Acts 5
1 And a certain man whose name was Ananias, with his wife whose name was Sapphira, sold his field,
There was, however, a man named Ananias, who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property,
2 and carried away part of the price and concealed it, his wife consenting; and he brought a part of the money, and laid it before the feet of the legates.
and, with her connivance, kept back some of the proceeds. He brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 And Simon said to him: Ananias, why hath Satan so filled thy heart, that thou shouldst lie against the Holy Spirit, and conceal of the money of the price of the field?
“Ananias,” Peter exclaimed, “how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?
4 Was it not thine own before it was sold? And when sold, again thou hadst authority over the price of it. Why hast thou set thy heart to do this purpose? Thou hast not lied against men, but against God.
While it was unsold, was not it your own? And after it was sold, was not the money at your own disposal? How did you come to think of such a thing? You have lied, not to people, but to God!”
5 And when Ananias heard these words, he fell down, and died. And great fear was upon all them that heard of it.
As Ananias heard these words, he fell down and expired; and everyone who heard of it was appalled.
6 And the young men among them arose, and gathered him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
The young men got up, and, winding the body in a sheet, carried it out and buried it.
7 And when three hours had passed, his wife also came in, without knowing what had occurred.
After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Simon said to her: Tell me, if ye sold the field for this price? And she said: Yes, for this price.
“Is it true,” Peter asked, addressing her, “that you sold your land for such a sum?” “Yes,” she answered, “we did.”
9 Simon said to her: Since ye have been equals in tempting the Spirit of the Lord, lo, the feet of the buriers of thy husband are at the door, and they will carry thee out.
Then Peter said, “How did you come to agree to provoke the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out too.”
10 And immediately she fell before their feet, and died. And those young men came in, and found her dead; and they took up, carried forth, and buried her by the side of her husband.
Instantly Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and expired. On coming in, the young men found her dead; so they carried her out and buried her by her husband’s side.
11 And great fear was on all the assembly, and on all them that heard it.
The whole church and all who heard of these events were appalled.
12 And there were many signs and prodigies wrought by the legates among the people. And they were all assembled together in the porch of Solomon.
Many signs and wonders continued to occur among the people, through the instrumentality of the apostles, whose custom it was to meet all together in the Colonnade of Solomon;
13 And of the others, no one ventured to come near them; but the people magnified them.
but of the rest no one ventured to join them. On the other hand, the people were full of their praise,
14 And the more were those added who feared the Lord, a multitude both of men and of women.
and still larger numbers, both of men and women, as they became believers in the Lord, were added to their number.
15 So that they brought out into the streets the sick, laid on beds, that when Simon should pass, at least his shadow might cover them.
The consequence was that people would bring out their sick even into the streets, and lay them on mattresses and mats, in the hope that, as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on someone of them.
16 And many came to them from other cities around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who had unclean spirits; and they were all cured.
Besides this, the inhabitants of the towns around Jerusalem flocked into the city, bringing with them their sick and those who were troubled by foul spirits; and they were cured everyone.
17 And the high priest was filled with indignation, and all those with him who were of the doctrine of the Sadducees.
At this the high priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy,
18 And they laid hands on the legates, and took and bound them in prison.
arrested the apostles, and had them placed in custody.
19 Then the angel of the Lord, by night, opened the door of the prison, and let them out; and said to them:
An angel of the Lord, however, opened the prison doors at night and led them out.
20 Go, stand in the temple, and speak to the people all these words of life.
“Go,” he said, “and stand in the Temple Courts, and tell the people the whole message of this new life.”
21 And in the morning, they went and entered into the temple, and taught. And the high priest and those with him, convoked their associates and the Elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to bring forth the legates.
When they heard this, they went at daybreak into the Temple Courts, and began to teach. The high priest and his party, on their arrival, summoned the High Council, including all the leaders of the people among the Israelites, and sent to the jail to fetch the apostles.
22 And when those sent by them went, they found them not in the prison; and they returned and came back,
But, when the officers got there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported that,
23 and said: We found the prison carefully closed, and also the keepers standing before the doors; and we opened, but found no one there.
while they had found the jail barred securely and the guards posted at the doors, yet, on opening them, they had not found anyone inside.
24 And when the chief priests and rulers of the temple heard these words, they were astonished at them; and they studied what this could mean.
When the officer in charge at the Temple and the chief priests heard their story, they were perplexed about the apostles and as to what all this would lead to.
25 And one came and informed them: Those men, whom ye shut up in the prison, lo, they are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
Presently, however, someone came and told them, that the men whom they had put in prison were actually standing in the Temple Courts, teaching the people.
26 Then went the rulers with attendants, to bring them without violence; for they feared, lest the people should stone them.
Then, the officer went with his men and fetched the apostles – without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people –
27 And when they had brought them, they placed them before the whole council; and the high priest began to say to them:
and then brought them before the Council. The high priest demanded an explanation from them.
28 Did we not strictly charge you, to teach no person in this name? And behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine; and ye would bring the blood of this man upon us.
“We gave you strict orders,” he said, “not to teach in this name. Yet you have actually flooded Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to make us responsible for the death of this man.”
29 And Simon, with the legates, answered and said to them: God is to be obeyed, rather than men.
To this Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.
30 The God of our fathers hath raised up that Jesus, whom ye slew when ye hanged him on a tree.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a cross.
31 Him hath God established as a head and vivifier; and hath exalted him to his own right hand, so that he might give repentance and remission of sins to Israel.
It is this Jesus whom God has exalted to his right hand, to be a guide and a Savior, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are the witnesses of these things; and also the Holy Spirit, whom God giveth to them that believe in him.
And we are witness to the truth of this, and so is the Holy Spirit – the gift of God to those who obey him.”
33 And when they heard these things, they burned with indignation, and thought of putting them to death.
The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the apostles to death.
34 Then rose up one of the Pharisees whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, and honored by all the people; and he directed them to put the legates aside for a short time.
But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.
35 And he said, to them: Men, sons of Israel, take heed to yourselves, and consider what ye ought to do in regard to these men.
He then said, “People of Israel, take care as to what you intend to do with these men.
36 For before this time, rose up Theudas, and said of himself, that he was some great one; and there went after him about four hundred men. And he was slain; and they who went after him, were dispersed and became as nothing.
For not long ago Theudas appeared, professing to be somebody, and was joined by a body of some four hundred men. But he was killed; and all his followers scattered and dwindled away.
37 And after him, rose up Judas a Galilean, in the days when the people were enrolled for the capitation tax; and he seduced much people after him. And he died, and all they that went after him were dispersed.
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census, and induced people to follow him; yet he, too, perished and all his followers were dispersed.
38 And now, I say to you: Desist from these men, and let them lone. For if this device and this work originate from men, they will dissolve and come to nothing.
And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to leave them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;
39 But if it be from God, it is not in your power to frustrate it: that ye may not be found placing yourselves in opposition to God. And they, assented to him.
but, if they are of divine origin, you will be powerless to put an end to them – or else you may find yourselves fighting against God!”
40 And they called the legates, and scourged them, and commanded them not to teach in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
The Council followed his advice, and, calling the apostles in, had them flogged, and then, after cautioning them not to speak in the name of Jesus, set them free.
41 And they went from before them, rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer abuse on account of that name.
But the apostles left the Council, rejoicing that they had been thought worthy to suffer disgrace for that name;
42 And they ceased not to teach daily, in the temple and at home, and to preach concerning our Lord Jesus Messiah.
and never for a single day, either in the Temple Courts or in private houses, did they cease to teach, or to tell the good news of Jesus, the Christ.
