Acts 3-4

English Standard Version

The Lame Beggar Healed

3 Now Peter and John were ^(A)going up to the temple at ^(B)the hour of prayer, ^(C)the ninth hour.^{[a] 2} And a man ^(D)lame from birth was being carried, ^(E)whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate ^(F)to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, ^(G)“I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. ^(H)In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And ^(I)leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And ^(J)all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks in Solomon's Portico

^11 (K)While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in ^(L)the portico called Solomon's. ¹² And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? ^13 (M)The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, ^(N)the God of our fathers, ^(O)glorified his servant^[b] Jesus, whom ^(P)you delivered over and ^(Q)denied in the presence of Pilate, ^(R)when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied ^(S)the Holy and ^(T)Righteous One, and ^(U)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and you killed ^(V)the Author of life, ^(W)whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And ^(X)his name—by ^(Y)faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is ^(Z)through Jesus^[c] has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers, I know that ^(AA)you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But what God ^(AB)foretold ^(AC)by the mouth of all the prophets, that ^(AD)his Christ would ^(AE)suffer, he thus fulfilled. ^19 (AF)Repent therefore, and ^(AG)turn back, that ^(AH)your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰ that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ ^(AI)appointed for you, Jesus, ^21 (AJ)whom heaven must receive until the time for ^(AK)restoring all the things about which ^(AL)God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. ²² Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you ^(AM)a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen ^(AN)to him in whatever he tells you. ²³ And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet ^(AO)shall be destroyed from the people.’ ²⁴ And ^(AP)all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. ^25 (AQ)You are the sons of the prophets and of ^(AR)the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ^(AS)‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ ^26 (AT)God, ^(AU)having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, ^(AV)to bless you ^(AW)by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Peter and John Before the Council

4 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and ^(AX)the captain of the temple and ^(AY)the Sadducees came upon them, ² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming ^(AZ)in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they arrested them and ^(BA)put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who had heard the word believed, and ^(BB)the number of the men came to about five thousand.

⁵ On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, ⁶ with ^(BC)Annas the high priest and ^(BD)Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ^(BE)“By what power or ^(BF)by what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, ^(BG)filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today ^(BH)concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that ^(BI)by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, ^(BJ)whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. ^11 (BK)This Jesus^[d] is the stone that was ^(BL)rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.^{[e] 12} And there is ^(BM)salvation ^(BN)in no one else, for ^(BO)there is no other ^(BP)name under heaven given among men^[f] by which we must be saved.”

^13 (BQ)Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed ^(BR)standing beside them, ^(BS)they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ saying, ^(BT)“What shall we do with these men? For that ^(BU)a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them ^(BV)to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, ^(BW)“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰ for ^(BX)we cannot but speak of what ^(BY)we have seen and heard.” ²¹ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, ^(BZ)because of the people, for all were praising God ^(CA)for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

²³ When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ^(CB)together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, ^(CC)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, ²⁵ who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,^[g] said by the Holy Spirit,

²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your ^(CG)holy servant Jesus, ^(CH)whom you anointed, both ^(CI)Herod and ^(CJ)Pontius Pilate, along ^(CK)with the Gentiles and ^(CL)the peoples of Israel, ^28 (CM)to do whatever your hand and ^(CN)your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, ^(CO)look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all ^(CP)boldness, ³⁰ while ^(CQ)you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed ^(CR)through the name of your ^(CS)holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, ^(CT)the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ^(CU)they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(CV)continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

They Had Everything in Common

³² Now the full number of those who believed were of ^(CW)one heart and ^(CX)soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but ^(CY)they had everything in common. ³³ And with great ^(CZ)power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and ^(DA)great grace was upon them all. ^34 (DB)There was not a needy person among them, for ^(DC)as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵ and ^(DD)laid it at the apostles' feet, and ^(DE)it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶ Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means ^(DF)son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, ³⁷ sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and ^(DG)laid it at the apostles' feet.