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Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
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The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land.
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He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.
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And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.
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All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
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Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.
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After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’
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From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.
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Before the arrival of Jesus, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
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As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But there is One coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
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Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
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The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
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And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.
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When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
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But God raised Him from the dead,
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and for many days He was seen by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to our people.
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And now we proclaim to you the good news: What God promised our fathers
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He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’
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In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
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So also, He says in another Psalm: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’
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For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.
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But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
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Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
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Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
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Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:
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‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’ ”