By all these things,<n id="1" /> I have shown you that by working in this way we must help<n id="2" /> the weak,<n id="3" /> and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, &#8216;It is more blessed to give than to receive.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

When<n id="1" /> our time was over,<n id="2" /> we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied<n id="3" /> us outside of the city. After<n id="4" /> kneeling down on the beach and praying,<n id="5" />

When they heard this, they praised<n id="1" /> God. Then they said to him, &#8220;You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews<n id="2" /> there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers<n id="3" /> of the law.<n id="4" />

They have been informed about you &#8211; that you teach all the Jews now living<n id="1" /> among the Gentiles to abandon<n id="2" /> Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children<n id="3" /> or live<n id="4" /> according to our customs.

take them and purify<n id="1" /> yourself along with them and pay their expenses,<n id="2" /> so that they may have their heads shaved.<n id="3" /> Then<n id="4" /> everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told<n id="5" /> about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with<n id="6" /> the law.<n id="7" />

When the seven days were almost over,<n id="1" /> the Jews from the province of Asia<n id="2" /> who had seen him in the temple area<n id="3" /> stirred up the whole crowd<n id="4" /> and seized<n id="5" /> him,

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders<n id="1" /> can testify about me. From them<n id="2" /> I also received<n id="3" /> letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way<n id="4" /> to make arrests there and bring<n id="5" /> the prisoners<n id="6" /> to Jerusalem<n id="7" /> to be punished.

So I asked,<n id="1" /> &#8216;What should I do, Lord?&#8217; The Lord said to me, &#8216;Get up<n id="2" /> and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything<n id="3" /> that you have been designated<n id="4" /> to do.&#8217;

<t /><p class="bodytext">The next day, because the commanding officer<n id="1" /> wanted to know the true reason<n id="2" /> Paul<n id="3" /> was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council<n id="4" /> to assemble. He then brought<n id="5" /> Paul down and had him stand before them.p>

But I confess this to you, that I worship<n id="1" /> the God of our ancestors<n id="2" /> according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law<n id="3" /> and that is written in the prophets.

When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself<n id="2" /> by kicking against the goads.&#8217;<n id="3" />

but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea,<n id="1" /> and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God,<n id="2" /> performing deeds consistent with<n id="3" /> repentance.

Paul replied, &#8220;I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time<n id="1" /> not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

The local inhabitants<n id="1" /> showed us extraordinary<n id="2" /> kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain<n id="3" /> and was cold.

<p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>Andi>b> in the last days<n id="1" /> <b><i>it will be,i>b>&#8217; <b><i>God says,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>that I will pour out my Spirit on all people,i>b><n id="2" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and your young men will see visions,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><i><b>and your old men will dream dreamsb>.i>p>

When they heard this, they entered the temple courts<n id="1" /> at daybreak and began teaching.<n id="2" />p> <p class="bodytext">Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin<n id="3" /> &#8211; that is, the whole high council<n id="4" /> of the Israelites<n id="5" /> &#8211; and sent to the jail to have the apostles<n id="6" /> brought before them.<n id="7" />

So Peter got up and went with them, and<n id="1" /> when he arrived<n id="2" /> they brought him to the upper room. All<n id="3" /> the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him<n id="4" /> the tunics<n id="5" /> and other clothing<n id="6" /> Dorcas used to make<n id="7" /> while she was with them.

&#8220;Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures<n id="1" /> just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn<n id="2" /> from these worthless<n id="3" /> things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth,<n id="4" /> the sea, and everything that is in them.

shouting, &#8220;Men of Israel,<n id="1" /> help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law,<n id="2" /> and this sanctuary!<n id="3" /> Furthermore<n id="4" /> he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple<n id="5" /> and made this holy place ritually unclean!&#8221;<n id="6" />

&#8220;I am a Jew,<n id="1" /> born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up<n id="2" /> in this city, educated with strictness<n id="3" /> under<n id="4" /> Gamaliel<n id="5" /> according to the law of our ancestors,<n id="6" /> and was<n id="7" /> zealous<n id="8" /> for God just as all of you are today.