Bible in 90 Days

⁸ And Stefanos, full of the Chen v’Chesed Hashem and ko’ach (power), was effecting otot and moftim gedolim among the people.

⁹ But some of the men from the shul called the Beit Knesset of the Meshuchrarim (the Freedmen) and the Cyrenians and the Alexandrians, and the ones from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stefanos,

¹⁰ And they were not able to contradict the chochmah and the Ruach Hakodesh with which he was speaking.

¹¹ Then they secretly induced anashim to say, "We have heard him commit Chillul Hashem in the words he spoke keneged (against) Moshe Rabbenu and Hashem." [MELACHIM ALEF 21:10]

¹² And they aroused the people and the Zekenim and the Sofrim and they came upon Stefanos and they seized him and they brought him to the Sanhedrin,

¹³ And edei sheker (false witnesses) swore falsely, saying, "This man is not ceasing to speak words keneged (against) Makom HaKadosh HaZeh and the Torah. [SHEMOT 23:1; TEHILLIM 27:12]

¹⁴ "For we have heard him saying that this Yehoshua from Natzeret will destroy this place [the Beis Hamikdash] and will change the chukim of the Torah which Moshe Rabbenu handed down to us."

¹⁵ And having stared intently at him, all the ones sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his ponem looking like the face of a malach.

7 And the Kohen Gadol said, "Are these things so?"

² And Stefanos said, "Achim and Avot, hear me! Elohei Hakavod appeared to Avraham Avinu while he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Charan [TEHILLIM 29:3; BERESHIS 11:31; 15:7]

³ “And Hashem said to Avram, ‘Depart from your country and from your people and come to the land which I shall show you.') [Gn 12:1; 48:4]

⁴ "Then having departed from the land of the Chaldeans, he settled in Charan. And from there, after the mavet of his Av, he was settled by Hashem here in this land in which we now are living. [BERESHIS 12:5]

⁵ "And Hashem did not give to him a nachalah (inheritance) in it nor AD MIDRACH KAF REGEL ("even enough to put your foot on" DEVARIM 2:5); and yet, even when he had no ben, the havtachah (promise) of Hashem to him was ES HAARETZ HAZOT E’TEN ("This land I will give") to him and to his zera (seed) after him. [DEVARIM 2:5; BERESHIS 12:7; 13:15; 17:8; 26:3; 48:4]

⁶ "And Hashem spoke thus, that GER YIHIYEH ZAR’ACHA ("your seed will be strangers (aliens)") in another’s [i.e., foreign] land and them they will enslave and they will mistreat them ARBA ME’OT SHANAH ("four hundred years"). [Gn 15:13f; Ex 1:8 11; 12:40]

⁷ "V’GAM ES HAGOY ASHER YA’AVODU DAN ANOCHI ("And whatever nation to which they shall be in bondage I myself will judge" said Hashem, VACHAREI KHEN YETZU ("And after that they will come out") and serve me in this place." [BERESHIS 15:13,14; SHEMOT 3:12]

⁸ "And he gave to him bris milah. And thus Avraham Avinu became the father of Yitzchak and he did his bris milah on the Yom HaShemini and Yitzchak became the father of Ya’akov and Ya’akov of the Sheneym Asar HaAvot. [BERESHIS 17:9-14; 21:2-4; 25:26; 29:31-35; 30:5-13, 17-24; 35:16-26]

⁹ "And the Avot had kinah toward Yosef and sold him into Mitzrayim (Egypt), and Hashem was with him. [Gn 37:4,11:28; 37:28; Ps 105:17; Gn 39:1,2,21,23; 45:4; Hag 2:4]

¹⁰ "And Hashem delivered Yosef from all his tzoros and gave to him Chen v’Chesed Hashem and chochmah before Pharaoh king of Mitzrayim (Egypt) and he appointed him his grand vizier to rule over Mitzrayim and over his whole bais. [Gn 41:37-45; Ps 105:20-22]

¹¹ "Now a famine came over all Mitzrayim (Egypt) and Canaan and tzarah gedolah (great tribulation) and Avoteinu were not finding okhel. [Gn 41:54; 42:2,5]

¹² "And when Ya’akov Avinu heard that there was grain in Mitzrayim (Egypt), he sent Avoteinu there pa’am harishonah (the first time). [BERESHIS 42:1,2]

¹³ "And on the second visit Yosef was recognized by his Achim, and Yosef’s mishpochah became known to Pharaoh. [Gn 45:1 4, 16]

¹⁴ "And having sent, Yosef summoned Ya’akov his Abba and all his mishpochah, SHIVIM (Seventy, BERESHIS 46:27) nefashot (souls). [Gn 45:9,10; 46:26,27; Ex 1:5; Dt 10:22]

¹⁵ "And Ya’akov Avinu went down to Mitzrayim (Egypt) and he died, as did Avoteinu. [Gn 46:5 7; 49:33; Ex 1:6]

¹⁶ "And they were brought back to Shechem and were placed in the kever (tomb) which Avraham bought for a sum of silver from the banim of Chamor in Shechem. [Gn 23:16-20; 33:18, 19; 50:13; Josh 24:32]

¹⁷ "Now as the time of the havtachah (promise) was drawing near, which Hashem promised to Avraham Avinu, the people grew and were multiplied in Mitzrayim [Ex 1:7; Ps 105:24]

¹⁸ "Until over Mitzrayim there appeared a MELECH CHADASH ASHER LO YADA ES YOSEF ("a new king who knew not Yosef"). [Ex 1:7,8]

¹⁹ "This king exploited by his shrewdness our nation and mistreated Avoteinu so as to make their ollelim (infants) exposed in order not to keep them alive. [Ex 1:10-22]

²⁰ "And at this time Moshe Rabbenu was born and he was well pleasing to Hashem; and he was nurtured for shloshah chodashim in the bais of his abba. [Ex 2:2]

²¹ "And after he had been exposed, the bat Pharaoh took Moshe Rabbeinu away, and brought him up as her own son.[Ex 2:3-10]

²² "And Moshe Rabbenu was instructed in all the chochmah of the Egyptians and in dvarim (words) and pe’ulot (deeds) he was given ko’ach. [1Kgs 4:30; Isa 19:11]

²³ "But when arba’im shanah of his days were completed, it entered into his lev (heart) to visit his Achim of the Bnei Yisroel. [Ex 2:11]

²⁴ "And having seen one of them being treated unjustly he retaliated and brought yashrus (justice) for the one being oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. [Ex 2:12]

²⁵ "Now he was assuming that his achim had binah that Hashem by the hand of Moshe was giving Yeshu’at Eloheinu to them, but they did not have binah (understanding).

²⁶ "And on the next day he came to them as they were fighting and Moshe was trying to reconcile them in shalom, saying, ‘Anashim, you are achim, why are you injuring one another?’ [Ex 2:13]

²⁷ "But the one injuring his re’a pushed Moshe aside, saying MI SAMECHA L’ISH SAR V’SHOFET ALENU ("Who made you ruler and judge over us?"—Ex 2:14)

²⁸ "HALEHARGENI ATAH OMER KA’ASHER HARAGTA yesterday ES HAMITZRI ("You do not mean to kill me in the same manner as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?")

²⁹ "And Moshe Rabbenu fled at this dvar and became a stranger in eretz Midyan, where he became the father of shnei banim. [Ex 2:11-15]

³⁰ "And at the fulfillment of arba’im shanah a MALACH appeared to him BELABAT EISH MITOCH HASENEH ("in flame of fire from within a burning thorn bush") in the desert of the mountain Sinai. [Ex 3:1-2]

³¹ "And Moshe Rabbenu having seen this, was mishpoyel (standing in awe) at the chazon and, as he was approaching it to look more closely, there came the kol (voice) of Hashem, [Ex 3:1-4]

³² "I am the G-d of your Avot, I am the G-d of Avraham and the G-d of Yitzchak and the G-d of Ya’akov". But Moshe Rabbenu was trembling with pachad and was not daring to look. [SHEMOT 3:6]

³³ "And Hashem said to him, SAL NE’ALECHA ME’AL RAGLECHA ("Take off your sandals from your feet") for the place on which you have stood is admat kodesh (holy ground)." [Ex 3:5; Josh 5:15]

³⁴ "I have seen the ONI AMMI ASHER B’MITZRAYIM ("misery of my people in Mitzrayim [Egypt]") and the groaning of them I heard and I came down to deliver them. And now come that I may send you to Mitzrayim (Egypt). [SHEMOT 3:5,7-10; 2:24]

