Acts 4
1 [Meanwhile, in the temple courtyard, there were some] priests, the officer who was in charge of the temple police, and [also some] [SYN] Sadducee [sect members]. These men came to Peter and John while the two of them were speaking to the people.
And as they are speaking unto the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees —
2 These men were very angry, because the [two] apostles were teaching the people [about Jesus]. What they were telling the people was that because ([God caused Jesus to become alive again/God raised] Jesus [from the dead]), [God] would cause other people who had died to become alive again.
being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the rising again out of the dead —
3 So those officials seized Peter and John. Then they put them in jail. [They had to wait] until the next day [to question Peter and John], because it was already evening [and it was contrary to their Jewish law to question people at night].
and they laid hands upon them, and did put them in custody unto the morrow, for it was evening already;
4 However, many people who had heard the message [from Peter] believed [in Jesus]. (OR, But many people had [already] believed [in Jesus, because] they had heard the message [from Peter].) So the number of men [who believed in Jesus] increased to about five 5,000.
and many of those hearing the word did believe, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.
5 The next day [the supreme priest summoned] the [other] chief priests, the teachers of the [Jewish] laws, and the other members [of the Jewish Council, and they] gathered together [in one place] in Jerusalem.
And it came to pass upon the morrow, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem,
6 Annas, [the former] supreme priest, Caiaphas [who was the new supreme priest], [two other former supreme priests whose names were] John and Alexander, and other men who were related to the supreme priest [were there].
and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the chief priest,
7 They [commanded guards to] bring Peter and John into the courtroom [MTY] and have them stand in front of them. [Then one of] the leaders questioned [the two of] them, saying, “Who [do you two claim] gave you the power [to heal this man]? And who authorized [MTY] you to do this [DOU]?”
and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, 'In what power, or in what name did ye do this?'
8 So as the Holy Spirit completely controlled Peter, he said to them, “You [fellow Israelites] who rule us and [all of you other] elders, [listen]!
Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them: 'Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 Today you are questioning us concerning our doing something good for a man who was crippled, and you asked us how he was healed.
if we to-day are examined concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he hath been saved,
10 So [we(exc) want] you and all [of our other] fellow Israelites to know this: It is because Jesus the Messiah [MTY] from Nazareth healed this man that he is able to stand here. [God considers that] it was you who nailed Jesus to a cross, but God caused him to become alive again.
be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye did crucify, whom God did raise out of the dead, in him hath this one stood by before you whole.
11 [In the Psalms this was written about the Messiah: ] He is [like] [MET] the stone that was rejected by the builders {that the builders rejected}. But that stone became the most important stone in the building [that they were building]. [Jesus is that stone, and] you [are those builders who threw away the stone that was the most important one].
'This is the stone that was set at nought by you — the builders, that became head of a corner;
12 So he alone can save us [MTY]. [God] has sent only one person [MTY] into the world who can save us [from the guilt of our sins, and that person is Jesus]!”
and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.'
13 The [Jewish leaders] realized that Peter and John (were not afraid [of them]/spoke boldly). They also learned that the two men were ordinary people who had not studied in schools. So the leaders were amazed, and they realized that these men had associated with Jesus.
And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering — they were taking knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been —
14 They also saw the man who had been healed standing there with [the two of] them, so they were not able to say anything [to oppose Peter and John].
and seeing the man standing with them who hath been healed, they had nothing to say against [it],
15 So the [Jewish leaders] commanded [guards] to take Peter, John, and the man outside of the room [where those leaders were meeting. After they did so], the leaders talked with each other [about Peter and John].
and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another,
16 [Being frustrated, one after another], they said, “(There is really nothing that we can do to [punish] these [two] men!/How can we [(inc)] do anything to [punish] these [two] men?) [RHQ] Almost everyone [HYP] who is living in Jerusalem knows that they have done an amazing miracle, so we cannot tell people that it did not happen!
saying, 'What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem [is] manifest, and we are not able to deny [it];
17 However, [we] must not allow other people to hear about [this miracle]. So we must tell these men that [we will punish them if they] continue to tell other people about this [MTY] man [who they say gave them the power to do it].”
but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'
18 So the Jewish leaders [commanded guards] to bring the two apostles [into that room again. After they did so], they [commanded] them both that they should never speak about Jesus, and they should not teach [anyone about him] [MTY] [again].
