| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, | 1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. |
| 2greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. | 2These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. |
| 3They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day. | 3They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. |
| 4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. | 4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000. |
| 5The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, | 5The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. |
| 6along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family. | 6Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. |
| 7They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” | 7They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” |
| 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! | 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, |
| 9If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed, | 9are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? |
| 10then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. | 10Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. |
| 11This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ | 11For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ |
| 12Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” | 12There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” |
| 13When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. | 13The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. |
| 14And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response. | 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. |
| 15So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. | 15So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. |
| 16“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it. | 16“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. |
| 17But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” | 17But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” |
| 18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. | 18So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. |
| 19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. | 19But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? |
| 20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” | 20We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” |
| 21After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. | 21The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God |
| 22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. | 22for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years. The Believers Pray for Courage |
| 23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. | 23As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. |
| 24When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. | 24When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— |
| 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? | 25you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? |
| 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’ | 26The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against his Messiah.’ |
| 27In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. | 27“In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. |
| 28They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. | 28But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. |
| 29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, | 29And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. |
| 30as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” | 30Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” |
| 31After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. | 31After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. The Believers Share Their Possessions |
| 32The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. | 32All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. |
| 33With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all. | 33The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. |
| 34There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, | 34There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them |
| 35and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need. | 35and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. |
| 36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement), | 36For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. |
| 37sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. | 37He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. |
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