³⁵ "This Moshe whom they denied, having said MI SAMECHA L’ISH SAR V’SHOFET? ("Who made you a ruler and a judge?") is the one whom G-d sent to be both SAR (ruler) and GO’EL (redeemer) with the help of the malach having appeared to him in the thorn bush. [SHEMOT 2:14]

³⁶ "This one led them out, effecting moftim and otot in eretz Mitzrayim (Egypt) and in the Yam Suf and in the midbar arba’im shanah. [SHEMOT 7:3, 12:41; 33:1; 11:10; 14:21; 15:25; 17:5,6; BAMIDBAR 14:33]

³⁷ "This is the Moshe who said to the Bnei Yisroel NAVI MIKIRBECHA ME’ACHECHA KAMONI YAKIM ("A prophet from among you from your brothers like me [Moshe] Hashem will raise up.") [DEVARIM 18:15,18]

³⁸ "This is the one having been in the kahal (assembly) in the midbar together with the malach speaking to him at the mountain of Sinai, who was with Avoteinu; he is the one who received torat chayyim to give to us. [SHEMOT 19:17; VAYIKRA 27:34; DEVARIM 32:45-47]

³⁹ "And Avoteinu were not willing to have mishma’at (obedience) to Moshe Rabbenu, but they pushed him aside and they turned their levavot back to Mitzrayim, (Egypt) [BAMIDBAR 14:3,4]

⁴⁰ "Having said to Aharon, Make for us g-ds who will go before us; for this Moshe who led us out of the land of Egypt we do not know what happened to him"). [SHEMOT 32:1,23]

⁴¹ "And at that time they made an egel (calf) and brought a sacrifice offering to the elil (idol) and were taking delight in the ma’asim (works) of their hands. [SHEMOT 32:4-6; TEHILLIM 106:19,20]

⁴² "But Hashem turned away and handed them over to serve the tzeva Shomayim, just as it has been written in the sefer haNevi’im, HAZEVACHIM UMINCHAH HIGASHTEM LI BAMIDBAR ARBA’IM SHANAH, BET YISROEL ("It was not to me that you offered victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, O House of Israel?") [AMOS 5:25-27; YEHOSHUA 24:20; YESHAYAH 63:10; YIRMEYAH 19:13]

⁴³ "You also took up the ohel of Moloch and the KOKHAV of your g-d Reifan, the tzelamim (idols) which you made to worship them; therefore N’HIGLEITI ETKHEM MEHALAH ("I will exile you beyond") Babylon. [YIRMEYAH 7:18, TARGUM HASHIVIM 19:13; AMOS 5:27]

⁴⁴ "Avoteinu had the Mishkan HaEdut in the midbar just as the One who spoke to Moshe [Rabbeinu] directed him to make it according to the TAVNIT (pattern) which he had seen. [Ex 27:21; 38:21; Num 1:50; 17:7; Ex 25:8,9,40; Josh 3:14; 18:1]

⁴⁵ "And having received it in their turn, Avoteinu brought it in with Yehoshua (Joshua) upon the dispossessing of the land of the Goyim, which Hashem drove out from the presence of Avoteinu until the yamim of Dovid. [Josh 3:14-17; 18:1; 23:9; 24:18; Ps 44:2; 2Sm 7:2,6; Gn 17:8; 48:4; Dt 32:49]

⁴⁶ "And Dovid found Chen v’Chesed Hashem before G-d, and asked that he might find a mishkan for Elohei Ya’akov. [SHMUEL BAIS 7:2, 8-16;MELACHIM ALEF 8:17; TEHILLIM 132:1-5]

⁴⁷ "And Sh’lomo (Solomon) built for him a Beis. [MELACHIM ALEF 6:1-38]

⁴⁸ "But HaElyon does not dwell in battim made by human hands, just as the Navi (prophet) says, [MELACHIM ALEF 8:27; MELACHIM BAIS 2:6]

⁴⁹ "HASHOMAYIM KISSI V’HAARETZ HADOM RAGLAI ("Heaven is my throne and earth is the footstool for my feet"). EI-ZEH BAYIT ASHER TIVNU LI ("What kind of House will you build for me?") says Hashem, V’EI ZEH MAKOM MENUCHATI ("Or where will my resting place be?")

⁵⁰ "Did not my hand ASATAH (make) all these things?" [YESHAYAH 66:1,2]

⁵¹ "You AM KESHEH OREF ("stiff-necked people" SHEMOT 33:5), you who are without the “bris milah” of the lev (heart) and of the oznayim (ears), you always resist the Ruach Hakodesh; you are doing like your Avot. [Ex 32:9; 33:3,5; Lv 26:41; Dt 10:16; Jer 4:4; 9:26; Isa 63:10]

⁵² "Which of the Nevi’im (prophets) did your Avot not persecute? And they killed the ones having announced beforehand about the Bias HaMoshiach, the coming of the Tzaddik of whom now you became bogedim and rotzechim (murderers);

⁵³ "You who received the Torah at the directions of malachim and were not shomer of it."

⁵⁴ And hearing these things, they were infuriated in their levavot, and they were grinding their teeth at him.

⁵⁵ But being full of the Ruach Hakodesh and having gazed into Shomayim, Stefanos saw the kavod (glory) of Hashem and Yehoshua standing limin Hashem.

⁵⁶ And Stefanos said, "Hinei, I see Shomayim having been opened and the Ben HaAdam (Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13-14) standing limin Hashem."

⁵⁷ And having cried out with a kol gadol, they shut their oznayim and they rushed down with one impulse upon Stefanos.

⁵⁸ And having driven Stefanos outside the Ir (City), they were stoning him. And the edim took off their garments at the feet of a bochur named Sha’ul. [Lv 24:14,16; Dt 17:7]

⁵⁹ And they went on stoning Stefanos as he called upon Hashem, saying, "Adoneinu, receive my neshamah." [TEHILLIM 31:5]

⁶⁰ And having fallen down, he cried out in a kol gadol, "Adoneinu, may this aveirah not be held against them!" And having said this, Stefanos fell asleep.

8 And Rav Sha’ul was giving approval to the murder of Stefanos. And there came about in that day a great pogrom keneged (against) the Brit Chadasha Kehillah in Yerushalayim, and everyone was scattered throughout the regions of Yehudah and Shomron except the Moshiach’s Shlichim.

² And chasidim came and gave kevurah (burial) to Stefanos and they made loud lamentation over him.

³ But Rav Sha’ul was making havoc of the Moshiach’s Kehillah, barging in bais by bais, dragging off both anashim and nashim, and delivering them over to the beis hasohar.

⁴ The ones therefore having been scattered went about preaching the dvar Hashem.

⁵ Now Philippos [Ac 6:5], having gone down to the city of Shomron, was preaching to them the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

⁶ And the multitudes with one accord were paying attention to the things being said by Philippos, as they heard him and saw the otot which he was accomplishing.

⁷ For many had ruchot teme’ot coming out, crying out with a kol gadol, and many having been paralyzed and many pisechim (lame ones) were given refu’ah shleimah.

⁸ And there was great simchah in that city.

⁹ Now a certain ish by name Shimon was previously in the city practicing magic and astonishing the people of Shomron, saying that he himself was an ish of gadlus (with remarkable superiority) and gadol.

¹⁰ And to this certain Shimon everyone from katon to gadol was paying attention, saying, "Hinei! This man is the ko’ach (power) of Hashem, the ko’ach hagadol."

¹¹ And they were giving heed to him, because he for a long time had astonished them by magic tricks.

¹² But when they had emunah (faith) in what Philippos preached about the Malchut Hashem and the Shem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, they, both anashim and nashim, were submitting to Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva.

¹³ And Shimon himself also had emunah, and, having submitted to Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva, was following Philippos, and, seeing otot and nifla’ot and moftim hagedolim taking place, he was constantly mishpoyel (standing in awe).

¹⁴ And when Moshiach’s Shlichim heard in Yerushalayim that Shomron has accepted the dvar Hashem, they sent Kefa and Yochanan to them,

¹⁵ Who, having come down, davened for them that they might receive the Ruach Hakodesh.

¹⁶ For the Ruach Hakodesh had not yet fallen upon any one of them, but only they had received a tevilah of teshuva in a mikveh mayim b’Shem Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu.

¹⁷ Then Kefa and Yochanan were laying their hands upon them, and they were receiving the Ruach Hakodesh.

¹⁸ And when Shimon saw that through the laying on of hands of Moshiach’s Shlichim that the Ruach Hakodesh is given, he brought to them kesef,

¹⁹ Saying, "Give me also this samchut that on whomever I may lay my hands such may receive the Ruach Hakodesh."

