| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. | 1But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. |
| 2With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. | 2He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. |
| 3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? | 3Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. |
| 4Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!” | 4The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” |
| 5On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened. | 5As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. |
| 6Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. | 6Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. |
| 7About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened. | 7About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. |
| 8“Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.” | 8Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” |
| 9“How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” | 9And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” |
| 10At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. | 10Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. |
| 11And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events. | 11Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened. The Apostles Heal Many |
| 12The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade. | 12The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. |
| 13Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them. | 13But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. |
| 14Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women. | 14Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. |
| 15As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. | 15As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. |
| 16Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed. | 16Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. The Apostles Meet Opposition |
| 17Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out | 17The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. |
| 18and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. | 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. |
| 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying, | 19But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, |
| 20“Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.” | 20“Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” |
| 21At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. | 21So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council —the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. |
| 22But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report: | 22But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, |
| 23“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” | 23“The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!” |
| 24When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening. | 24When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. |
| 25Then someone came in and announced, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people!” | 25Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!” |
| 26At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them. | 26The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. |
| 27They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them. | 27Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. |
| 28“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.” | 28“We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!” |
| 29But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. | 29But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. |
| 30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. | 30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. |
| 31God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. | 31Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. |
| 32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” | 32We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.” |
| 33When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death. | 33When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. |
| 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a short time. | 34But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. |
| 35“Men of Israel,” he said, “consider carefully what you are about to do to these men. | 35Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! |
| 36Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. | 36Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. |
| 37After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew away people after him. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered. | 37After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered. |
| 38So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail. | 38“So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. |
| 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.” | 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” |
| 40At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. | 40The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. |
| 41The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. | 41The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. |
| 42Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. | 42And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” |
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