1 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and 1the captain of the temple guard and 2the Sadducees3came up to them,
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being greatlydisturbedbecause they were teaching the people and proclaiming4in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
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And they laidhands on them and 5put them in jailuntil the nextday, for it was alreadyevening.
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But many of those who had heard the messagebelieved; and 6the number of the mencame to be aboutfivethousand.
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On the nextday, their 7rulers and elders and scribes were gatheredtogether in Jerusalem;
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and 8Annas the highpriest was there, and 9Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and allwho were of high-priestlydescent.
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When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, "By whatpower, or in whatname, have you donethis?"
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ThenPeter, 10filled with the HolySpirit, said to them, "11Rulers and elders of the people,
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if we are on trialtoday for 12a benefitdone to a sickman, as to howthisman has been madewell,
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let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that 13by the name of JesusChrist the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom14Godraised from the dead -by this name thismanstandsherebefore you in goodhealth.
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"15He is the 16STONE WHICH WAS 17REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEFCORNER stone.
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"And there is salvation in 18no*oneelse; for there is noothernameunderheaven that has been givenamongmen by which we must be saved."
Threat and Release
13Now as they observed the 19confidence of 20Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrainedmen, they were amazed, and 21began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
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And seeing the man who had been healedstanding with them, they hadnothing to say in reply.
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But when they had ordered them to leave the 22Council, they began to confer with oneanother,
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saying, "23What shall we do with thesemen? For the fact that a 24noteworthymiracle has takenplacethrough them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot*deny it.
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"But so that it will not spreadanyfurther*among the people, let us warn them to speaknolonger to anyman25in thisname."
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And when they had summoned them, they 26commanded them not to speakorteach at all in the name of Jesus.
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But 27Peter and Johnanswered and said to them, "28Whether it is right in the sight of God to giveheed to you ratherthan to God, you be the judge;
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for 29we cannot*stopspeaking about what we have seen and heard."
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When they had threatened them further, they let them go (findingnobasis on which to punish them) 30on account of the people, because they were all31glorifyingGod for what had happened;
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for the man was more than fortyyears old on whomthismiracle of healing had been performed.
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When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reportedall that the chiefpriests and the elders had said to them.
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And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with oneaccord and said, "O Lord, it is You who 32MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM
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who 33by the HolySpirit, through the mouth of our fatherDavid Your servant, said, '34WHY* DID THE GENTILESRAGE, AND THE PEOPLESDEVISEFUTILETHINGS?
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'35THE KINGS OF THE EARTHTOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHEREDTOGETHER**AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS 36CHRIST.'
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For truly* in thiscity there were gatheredtogetheragainst Your holy37servantJesus, whom You anointed, both38Herod and 39PontiusPilate, along with 40the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
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to dowhatever Your hand and 41Your purposepredestined to occur.
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"And now, Lord, takenote of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may 42speak Your word with all43confidence,
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while You extend Your hand to heal, and 44signs and wonderstakeplacethrough the name of Your holy45servantJesus."
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And when they had prayed, the 46placewhere* they had gatheredtogether was shaken, and they were all47filled with the HolySpirit and began to 48speak the word of God with 49boldness.
Sharing among Believers
32 And the congregation of those who believed were of oneheart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anythingbelonging to him was his own, but 50allthings were commonproperty to them.
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And 51with greatpower the apostles were giving52testimony to the resurrection of the LordJesus, and abundantgrace was upon them all.
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For there was not a needypersonamong them, for allwho were owners of landorhouses53would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales
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and 54lay them at the apostles'feet, and they would be 55distributed to each as anyhadneed.
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Now Joseph, a Levite of 56Cyprianbirth, who was also called57Barnabas by the apostles (whichtranslatedmeansSon of 58Encouragement ),
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and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and 59laid it at the apostles'feet.