²⁰ But Kefa said to him, "May your kesef perish with you because the matnat Hashem you thought by kesef to acquire. [2Kg 5:16; Dt 5:17]

²¹ "There is not to you a chelek (allotted portion) nor share in this matter, for your lev (heart) is krum (deviant) and not upright before Hashem. [Neh 2:20; Ps 78:37]

²² "Therefore make teshuva from your wickedness and daven (pray) to Hashem if efsher (perhaps) you will receive selicha (forgiveness) for the intent of your lev,

²³ "For I see you are in bitter gall and the bond of haresha." [Dt 29:18 TARGUM HASHIVIM; Jer 4:18; Isa 58:6]

²⁴ And in reply Shimon said, "Daven for me to Hashem that nothing may come upon me of which you have spoken." [SHEMOT 8:8; BAMIDBAR 21:7; MELACHIM ALEF 13:6; YIRMEYAH 42:2]

²⁵ The ones then having testified and spoken the dvar Adonoi were returning to Yerushalayim and to many villages of the Shomronim preaching the Besuras HaGeulah.

²⁶ And a malach Adonoi spoke to Philippos, saying, "Get up and go south on the derech going down from Yerushalayim to Gaza." This is desert.

²⁷ And having got up, Philippos went. And, hinei, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, a court official of the Kandake of the Ethiopians! He was over all of her Otzrot (treasury) and had come worshipping to Yerushalayim, [Ps 68:31; 87:4; Zeph 3:10; Isa 56:3-5; 1Kgs 8:41-43]

²⁸ And he was returning and sitting in his chariot and he was reading Yeshayah HaNavi.

²⁹ And the Ruach Hakodesh said to Philippos, "Approach and join this chariot."

³⁰ And having run, Philippos heard him reading Yeshayah HaNavi, and Philippos said, "So do you have binah of what you are reading?"

³¹ And he said, "How then might I be able, unless someone will guide me?" And he invited Philippos to come up and sit with him.

³² Now the keta (section) of the Tanakh which he was reading was this: KASEH LATEVACH YUVAL ("He [Moshiach] was led as a lamb to the slaughter") and as a Seh (Lamb, YESHAYAH 53:7) before the one having sheared it is silent, LO YIFTACH PIV ("He does not open his mouth").

³³ ‘In humiliation his justice was taken away. The descendants of him who will tell? Because he is taken away from HA’ARETZ CHAYYIM.' [Isa 53:7,8; 57:7f TARGUM HASHIVIM]

³⁴ And in reply the eunuch said to Philippos, "I ask you about whom the Navi (prophet) says this? About himself or about some other person?"

³⁵ And having opened his mouth, and beginning from this keta (section) of the Kitvei Hakodesh, Philippos began to preach and fier ois (elucidate) Yehoshua/Yeshua to him.

³⁶ And as they were going along the derech, they came upon some mayim and the eunuch says, "Hinei, mayim! What prevents me from being given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva in the mikveh mayim?"

³⁷ [And Philippos said, “If you have emunah b’chol levavcha, it is mutar. And he answered, saying, Ani ma’amin ki Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Ben HaElohim hu.]

³⁸ And he commanded the chariot to stop and both went down into the mikveh mayim, both Philippos and the eunuch, and Philippos gave him Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva in the mikveh mayim.

³⁹ And when they came up from the mikveh mayim, the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem took Philippos away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer, but was going on his way with lev same’ach. [1Kgs 18:12; 2Kgs 2:16; Ezek 3:12,14; 8:3; 11:1,24; 43:5]

⁴⁰ But Philippos was found in Ashdod, and passing through, he was preaching the Besuras HaGeulah to all the towns until he came to

9 Now Sha’ul, still breathing a threat even of retzach (murder) keneged (against) the talmidim of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu, having approached the Kohen Gadol,

² Requested from him iggrot of reshus (authorization) to the shuls of Damascus, that if someone he should find being mishtatef (involved) in HaDerech [Hashem], both anashim and nashim, he may lead them bound to Yerushalayim. [Isa 17:1; Jer 49:23]

³ Now as he goes, it came about that he comes near Damascus, and suddenly shone around him an Ohr (Light) from Shomayim;

⁴ And he fell on the ground, and heard a kol (voice), saying to him, "Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why are you persecuting me?" [YESHAYAH 6:8]

⁵ And he said, "Who are you, Adoni?" And he said, "I am Yehoshua/Yeshua upon whom you bring redifah.

⁶ "But get up and enter into the city, and it shall be told to you what it is necessary for you to do." [Ezek 3:22]

⁷ And the anashim traveling with Rav Sha’ul had stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. [DANIEL 10:7]

⁸ And Rav Sha’ul got up from the ground, and, though his eyes were open, he was seeing nothing. And leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.

⁹ And he was shloshah yamim not seeing and neither did he eat nor drink.

¹⁰ Now there was a certain talmid in Damascus, by the name Chananyah, and Moshiach Adoneinu spoke to him in a chazon (vision), saying, "Chananyah." And he said, "Hinei, I am here, Adoni."

¹¹ And Moshiach Adoneinu said to him, "Get up and go to the rekhov (street) being called "Yashar" ("Straight") and seek in the bais of Yehudah an ish by name Sha’ul from Tarsus. For, hinei, he is davening,

¹² "And Sha’ul has seen in a chazon (vision) an ish by the name Chananyah come in and place his hands upon him that he may see again."

¹³ And Chananyah answered, "Adoni, I heard from many about this man, how many ra’ot (evil things) he did to your Kadoshim in Yerushalayim.

¹⁴ "And here he has samchut (authority) from the Rashei Kohanim to bind all the ones davening b’Shem of you."

¹⁵ But Moshiach Adoneinu said to him, "Go, for this one is a keli nivchar (chosen vessel) of mine to carry Shmi before both Goyim and melachim (kings) and the Bnei Yisroel.

¹⁶ "For I will show him how much it is necessary for him to undergo yissurim (sufferings) on behalf of Shmi (my Name)."

¹⁷ And Chananyah departed and entered into the bais, and having placed his hands upon Rav Sha’ul, he said, "Ach b’Moshiach Sha’ul, [Moshiach, Malachi 3:1] HaAdon has sent me. I’m referring to Yehoshua, the one who appeared to you on the derech by which you were coming. He sent me that you may see again and may be filled with the Ruach Hakodesh."

¹⁸ And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and Rav Sha’ul saw again, and, having got up, he submitted to Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva.

¹⁹ And having received okhel (food), Rav Sha’ul regained strength. Now he was with the talmidim in Damascus several yamim.

²⁰ And immediately in the shuls Rav Sha’ul was preaching Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, saying, "He is the Ben HaElohim."

²¹ And all the ones listening were astonished, and they were saying, "Is this not the one making havoc in Yerushalayim among the ones invoking this shem and was not his tachlis (purpose) in coming here to bind them over before the Rashei Hakohanim?"

²² But Rav Sha’ul even more was being strengthened and was confounding the unbelieving Yehudim dwelling in Damascus, by proving that this Yehoshua is the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

²³ But when yamim rabbim were completed, the ones of the Yehudim who were unbelieving plotted to kill him.

²⁴ But the mezimma (evil design, intrigue) of their kesher (plot) became known to Rav Sha’ul. And they were also watching the she’arim (gates) both yomam valailah that they might kill him,

²⁵ but Moshiach’s talmidim had taken him b’lailah and they let him down through an opening in the wall, having lowered him in a large basket. [SHMUEL ALEF 19:12]

²⁶ And having arrived in Yerushalayim, Rav Sha’ul was trying to associate with the Moshiach’s talmidim, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he is a talmid.

²⁷ But Bar-Nabba, having taken hold of him, brought him to Moshiach’s Shluchim and told them how on the derech he saw Moshiach Adoneinu, who had spoken to Rav Sha’ul, and how in Damascus Rav Sha’ul spoke with ometz lev (boldness) b’Shem Yehoshua.

²⁸ And Rav Sha’ul was with them, going in and coming out in Yerushalayim, speaking boldly b’Shem Moshiach Adoneinu.

²⁹ And Rav Sha’ul was speaking and debating keneged (against) the Greekspeaking Yehudim; but they were attempting to kill him.

³⁰ But having learned of this, the Achim b’Moshiach brought Rav Sha’ul down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

³¹ Then Moshiach’s Kehillah throughout all of Yehudah and the Galil and Shomron had shalom and was increasing, being built up, and going on in the yir’at Shomayim and in the yir’at Moshiach Adoneinu and beNechamat HaRuach Hakodesh.