And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus,
19 But Peter and John replied, “Would God think that it is right [for us two] to obey you and not [to obey] him? [We(exc) will let] you decide [which of those you think is proper].
and Peter and John answering unto them said, 'Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;
20 [But as for us, we cannot obey you]. We will not stop telling people about the things that we [(exc)] have seen [Jesus do] and what we have heard [him teach].”
for we cannot but speak what we did see and hear.'
21 Then the [Jewish leaders] again told [Peter and John] not to disobey them. But all the people [there] were praising God about what had happened [to the lame man. The leaders knew that only God could have enabled Peter and John] to miraculously heal the man, because the man was more than 40 years old [and he was lame when his mother bore him. They also knew that the people would become angry if they punished the two apostles]. So, because they could not decide how to punish Peter and John, [they finally] let them go.
And they having further threatened [them], let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which hath been done,
for above forty years of age was the man upon whom had been done this sign of the healing.
23 After Peter and John had been released, they went to the other believers and reported all that the chief priests and [other Jewish] elders had said to them.
And being let go, they went unto their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said unto them,
24 When they heard that, they [all] agreed as they prayed to God, and [one of] them prayed, “O Lord! You [(sg)] made the sky, the earth and the oceans, and everything in them.
and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, 'Lord, thou [art] God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that [are] in them,
25 The Holy Spirit caused our ancestor, [King] David [MTY], who served you, to write these words: [It is ridiculous] [RHQ] that the non-Jews became angry and the Israelite people planned uselessly [to oppose God].
who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things?
26 The kings of the world prepared to fight [God’s Ruler], and the [other] rulers assembled together [with them] to oppose the Lord [God] and the one whom he had appointed [to be the Messiah].
the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ;
27 [Lord, we know that what you(sg) said long ago was true], because [King] Herod and the [governor], Pontius Pilate, and many other people, both non-Jews and Israelites, assembled together [here] in this city. [They] planned [to kill] Jesus, who devotedly served you [and] whom you appointed [MTY] [to be the Messiah].
for gathered together of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel,
28 [Because] you [(sg)] are all-powerful, those people did [only] what you [SYN] allowed [them to do]. It was what you decided long ago would happen.”
to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel did determine before to come to pass.
29 “So now, Lord, listen to what they are saying about punishing us! Help us who serve you [(sg)] to very boldly speak messages from you [(sg) about Jesus]
'And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word,
30 [Also], by your power [MTY] miraculously heal [sick people] and do other amazing miracles [SYN] that show people your power! Ask Jesus, who always serves you, [to give us the authority] [MTY] [to do such miracles]!”
in the stretching forth of Thy hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the name of Thy holy child Jesus.'
31 When the believers had finished praying, the place where they were meeting shook. All of them were (completely controlled/empowered) by the Holy Spirit {the Holy Spirit (completely controlled/empowered) all of them}, with the result that they began to speak boldly the words that God [told them to speak].
And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom,
32 The group of people who had believed [in Jesus] were completely agreed about what they thought and what they wanted/desired. Not one of them claimed that he [alone] owned anything. Instead, they shared with one another everything that they had.
and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common.
33 The apostles continued to tell others, very powerfully, [that God] had (caused the Lord Jesus to become alive again/raised the Lord Jesus from the dead). [People knew that God] was graciously helping all the believers.
And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them all,
34 [Some of] the believers who owned land or houses would occasionally sell [some of] their property. Then they would bring [the money for what they sold]
for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling [them], were bringing the prices of the thing sold,
35 and they would present it to the apostles [MTY]. Then [the apostles] would give money to any [believer] who needed [it]. So no one among the believers was lacking anything.
and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need.
36 [For example, there was] Joseph. [He was] a descendant of Levi [and he was born] on Cyprus [Island]. The apostles called him Barnabas; [in the Jewish language] that name means a person who [IDM] always encourages [others].
And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas — which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort — a Levite, of Cyprus by birth,
37 He sold one of his fields, and brought the money to the apostles [for them to distribute to other believers].
a field being his, having sold [it], brought the money and laid [it] at the feet of the apostles.
