Acts 5

¹ Now a certain man named Ananias, together with Sapphira, his wife, sells an acquisition ² and embezzles from the price (his wife also having been conscious of it) and, bringing a certain part, he places it at the feet of the apostles. ³ Now Peter said, "Ananias, wherefore does Satan fill your heart for you to falsify to the holy spirit and to embezzle from the price of the freehold? ⁴ Did it not, while remaining, remain yours? And, being disposed of, it belonged to you by right. Why is it that you placed this matter in your heart? You do not lie to men, but to God. ⁵ Now Ananias, hearing these words, falling down, gives up the soul. And great fear came on all those hearing these things. ⁶ Now rising, the younger men enshroud him, and carrying him out, they entomb him. ⁷ Now it occurred, after an interval of about three hours, that his wife, not being aware of what has occurred, entered. ⁸ Now Peter answered her, "Tell me if you took so much pay for the freehold?" Now she said, "Yes, so much." ⁹ Now Peter said to her, Why is it that you agreed to try the spirit of the Lord? Lo! the feet of those who entomb your husband are at the door, and they shall be carrying you out." ¹⁰ Now, instantly, she falls at his feet and gives up the soul. Now entering, the youths found her dead, and carrying her out, they entomb her with her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came on the whole ecclesia and on all those who hear these things. ¹² Now through the hands of the apostles many signs and miracles occurred among the people. And they were all, with one accord, in the portico of Solomon. ¹³ Now of the rest, no one dared to join them, but the people magnify them, ¹⁴ yet, rather, there were added of those believing the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they are carrying out the infirm into the squares also, and placing them on cots and pallets, that, at Peter's coming, if ever even his shadow should be overshadowing any of them. ¹⁶ Now a multitude also from the cities about Jerusalem came together, bringing the infirm and those molested by unclean spirits, all of whom were cured. ¹⁷ Now when the chief priest and all those with him rise (being the sect of the Sadducees), they are filled with jealousy, ¹⁸ and laid hands on the apostles and place them in public custody. ¹⁹ Yet a messenger of the Lord, during the night, opens the doors of the jail. Besides, leading them out, he said, ²⁰ Go, and, standing in the sanctuary, speak to the people all the declarations of this life. ²¹ Now, hearing this, they entered into the sanctuary in the early morning and taught. Now the chief priest and those with him, coming along, call together the Sanhedrin and the entire senate of the sons of Israel, and they dispatch to the prison to have them led forth. ²² Yet the deputies, coming along, did not find them in the jail. Now turning back, they report, ²³ saying that, "The prison we found locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors. Yet, when opening them, we found no one within." ²⁴ Now as they hear these words, both the officer of the sanctuary and the chief priests were bewildered concerning them, as to whatever may come of this. ²⁵ Now someone, coming along, reports to them that "Lo! the men whom you placed in the jail are in the sanctuary, standing and teaching the people." ²⁶ Then the officer, together with the deputies, coming forth, led them, but not with violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned." ²⁷ Now, leading them, they stand them in the Sanhedrin. And the chief priest inquires of them, ²⁸ saying, "Do we not charge you with a charge not to be teaching in this Name? And lo! you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and are intending to bring on us the blood of this man." ²⁹ Yet answering, Peter and the apostles say, "One must yield to God rather than to men. ³⁰ Now the God of our fathers rouses Jesus, on Whom you lay hands, hanging Him on a pole. ³¹ This Inaugurator and Saviour, God exalts to His right hand, to give repentance to Israel and the pardon of sins. ³² We are witnesses to these declarations, as well as the holy spirit which God gives to those yielding to Him." ³³ Now those who hear were harrowed, and they intended to assassinate them. ³⁴ Yet, rising, a certain Pharisee in the Sanhedrin, named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by the entire people, orders them to put the men outside a bit. ³⁵ Besides he said to them, "Men! Israelites! Take heed to yourselves, as to these men, what you are about to be committing. ³⁶ For before these days rose Theudas, saying that he is somebody himself, to whom men numbering about four hundred inclined, who was assassinated, and all, whoever were persuaded by him, were disbanded, and came to nothing. ³⁷ After this, one rose, Judas, the Galilean, in the days of the registration, and draws away people after him, and he perished, and all, whoever were persuaded by him, are scattered. ³⁸ And now I am saying to you, Withdraw from these men and let them be, for if this counsel or this work should be of men, it will be demolished; ³⁹ yet if it is of God, you will not be able to demolish them - lest at some time you may be found fighters against God also." ⁴⁰ Now they are persuaded by him, and, calling the apostles to them, and lashing them, they charge them not to be speaking in the name of Jesus, and release them. ⁴¹ They, indeed, then, went from the face of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were deemed worthy to be dishonored for the sake of the Name. ⁴² Besides, every day, in the sanctuary and home by home, they ceased not teaching and bringing the evangel of Christ Jesus.