³² Now it came about that Kefa, passing through all the parts of Eretz Yisrael, came down also to Moshiach’s kadoshim dwelling in Lud.

³³ And there Kefa found a certain ish by the name Aeneas who had been bedridden shmoneh shanim, for he was paralyzed.

³⁴ And Kefa said to him, "Aeneas, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua make you whole. Get up and make your bed!" And immediately he got up.

³⁵ And everyone dwelling in Lud and Sharon saw him, and they turned to Adoneinu. [MELACHIM ALEF 5:16; 27:29; 2:1; YESHAYAH 33:9; 35:2;65:10]

³⁶ Now in Yafo there was a certain talmidah by the name Tavitha, which, being translated, means "gazelle." This one was abounding in ma’asim tovim and in giving tzedakah, which she was always doing. [YEHOSHUA 19:46; MELACHIM BAIS 2:16; EZRA 3:7]

³⁷ And it came about in yamim hahem that this one, having become ill, passed away. When the women had washed her body, they laid it in the aliyyah.

³⁸ And since Lud was near to Yafo, Moshiach’s talmidim, having heard that Kefa was there, sent shnei anashim to him, summoning Kefa that he not delay in coming to them.

³⁹ Kefa, getting up, went with them. And when he arrived, they brought him up into the aliyyah (upper story room), and all the almanot stood beside him, weeping and showing the tunics and garments that Tavitha made while she was with them.

⁴⁰ But Kefa, having put everyone outside, and having fallen down, davened. And when he turned to the nifteret (deceased), he said, "Tavitha, get up!" And she opened her eynayim and, having seen Kefa, she sat up.

⁴¹ And having given his hand to her, he made her to stand up alive again; and, having called the Moshiach’s Kadoshim and the almanot, Kefa presented her lebedik (alive) before them.

⁴² It became known throughout all Yafo, and rabbim (many) had emunah in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.

⁴³ And it came about that Kefa remained in Yafo yamim rabbim with a certain Shimon, a tanner.

10 Now a certain ish in Caesarea by name Cornelius, a centurion from what was called the Italian cohort,

² A devout man, a yire Elohim, as was all his bais, who practiced much tzedakah for the benefit of Am Yisroel, and davened to Hashem continually.

³ Cornelius clearly saw in a chazon (vision) lav davka (approximately) at the ninth hour of the day (three o’clock in the afternoon) a malach Hashem having come to him and having said to him, "Cornelius!" [TEHILLIM 55:17]

⁴ And having looked intently at him and having become afraid, Cornelius said, "What is it, Adon?" The malach said to him, "Your tefillos and your giving tzedakah have ascended as a zikaron (memorial) before Hashem. [TEHILLIM 20:3]

⁵ "Now dispatch some anashim to Yafo and send for a certain Shimon who is also called Kefa.

⁶ "This one is staying with a certain Shimon, a tanner, whose bais is by the sea."

⁷ And, when the malach speaking to him had departed, Cornelius summoned shnayim of his household avadim and a devout chaiyal (soldier) from among the ones in his service,

⁸ Having explained everything, sent them to Yafo.

⁹ Now on the next day, as these were traveling and drawing near to Yafo, around the sixth hour (noon), Kefa went up on to the roof to daven (pray).

¹⁰ And Kefa became hungry, and was wanting to have a meal; but while they were preparing it, Kefa fell into a trance;

¹¹ And he sees Shomayim having been opened, and a certain object descending like a large linen cloth lowered by four corners upon haAretz.

¹² In this were all the fourfooted animals and remasim haAdamah (creepers of the earth) and oph haShomayim (birds of heaven, birds of the air).

¹³ And there came a bat kol (voice) to him, "Get up, Kefa, kill and eat!"

¹⁴ But Kefa said, "Chalilah li, Adonoi! For I have never eaten basar piggul (unclean meat) or shikkutz tameh (abominable unclean thing)." [VAYIKRA 11:4-20; 20-25; DEVARIM 14:3-20; YECHEZKEL 4:14]

¹⁵ And the bat kol came to Kefa again for a second time, "What Hashem made tahor (clean), you should no longer regard as tameh (unclean)." [BERESHIS 9:3]

¹⁶ And this happened shloshah pe’amim; and immediately the object was taken up into Shomayim.

¹⁷ Now, while Kefa was greatly perplexed within himself as to what the chazon which he saw might be, hinei, the anashim, who had been sent by Cornelius, and who had, by inquiring, found the bais of Shimon, stood at the gate.

¹⁸ And, calling out, they were asking if Shimon, the one called Kefa, is staying here.

¹⁹ And while Kefa was reflecting on the chazon, the Ruach Hakodesh said to him, "Hinei, shloshah anashim are looking for you.

²⁰ "But get up and go downstairs and accompany them without apprehensions, for I myself have sent them."

²¹ And Kefa went downstairs to the anashim and said, "Hinei, I am the one whom you are seeking; for what reason did you come?"

²² And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an ish tzaddik, and a yire Elohim with a shem tov with all the Am HaYehudim, was directed by a malach kadosh to summon you to his bais and to hear a message from you."

²³ Therefore, having invited them in, Kefa gave them hachnosas orchim (hospitality, lodging). And on the next day Kefa got up and went away with them, and some of the Achim b’Moshiach from Yafo accompanied him.

²⁴ And on the following day, Moshiach’s Shliach Shimon Kefa entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius was expecting them, having called together his krovey mishpokhot (relatives) and close friends.

²⁵ Now when it came about that Kefa entered, Cornelius met him, falling at his feet to pay him reverence. [DANIEL 7:14; 3:18]

²⁶ Kefa made him stand up, saying, "Get up. I myself am only a ben Adam like everyone else."

²⁷ And as he conversed with Cornelius, Kefa entered and finds many having assembled,

²⁸ And he said to them, "You have da’as that it is asur (prohibited) for an ish Yehudi to associate with or to approach a nokhri (foreigner). And yet to me Hashem showed to call no one shikkutz (abomination) or tameh (unclean).

²⁹ "Therefore, also, when summoned, I came, raising no objections. And so I ask for what reason you summoned me?"

³⁰ Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was davening in my bais at the ninth hour, and, hinei, a being stood before me enrobed in shining radiance,

³¹ "And he said, ‘Cornelius, your tefillah was heard and your tzedakah is remembered before Hashem.

³² ‘Therefore, send to Yafo and summon Shimon who is called Kefa. He is staying in the bais of Shimon the tanner by the sea.’

³³ "At once I sent for you and you did well having come. Now, therefore, we all are present before Hashem to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by Adonoi."

³⁴ And opening his mouth, Kefa said, "Omein, I have binah that Hashem is not one to show masso panim (partiality), [Dt 10:17; 2Ch 19:7; Job 34:19]

³⁵ "But in every nation the ones who have yirat Shomayim and work Tzidkat Hashem are acceptable to him.

³⁶ "The dvar which he sent to the Bnei Yisroel, preaching shalom through Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua (Hu Adon Kol!) [Isa 52:7; Ps 107:20; 147:18 TARGUM HASHIVIM]

³⁷ "That word, I say, you know the thing which took place throughout all Yehudah, having begun from the Galil after the tevilah of teshuva which Yochanan preached;

³⁸ "You know Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua from Natzeret, how Hashem anointed him with the Ruach Hakodesh and with ko’ach (power), and how he went about doing mitzvot and giving refu’ah shlemah to all the ones being oppressed by Samael (the devil) because Hashem was with him. [YESHAYAH 61:1]

³⁹ "We are edim (witnesses) of all things which he did both in the countryside of Yehudah and in Yerushalayim. And they also put him to death, having hanged nivlato al haEtz (his body on the Tree, DEVARIM 21:23).

⁴⁰ "This one Hashem made to stand up alive again on the Yom HaShelishi and granted to him to be visible,

⁴¹ "Not to Klal Yisroel, but to edim which had been chosen beforehand by Hashem, that is, to us who ate and drank together with him at Tish after the Techiyas HaMoshiach.

⁴² "Moshiach gave mitzvah to us to preach to the people and to bear solemn edut that this one is the one having been appointed by Hashem as Shofet HaChayyim v’HaMesim.

⁴³ "To this one all the Nevi’im bear witness that through ha-Shem of him [Moshiach Yehoshua, Yeshua] everyone who has emunah in him has selicha (forgiveness) of chatta’'im (averos, sins).

⁴⁴ While Kefa was still speaking these words, the Ruach Hakodesh fell upon all the ones hearing the dvar.

