last. And ⁸great fear came upon all who heard of it.

6 The young men rose and ⁹wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you^[a] sold the land for so much. ” And she said, “Yes, for so much. ”

9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together ¹⁰to test ¹¹the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. ”

10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

11 And ¹²great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

Many Signs and Wonders Done

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people ¹³by the hands of the apostles. And they were all ¹⁴together in ¹⁵Solomon’s Portico.

13 None of the rest dared join them, but ¹⁶the people held them in high esteem.

14 And ¹⁷more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

15 ¹⁸so that they even ¹⁹carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by ²⁰at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, ²¹bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of ²²the Sadducees), and filled with ²³jealousy

18 they arrested the apostles and ²⁴put them in the public prison.

19 But during the night ²⁵an angel of the Lord ²⁶opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,

20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all ²⁷the words of ²⁸this ²⁹Life. ”

21 And when they heard this, ³⁰they entered the temple ³¹at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.