praising God and having the good will<n id="1" /> of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day<n id="2" /> those who were being saved.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">While the man<n id="1" /> was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway<n id="2" /> called Solomon&#8217;s Portico.<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">While Peter and John<n id="1" /> were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander<n id="2" /> of the temple guard<n id="3" /> and the Sadducees<n id="4" /> came up<n id="5" /> to them,

But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more<n id="1" /> to anyone in this name.&#8221;

who said by the Holy Spirit through<n id="1" /> your servant David our forefather,<n id="2" />p> <p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>Why do the nationsi>b><n id="3" /> <b><i>rage,i>b><n id="4" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and the peoples plot foolishi>b><n id="5" /> <b><i>things?i>b>p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now many miraculous signs<n id="1" /> and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By<n id="2" /> common consent<n id="3" /> they were all meeting together in Solomon&#8217;s Portico.<n id="4" />

Then the commander<n id="1" /> of the temple guard<n id="2" /> went with the officers<n id="3" /> and brought the apostles<n id="4" /> without the use of force<n id="5" /> (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people).<n id="6" />p>

But a Pharisee<n id="1" /> whose name was Gamaliel,<n id="2" /> a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up<n id="3" /> in the council<n id="4" /> and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.

They incited the people, the<n id="1" /> elders, and the experts in the law;<n id="2" /> then they approached Stephen,<n id="3" /> seized him, and brought him before the council.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham,<n id="1" /> the people increased greatly in number<n id="2" /> in Egypt,

He<n id="1" /> was a devout, God-fearing man,<n id="2" /> as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people<n id="3" /> and prayed to God regularly.

He<n id="1" /> commanded us to preach to the people and to warn<n id="2" /> them<n id="3" /> that he is the one<n id="4" /> appointed<n id="5" /> by God as judge<n id="6" /> of the living and the dead.

When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads<n id="1" /> of soldiers to guard him. Herod<n id="2" /> planned<n id="3" /> to bring him out for public trial<n id="4" /> after the Passover.

and<n id="1" /> for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied<n id="2" /> him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These<n id="3" /> are now his witnesses to the people.

because I am with you, and no one will assault<n id="1" /> you to harm<n id="2" /> you, because I have many people in this city.&#8221;

Paul replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I did not realize,<n id="2" /> brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, &#8216;<b><i>You must not speak evil about a ruler of your peoplei>b>.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

that<n id="1" /> the Christ<n id="2" /> was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people<n id="3" /> and to the Gentiles.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="otpoetry">&#8220;<b><i>And in the very placei>b><n id="1" /> <i><b>where it was said to themb>,i> &#8216;<i><b>You are not my peopleb>,i>&#8217;p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>there they will be calledi>b> &#8216;<i><b>sons of the living Godb>.i>&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

But about Israel he says, &#8220;<b><i>All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!i>b>&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.