⁴⁵ And the Messianic Jews who had come with Kefa were mishpoyel (standing in awe) that also upon the Goyim the matnat HaRuach Hakodesh has been poured out.

⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in leshonot and exalting Hashem. Then Kefa answered,

⁴⁷ "Surely no one can refuse the mikveh mayim for these to be given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva who have received the Ruach Hakodesh just as we did, can he?" [Ac 2:4; cf Lk 3:16; Ac 11:16]

⁴⁸ And Kefa directed for them to be given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva in the Shem of Moshiach Yehoshua (Yeshua). Then they asked him to remain some yamim.

11 And the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Achim b’Moshiach, the ones throughout Yehudah, heard that also the non-Jews received the dvar Hashem.

² But when Kefa went up to Yerushalayim, those of the faction of the Bris Milah were taking issue with him,

³ Saying, "You entered into a bais of anashim arelim (uncircumcised men) and you sat at tish with them."

⁴ But Kefa began explaining to them beseder (in order), saying,

⁵ "I was davening in the shtetl of Yafo and in a trance I saw a chazon (vision) of a certain object descending like a large linen cloth lowered by four corners from Shomayim, and it came up to me.

⁶ "And when I had gazed upon it, I saw fourfooted animals of ha’aretz and chayyat hasadeh and remasim haAdamah and oph HaShomayim.

⁷ "And I heard also a bat kol saying to me, ‘Get up, Kefa. Kill and eat.’

⁸ "But I said, ‘By no means, Adoni, because nothing common or tameh (unclean) has ever entered into my stomach.’

⁹ "And the bat kol answered for a second time from Shomayim, ‘What Hashem made tahor (clean) do not declare tameh (unclean).’

¹⁰ "This happened shlosh pe’amim, and everything was pulled up again into Shomayim.

¹¹ "Hinei, at once shloshah anashim stood at the bais in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

¹² "And the Ruach Hakodesh said to me to accompany them without hesitating and these sheshet haAchim b’Moshiach came with me also, and we entered into the bais of the ish.

¹³ "He reported to us how he saw the malach in his bais having stood and having said, ‘Send to Yafo and summon Shimon, the one being called Kefa,

¹⁴ ‘Who will speak words to you by which you and all your bais will find Yeshu’at Eloheinu.’

¹⁵ "As I began to speak, the Ruach Hakodesh fell upon them, just as also upon us in the beginning.

¹⁶ And I remembered the dvar of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu, how he used to say, ‘Yochanan gave a tevilah of teshuva with a mikveh mayim, but you will be given a tevilah with the Ruach Hakodesh.'

¹⁷ "If then Hashem gave the same matanah to them as also to us after believing in Moshiach Adoneinu, who then was I to stand in the way of Hashem?"

¹⁸ And having heard these things, they were silenced and glorified Hashem, saying ‘Then also to the Nations Hashem has given teshuva unto Chayyim.'

¹⁹ Then the ones, that is, those having been scattered because of the tzoros that happened in connection with Stefanos, came to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking to no one the dvar Hashem except only to Yehudim.

²⁰ And there were some of them, anashim of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having come to Antioch, were speaking also to the Yevanim, proclaiming the Besuras HaGeulah of Adoneinu Yehoshua.

²¹ The hand of Adonoi was on them and a large number, having had emunah, turned to Moshiach Adoneinu.

²² The report about them was heard in the ears of the Kehillah of Moshiach in Yerushalayim, and they sent out Bar-Nabba to go to Antioch;

²³ Who, having come, and having seen the Chen v’Chesed Hashem, rejoiced and was encouraging everyone with deveykus (devotion) to HaAdon to remain true to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.

²⁴ For Bar-Nabba was a mentsh, a gavra, an ish tov full of the Ruach Hakodesh and of emunah. And a great multitude was added to Adoneinu.

²⁵ And Bar-Nabba left for Tarsus to look for Sha’ul,

²⁶ And, having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year, they met with Moshiach’s Kehillah there, and taught a large multitude. And it was in Antioch that the talmidim were first called Ma’aminim HaMeshichiyim (Messianic Believers).

²⁷ Now in these yamim, nevi’im came down from Yerushalayim to Antioch.

²⁸ One of them, by name of Agav, having got up, indicated through the Ruach Hakodesh a great famine was about to come all over the world. And this famine actually occurred during the time of Claudius.

²⁹ Now the talmidim decided that according to their means, each of them would send support to the Achim b’Moshiach dwelling in Yehudah;

³⁰ Which also they did, having sent to the Ziknei HaKehillot by the hand of Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul.

12 Now during that time Herod the king laid his hands on Moshiach’s Kehillah to harm some of them.

² He killed Ya’akov the ach Yochanan with a cherev (sword).

³ Having seen that this was pleasing to the Judeans, Herod proceeded to arrest Kefa also. This happened during the yamim of Chag HaMatzot. [SHEMOT 12:15; 23:25]

⁴ When he had Kefa seized, he put him in the beis hasohar, having handed him over to four squads of chaiyalim to guard him, intending after Pesach to bring him before the people.

⁵ Therefore, Kefa was being kept in the beis hasohar. But tefillah to Hashem was earnestly being made by Moshiach’s Kehillah for him.

⁶ But b’lailah, when Herod was about to lead him out, Kefa, bound with two sharsherot (chains), was sleeping between two chaiyalim; and, before the delet (door), were shomrim (guards) keeping watch over the beis hasohar.

⁷ Then a malach HaAdon approached and ohr (light) shone in the cheder (room), and, having struck the side of Kefa, he awoke him, saying, "Get up quickly!" And the kavlei varzel (shackles of iron) fell off his hands. [TEHILLIM 107:14; 149:8]

⁸ The malach said to Kefa, "Put on your gartel and tie your sandals." And Kefa did so. And the malach says to him, "Put on your kaftan and follow me."

⁹ And having gone out, Kefa was following the malach, and he did not have da’as that the thing was happening grahda (as a matter of fact, in reality), but he was thinking he was seeing a chazon through the malach.

¹⁰ And having gone through the shomrim (guards), the first and the second, they came upon the Sha’ar HaBarzel leading to the Ir Kodesh. This was opened to them by itself. And having gone out, they went along one rekhov (street), and immediately the malach went away from him.

¹¹ And Kefa, having come to himself, said, "Now I have da’as for sure that HaAdon sent out his malach and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Judean people." [TEHILLIM 34:7; DANIEL 3:28; 6:22]

¹² Having realized this, Kefa came upon the bais of Miryam the Em (mother) of Yochanan, the one being called Markos, where there were many having been assembled and davening.

¹³ And when Kefa knocked on the delet (door) of the gate, a na’arah by name Rhoda, approached to listen.

¹⁴ And having recognized the kol (voice) of Kefa, from simcha she did not open the gate but, having run inside, she reported that Kefa stood at the gate.

¹⁵ But the ones there said to her, "You are meshuggah!" But she kept insisting it was so. But they were saying, "It is his malach."

¹⁶ But Kefa continued knocking. And having opened the gate, they saw him, and were mishpoyel (standing in awe).

¹⁷ And having motioned to them with his hand to be silent, he told them how HaAdon led him out from the beis hasohar. Then Kefa said, "Report to Ya’akov [see p.848] and to the Achim b’Moshiach these things." And having gone out, Kefa went to another place.

¹⁸ Now when it was boker, there was not a little commotion among the chaiyalim as to what had become of Kefa.

¹⁹ Now Herod, having sought after him and not having found him, after questioning the shomrim, commanded them to be led away to execution. Then Herod went down from Yehudah to Caesarea, and was staying there.

²⁰ Now Herod was gor (very) angry with the people of Tzor and those of Tzidon, and with one mind they were coming to him; and, having won over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they were requesting shalom, because their country was fed by the king’s lands. [MELACHIM ALEF 5:9,11; YECHEZKEL 27:17]

²¹ Now on the appointed day, Herod, having clothed himself with royal malbush (clothing) and having sat down on the kes hamishpat, was delivering a public address to them.

²² And the multitude was crying out, "Hinei, the kol of a g-d and not of an ish!"

²³ Immediately, a malach Adonoi struck him, because he did not give the kavod to Hashem. And, having become eaten with worms, Herod died. [SHMUEL ALEF 25:38; SHMUEL BAIS 24:16,17; MELACHIM BAIS 19:35]

²⁴ But the dvar Hashem was growing and increasing.

²⁵ And Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul returned from Yerushalayim, having fulfilled their shlichus (mission) to deliver the tzedakah and having taken along with them [back to Antioch], Yochanan the one called Markos.

13 Now there was in Antioch there among the Moshiach’s Kehillah nevi’im and morim: Bar-Nabba, and Shimon called Niger, and Lucius from Cyrene, and Menachem (brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Rav Sha’ul.

² They were ministering to Adonoi and under a tzom when the Ruach Hakodesh said to them, “Set apart for Me Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul for the avodas kodesh ministry to which I have called them.” [DIVREY HAYAMIM BAIS 13:10; 35:3; YECHEZKEL 40:46; 44:16; 45:4]

³ Then, having continued the tzom and having davened and having laid their hands upon them, they sent them off.

⁴ They, then, having been sent out by the Ruach Hakodesh, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed away to Cyprus.

⁵ Having arrived in Salamis, they were proclaiming the dvar Hashem in the shuls, with Yochanan Markos also as ozer (helper).

⁶ Having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain ish, a magician, a Jewish navi sheker, by name of Bar-Yehoshua,

⁷ who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an ish of seichel. This one, having summoned Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul, sought to hear the dvar Hashem.

⁸ But Elymas the magician was opposing them—for thus is his name translated—and was seeking to be mashpia on the proconsul (seeking to sway him to think undesirably) about the emunah (faith). [YESHAYAH 30:11]

⁹ But Rav Sha’ul, the one also called Paulos, having been filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, gazed at him,

¹⁰ and said, “O ish full of all mirmah (deceit, fraud) and all resha, ben haSatan, oyev (enemy) of all Tzedek, will you not cease making crooked the straight paths of Hashem? [HOSHEA 14:9]

¹¹ “Now—hinei—the yad Hashem is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the shemesh (sun) for awhile.” Immediately mistiness and choshech (darkness) fell on him, and, going about, he was seeking someone to lead him by the hand [SHEMOT 9:3; SHMUEL ALEF 5:6,7; TEHILLIM 32:4; BERESHIS 19:10,11; MELACHIM BAIS 6:18]

¹² Then, the proconsul, having seen what had happened, had emunah, being mishpoyel (standing in awe) at the torah about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.

¹³ And having put out to sea from Paphos, Rav Sha’ul and those with him came to Perga of Pamphylia. But Yochanan (Markos), having left them, returned to Yerushalayim.

¹⁴ But having gone on from Perga, they came to Pisidian Antioch, and, having entered the shul on Shabbos, they sat down.

¹⁵ After the kri’at HaTorah (reading of the Sefer Torah) and the kri’at HaNevi’im, the Rashei Beit HaKnesset sent to them, saying “Anashim Achim, if there is any dvar hachizzuk among you to the people, say it.”

¹⁶ And having got up and having motioned with his hand, Rav Sha’ul said, “Anshei Yisroel, and Yirei Elohim, listen!

¹⁷ “Elohei HaAm Yisroel chose Avoteinu. Hashem made the people great during their sojourn in Eretz Mitzrayim, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of it, [SHEMOT 6:1,6,7; 14:8; DEVARIM 7:6-8]

¹⁸ “and lav davka (approximately) ARBA’IM SHANAH He put up with them in the desert [DEVARIM 1:31; BAMIDBAR 14:33,34; TEHILLIM 95:10; SHEMOT 16:35]

¹⁹ “and having destroyed SHIVAH GOYIM in eretz Kena’an, he gave as a nachalah (an inheritance) their land [DEVARIM 7:1; YEHOSHUA 14:2; 19:51; TEHILLIM 78:55]

²⁰ “during lav davka (approximately) arba me’ot vachamashim shanah. After these things, He gave shofetim until Shmuel HaNavi. [SHOFETIM 2:16; SHMUEL ALEF 3:19,20]

²¹ “And then they asked for a melech, and Hashem gave to them Sha’ul Ben Kish, an ish from the shevet of Binyamin, for arba’im shanah [SHMUEL ALEF 8:5,19; 10:1; 9:1,2]

²² ”And after having removed Sha’ul, Hashem raised up Dovid as a Melech for them. About Dovid also Hashem testified, saying ‘I found Dovid Ben Yishai an ISH KILEVAVO [“a man after His (G-d’s) heart”] who will do all My ratzon.’ [SHMUEL ALEF 15:23; 16:13; TEHILLIM 89:20; SHMUEL ALEF 13:14; YIRMEYAH 3:15; YESHAYAH 44:28]

²³ “From the zera (seed) of this man, according to the havtachah (promise), Hashem has brought to Yisroel a Moshi’a (Savior), Yehoshua. [SHMUEL BAIS 7:11; 22:51; YIRMEYAH 30:9]

²⁴ “Now previously, before the coming of Moshiach, Yochanan proclaimed to Klal Yisroel a tevilah of teshuva.

²⁵ "Now as Yochanan was completing his course, he was saying, 'What do you suppose me to be? I am not! But, hinei, he comes after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandal of his feet."

²⁶ "Achim, Bnei Mishpochah Avraham, and Yirei Elohim, it is to us that the dvar of this Yeshu’ah HaGedolah (Great Deliverance) was sent out. [TEHILLIM 107:20]

²⁷ "For the ones dwelling in Yerushalayim and their moshlim (rulers) did not have da’as of this one or of the dvarim of the Nevi’im being read every Shabbos; they fulfilled these dvarim by condemning him.

²⁸ "Even without finding a cause for a mishpat mavet, they asked Pilate that he be done away with.

²⁹ "When they finished all the things having been written about him, he was taken down from HaEtz (DEVARIM 21:23), and they put him into a kever (tomb, Isa 53:9).

³⁰ "But Hashem made him to stand up alive again from the Mesim,

³¹ "and he was seen over many yamim by the ones having come up with him from the Galil to Yerushalayim who now are his edim to the people.

³² "And we are preaching to you the Besuras HaGeulah of the Havtachah made to Avoteinu, [YESHAYAH 40:9; 52:7]

³³ "That Hashem has fulfilled this havtachah for us, their banim, having made to stand up alive again Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, as also in the Tehillim it has been written, BENI ATAH, ANI HAYOM YELIDETICHA ("You are My son; today I have become your father"). [TEHILLIM 2:7]

³⁴ "And that He made him to stand up alive again from the Mesim, no longer to return to decay, thus he has said, ‘I will give you CHASEDEI DOVID HANE’EMANIM. [YESHAYAH 55:3 TARGUM HASHIVIM]

³⁵ "Therefore, also elsewhere in the Tehillim, he says LO TITEN CHASIDECHA LIR’OT SHACHAT ("You will not allow your Chasid (Moshiach) to undergo decay"). [TEHILLIM 15:10; 16:10 TARGUM HASHIVIM]

³⁶ "For Dovid, after in his own dor (generation) he had served birtzon Hashem, fell asleep, and VAYISHKAV DOVID IM AVOTAV (“and Dovid rested with his fathers”) and he experienced decay. [SHMUEL BAIS 7:12; MELACHIM ALEF 2:10; SHOFETIM 2:10; DIVREY HAYAMIM BAIS 29:28]

³⁷ "But whom Hashem made to stand up alive again did not experience decay.

³⁸ "Let it be known, therefore, to you, Anashim Achim, that through this one, selicha (forgiveness) of chatta’im (averos [sins]) is proclaimed to you; and from all things of which by the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu you were not able to be justified,

³⁹ "By this one everyone having emunah is justified.

⁴⁰ "Be shomer then that the thing having been spoken by the Nevi’im (Prophets) may not come upon you,

⁴¹ "Look," scoffers, "And be amazed and marvel, and stand in awe" and perish, "because I am working a work in your yamim, a work which you may by no means believe if someone should tell you." [CHABAKUK 1:5 TARGUM HASHIVIM]

⁴² And as Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba were going out, the people were begging that these dvarim be spoken to them the following Shabbos.

⁴³ And when the gathering was dismissed, rabbim (many) of the Yehudim and of the Gerim (Proselytes) with chassidus followed Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, who urged them to remain in the Chen v’Chesed Hashem.

⁴⁴ Now on the following Shabbos nearly all the city was assembled to hear the dvar Hashem.

⁴⁵ But when the Yehudim saw the multitudes, they were filled with kinah and were choilek (taking issue) and speaking keneged (against, in opposition to) the things being spoken by Rav Sha’ul, and they were committing Chillul Hashem.

⁴⁶ And having spoken with ometz lev (boldness), Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba said, ‘To you it was necessary rishonah (first) for the dvar Hashem to be spoken; vi-bahlt (since) you reject it, and judge yourselves not worthy of Chayyei Olam, hinei, we are turning to the Goyim.

⁴⁷ "For thus has Hashem commanded us, "I have placed you as a light to the Nations, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth." [Isa 49:6]

⁴⁸ Now hearing this, the Goyim rejoiced with simcha gedolah and were praising the dvar Hashem. And as many as had been destined to Chayyei Olam became ma’aminim hameshichiyim.

⁴⁹ And the dvar Hashem was spreading through the entire region.

⁵⁰ But the Yehudim aroused the chashuve (prominent) G-d fearing nashim and the gontser machers of the city, and they instigated redifah keneged Rav Sha’ul and Bar Nabba, and they drove them from out of their territory.

⁵¹ And having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, Rav Sha’ul and Bar- Nabba came to Iconium;

⁵² And the talmidim were being filled with simcha and the Ruach Hakodesh.

14 Now it came about in Iconium that together they entered into the shul and the same thing transpired: they spoke with the result that both Yehudim and a great multitude of Yevanim became ma’aminim hameshichiyim.

² And the Yehudim who disobeyed were the ones who aroused and stirred up in anger the nefashot (souls) of the Goyim keneged (against) the Achim b’Moshiach.

³ Therefore, they continued for a long zman (time) speaking with ometz lev (boldness) for Hashem, who gave edut to the dvar of Chen v’Chesed Hashem by granting otot and moftim to take place by the hands of Moshiach’s Shluchim.

⁴ And the multitude of the city was divided, and some were with the [disobedient, 14:2] Yehudim but, others, with the Moshiach’s Shluchim.

⁵ And when an attempt came by both the Goyim and the Yehudim with their rashim (heads, leaders) to mistreat and to stone them,

⁶ when the Moshiach’s Shluchim became aware of this, they fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derbe, and the surrounding countryside.

⁷ And there the Moshiach’s Shluchim were preaching the Besuras HaGeulah.

⁸ And a certain ish in Lystra, powerless in his feet, was sitting, pise’ach from womb of his Em, a man who had never walked.

⁹ This one heard Rav Sha’ul speaking, and when he gazed at the man and saw that he has emunah (faith) to be restored to health,

¹⁰ Rav Sha’ul said in a kol gadol, "Stand upright on your feet." And the man jumped up and was walking around. [Ezek 2:1]

¹¹ And the multitudes, when they saw what Rav Sha’ul did, shouted in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The g-ds, having been made like anashim, have come down to us."

¹² And they were calling Bar-Nabba "Zeus" and Rav Sha’ul "Hermes," vi-bahlt (since) Rav Sha’ul was the main speaker.

¹³ And the priest of Zeus was outside the city and brought bulls and flower wreaths to the gates; he and the multitudes wanted to offer pagan korbanot (sacrifices).

¹⁴ But having heard this, the Moshiach’s Shlichim Bar-Nabba and Rav Sha’ul tore their kaftans and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,

¹⁵ "Anashim, why are you doing these things? We also are of the same nature as you, mere men, preaching to you to turn in teshuva from these worthless things to the Elohim Chayyim who made HASHOMAYIM V’ES HAARETZ V’ES HAYAM and all the things in them; [1Sm 12:21; Gn 1:1; Ps 146:6; Ex 20:11]

¹⁶ "In the dorot having passed, Hashem allowed all the Goyim to go their own way. [Ps 81:12; Mic 4:5]

¹⁷ "And yet Hashem did not leave himself without an eidus (witness) in doing hatovim to you, giving geshem from Shomayim and seasons of bearing p’ri, filling you with okhel and your levavot with simcha." [Dt 11:14; Job 5:10; Ps 65:10; 4:7; 147:20]

¹⁸ And even saying these things, it was with difficulty that Moshiach’s Shlichim restrained the multitudes from offering pagan korbanot to them. [AMOS 9:11 TARGUM HASHIVIM; YIRMEYAH 12:15; YESHAYAH 45:21]

¹⁹ Then [disobedient] Yehudim came from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium and, having won over the crowds and having stoned Rav Sha’ul, they were dragging him outside the city, thinking he was dead.

²⁰ And after the Moshiach’s talmidim had surrounded Rav Sha’ul, he got up and entered the city. And on the next day he went with Bar-Nabba to Derbe.

²¹ And having preached the Besuras HaGeulah in that city and having made many talmidim, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Pisidian Antioch,

²² Strengthening the nefashot (souls) of Moshiach’s talmidim, encouraging them to remain in the [Orthodox Jewish] emunah (faith), and exhorting them that through tzarot rabbot it is necessary for us to enter into the Malchut Hashem.

²³ And having chosen for messianic s’michah Zekenim to be installed in every one of Moshiach’s Kehillot, and having davened with tzomot, the Moshiach’s Shlichim commended them to Adoneinu in whom they had emunah.

²⁴ And having gone through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.

²⁵ And having spoken the dvar Hashem in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ And from there, they sailed away to Syrian Antioch, their point of origin from which they had been commended to the Chen v’Chesed Hashem to the Messianic avodas kodesh which they had completed.

²⁷ Upon their arrival in Syrian Antioch, they assembled the Moshiach’s Kehillah there, and were reporting what Hashem had done with them and how he had opened for the Nations a sha’ar of emunah.

²⁸ And they were spending not a little zman with the talmidim.

15 And some men came down from Yehudah to Syrian Antioch and were teaching the Achim b’Moshiach that if you lack the bris milah as prescribed by Moshe Rabbenu, it is impossible for you to come to Yeshu’at Eloheinu.

² Now this brought them into a dispute and a debate of no little proportion with Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, who were appointed to go up with some others from them to bring this she’elah (question) before the Moshiach’s Shlichim and Zekenim in Yerushalayim.

³ Then having been sent on their way by the Kehillah, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Shomron telling in detail how the Nations were turning to Hashem and they were bringing great simcha to all the Achim b’Moshiach.

⁴ And having come to Yerushalayim, they were there received by Moshiach’s Kehillah and the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Zekenim, and they reported what things Hashem had done with them.

⁵ But some of the ma’aminim hameshichiyim from the kat of the Perushim rose up, saying, "It is necessary to give the Goyim the bris milah and to command them to be shomer mitzvot, keeping the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu."

⁶ And the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Zekenim were gathered together as a council to consider this matter.

⁷ And after much deliberation had taken place, Moshiach’s Shliach Shimon Kefa got up. Kefa said to them, "Anashim, Achim b’Moshiach, you have da’as that in the early days Hashem chose that among you I would be the one and through my mouth the Goyim would hear the dvar Hashem of the Besuras HaGeulah and would come to emunah [in the Orthodox Jewish faith].

⁸ "And the One who has da’as of levavot, Hashem, bore solemn edut and stood as their witness, having given the non-Jews the Ruach Hakodesh just as Hashem did also to us Jews [Acts 2:4; 10:46; 11:15-16].

⁹ "And in making tehorot their levavot by emunah, in this respect Hashem did not differentiate between us Jews and those non-Jews.

¹⁰ "Therefore, now why are you testing Hashem by laying an ol (yoke) upon the neck of the talmidim which neither Avoteinu nor we were able to bear? [Dt 9:5-6; Jer 31:31-34]

¹¹ "On the contrary, Anu Ma’aminim (We believe) that we Jews come to Yeshu’at Eloheinu by the Chen v’Chesed Hashem of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu in the same Derech Hashem as those non-Jews do also." [Ro 3:9,30; Ga.3:12-13; Isa 53:9-12; Pp.3:9; Dt 9:4-6; Lk 18:11-12]

¹² And then all the multitude was silent and they were listening to Bar-Nabba and Rav Sha’ul describing what otot and moftim Hashem did among the Nations through them.

¹³ And after Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba fell silent, Moshiach’s Shliach Ya’akov [see p.848] responded, saying, "Anashim, Achim b’Moshiach, listen to me.

¹⁴ "Shimon explained how Hashem first concerned Himself to receive from the Nations a people for SHMO [ZECHARYAH 6:12].

¹⁵ "And this is in agreement with the dvarim of the Nevi’im, just as it has been written,

¹⁶ ‘After these things I will return and AKIM ES SUKKAT DOVID HANOFELET VHARISOTAV AKIM U’VENITIHA ("I will restore the tent of Dovid which has fallen and the things having been torn down of it I will rebuild and I will restore it"),

¹⁷ “So that the she’erit (remnant) of anashim might seek Hashem and all the GOYIM who are called by my Name,

¹⁸ “Says the L-rd, who makes these things known from long ago. [Amos 9:11f Targum HaShivim, 12; Jer 12:15; Isa 45:21]

¹⁹ "Therefore, it is my judgment not to trouble the ones from the Goyim turning in teshuva to Hashem,

²⁰ "But to write to them to keep away from the pollution of elilim and of zenut and of the thing strangled and of dahm. [Lv 3:17; 7:26; 17:10 13; 19:26; Dt 12:16,23]

²¹ "For Moshe Rabbenu from ancient dorot in every shtetl has his maggidim and in the shuls every Shabbos he has been read."

²² Then it was mekabel (received) by the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Zekenim with the entire Kehillah to choose anashim from them to send to Syrian Antioch with Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, also Yehudah called Bar-Sabba, and Sila, all manhigim among the Achim b’Moshiach,

²³ With the following iggeret: "From the Achim b’Moshiach, Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Zekenim: to the Achim b’Moshiach throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, to those from among the Nations, Shalom!

²⁴ "Vi-bahlt (since) we heard that certain men had gone out from us, though not having any directives from us, and have given you mitzvot with dvarim unsettling your nefashot (souls),

²⁵ "It was mekabel to us, having come to achdus in mind and having chosen anashim to send to you, along with our beloved chaverim Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul

²⁶ "Anashim who have imperiled their lives for haShem of Moshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua

²⁷ "Therefore we have sent Yehudah and Sila, and they too will confirm us in person by word of mouth.

²⁸ "For it was mekabel to the Ruach Hakodesh and to us to lay no heavier burden upon you who are from the Nations except these necessary things:

²⁹ "That you non-Jewish ma’aminim hameshichiyim keep away from meat sacrificed to elilim, and dahm, and what is strangled, and zenut. If you are shomer to avoid these, you will do well. Shalom!"

³⁰ Therefore, having been dismissed, they went down to Syrian Antioch, and having gathered together the multitude, they delivered the iggeret.

³¹ And having read it, there was a response of simcha gedolah at the exhortation.

³² Both Yehudah and Sila, being themselves nevi’im hameshichiyim also, with many dvarim comforted the Achim b’Moshiach and gave them chizzuk.

³³ And after they had spent considerable time, they were dismissed with shalom from the Achim b’Moshiach and sent back to the ones having dispatched them. [1Sm 1:17]

³⁴ [Notwithstanding it seemed tov to Sila to remain there.]

³⁵ And Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba were staying in Syrian Antioch saying shiurim and drashot with also many others, the content of these being the dvar Hashem.

³⁶ And after some yamim Rav Sha’ul said to Bar-Nabba, "Let’s return, then, and visit the Achim b’Moshiach throughout every city in which we proclaimed the dvar Hashem to see how they are doing."

³⁷ And Bar-Nabba was deciding to take along also Yochanan called Markos.

³⁸ But Rav Sha’ul was insisting not to take along this one, the one having withdrawn from them from Pamphylia, not having gone with them to the avodas kodesh ministry of the Moshiach’s Shlichus.

³⁹ And there was a sharp disagreement so that they were separated from one another, and Bar-Nabba took Markos and sailed away to Cyprus.

⁴⁰ And Rav Sha’ul chose Sila and departed, having been commended to the Chen v’Chesed Hashem by the Achim b’Moshiach.

⁴¹ And they were traveling through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the Moshiach’s Kehillot.

16 And Rav Sha’ul arrived also in Derbe and went on to Lystra. And, hinei, a certain talmid of Moshiach was there by the name Timotiyos, the ben of a faithful Yiddisha isha but whose abba was Yevani.

² Timotiyos was a bochur who was well spoken of by the Achim b’Moshiach in Lystra and Iconium.

³ Rav Sha’ul wanted Timotiyos to come along with his chavurah, so he took him and did a bris milah, because of the Yehudim in those places, for everyone had da’as that his abba was Yevani.

⁴ And as they were traveling through the cities, they were handing on to them to be shomer regarding the mitzvot that had been laid down by the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Ziknei HaKehillot of Moshiach in Yerushalayim.

⁵ The Moshiach’s Kehillot, therefore, were growing in the emunah (faith), and yom yom were increasing in number.

⁶ And they traveled through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Ruach Hakodesh to speak the dvar Hashem in [the Roman Province of] Asia.

⁷ And having come to the border of Mysia, they were trying to go toward Bithynia, and the Ruach of Moshiach did not permit them.

⁸ So, passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

⁹ And during the lailah a chazon (vision) appeared to Rav Sha’ul. It was of a certain ish from Macedonia who had been standing and was begging him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

¹⁰ And when Rav Sha’ul saw the chazon, immediately he sought to cross over to Macedonia, concluding that Hashem had called us to preach the Besuras HaGeulah to them.

¹¹ And having set sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and, on the next day, to Neapolis;

¹² and from there, to Philippi, which is a chashuve city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were in this city, staying some yamim.

¹³ And on Shabbos, we went outside the sha’ar to a river where there was a mikveh mayim, supposing there we would find a minyan davening, and having sat down, we were speaking with the nashim who had assembled.

¹⁴ And a certain isha, by the name Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, of the city of Thyatira, a yirat Elohim, was listening, and Hashem opened her lev (heart) to pay attention to the things being spoken by Rav Sha’ul.

¹⁵ And when she was given the Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva along with all her household, she said, "If you have judged me ne’emanah to Hashem, enter into my bais and stay there." And she prevailed upon us.

¹⁶ And it came about when we were going to where they held the minyan, that a certain shifchah having a ruach of the python (i.e., a shed, demon) came out to meet us. She was bringing much profit to her adonim by divination. [Dt 18:11; 1Sm 28:3,7]

¹⁷ This one was following Rav Sha’ul, crying out, saying, "These anashim are avadim of G-d HaElyon and are proclaiming to you the Derech HaYeshu’at Eloheinu."

¹⁸ And this kviusdik thing she was doing for many yamim; but Rav Sha’ul, whom she wouldn’t stop derkutshen, turned to the ruach, and said, "I command you in haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to come out from her!” And it came out in the same hour.

¹⁹ And when her adonim saw that the tikvah of their profit also left her, they seized Rav Sha’ul and Sila, and they dragged them into the marketplace before their manhigim;

²⁰ And having brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These anashim, being Jews, are disturbing our city,”

²¹ "And they are proclaiming minhagim which it is not permitted for us, being Romans, to accept or to do." [ESTHER 3:8]

²² And the multitude rose up together keneged Rav Sha’ul and Sila; and the chief magistrates, having torn off the kaftans of Moshiach’s Shlichim, were giving orders to beat them.

²³ And having inflicted klop after klop upon these Jewish men, they threw Rav Sha’ul and Sila into the beis hasohar, giving orders to the soher to guard them securely.

²⁴ And the soher, having received such an order, threw them into the inner beis hasohar, and he fastened their feet in the stock. [IYOV 13:27; 33:11; YIRMEYAH 20:2,3; 29:26]

²⁵ And about chatzot halailah Rav Sha’ul and Sila were davening and were singing niggunim to Hashem, and the prisoners were listening to them.

²⁶ And, suddenly, there came a gevaltike earthquake, so that the beis hasohar was shaken to its foundations, and immediately were opened all delatot (doors) and all sharsherot (chains) were unfastened.

²⁷ And the soher, having awakened and having seen the delatot of the beis hasohar having been opened, drew his cherev (sword) and was about to commit suicide, thinking the prisoners had run away.

²⁸ But Rav Sha’ul shouted with a kol gadol, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here."

²⁹ And having asked for lights, he rushed in and, starting to tremble with pachad, he fell down before Rav Sha’ul and Sila.

³⁰ Then, leading them outside, the soher said, "Rabbotai, what is it necessary for me to do that I may come to Yeshu’at Eloheinu?"

³¹ And Moshiach’s Shlichim said, "Have emunah in the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, and you will come to Yeshu’at Eloheinu, you and your bais."

³² And they spoke to him the dvar Hashem together with all the ones in his bais.

³³ And having taken them in that hour of the lailah, the soher washed their wounds, and at once he did getoivult (was given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva), as well as his entire mishpochah.

³⁴ After that he led them to tish in his bais, and he set before them okhel, and he with his whole bais had simcha gedolah that they had come to emunah in Hashem.

³⁵ And in the boker, the magistrates sent the soterim (policemen), saying, "Release those men."

³⁶ And the soher reported these words to Rav Sha’ul, saying, "The magistrates sent word that you may be released; now, therefore, go and depart in shalom." [SHOFETIM 18:6]

³⁷ But Rav Sha’ul said to them, "After giving us a public flogging, though we are uncondemned Roman citizens, they threw us into the beis hasohar; and now are they secretly sending us out? No, indeed! Let them come themselves and lead us out in public."