Read Bible Online

Acts has 28 Chapters.

Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16 – Chapter 20
Chapter 21 – Chapter 25
Chapter 26 – Chapter 28

Acts 11

¹Now the apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ²And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, ³saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. ⁴ But Peter began, and expounded [the matter] unto them in order, saying, ⁵I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even unto me: ⁶upon which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw the fourfooted beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and birds of the heaven. ⁷And I heard also a voice saying unto me, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. ⁸But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth. ⁹But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common. ¹⁰And this was done thrice: and all were drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹And behold, forthwith three men stood before the house in which we were, having been sent from Caesarea unto me. ¹²And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no distinction. And these six brethren also accompanied me; and we entered into the man’s house: ¹³and he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, Send to Joppa, and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter; ¹⁴ who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house. ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷If then God gave unto them the like gift as [he did] also unto us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God? ¹⁸And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life. ¹⁹They therefore that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none save only to Jews. ²⁰But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number that believed turned unto the Lord. ²²And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch: ²³who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad; and he exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord: ²⁴for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. ²⁵ And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul; ²⁶and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. ²⁷Now in these days there came down prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. ²⁸And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius. ²⁹And the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea: ³⁰which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Top of page.

Acts 12

¹Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church. ²And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. ³And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And [those] were the days of unleavened bread. ⁴And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. ⁵Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him. ⁶And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison. ⁷ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. ⁸And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. ⁹And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. ¹⁰And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him. ¹¹And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. ¹²And when he had considered [the thing], he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying. ¹³And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. ¹⁴And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate. ¹⁵And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel. ¹⁶But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. ¹⁷But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place. ¹⁸ Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. ¹⁹And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and tarried there. ²⁰Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king’s country. ²¹And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the throne, and made an oration unto them. ²²And the people shouted, [saying], The voice of a god, and not of a man. ²³ And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. ²⁴But the word of God grew and multiplied. ²⁵ And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

Top of page.

Acts 13

¹Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there], prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ²And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. ³Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. ⁴So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant. ⁶And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus; ⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. ⁹But Saul, who is also [called] Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, ¹⁰and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. ¹²Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. ¹³Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. ¹⁵And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. ¹⁶And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken: ¹⁷The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm led he them forth out of it. ¹⁸And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness. ¹⁹And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave [them] their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years: ²⁰and after these things he gave [them] judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹And afterward they asked for a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. ²²And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who shall do all My will. ²³Of this man’s seed hath God according to promise brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; ²⁴when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I am? I am not [he]. But behold, there cometh one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose. ²⁶ Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth. ²⁷For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled [them] by condemning [him]. ²⁸And though they found no cause of death [in him], yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. ²⁹And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰But God raised him from the dead: ³¹and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people. ³²And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers, ³³ that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. ³⁴And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure i of David. ³⁵Because he saith also in another [psalm], Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption. ³⁶For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: ³⁷but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. ³⁸Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: ³⁹and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. ⁴⁰Beware therefore, lest that come upon [you] which is spoken in the prophets: ⁴¹Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; For I work a work in your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you.

⁴²And as they went out, they besought that these words might be spoken to them the next sabbath. ⁴³Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. ⁴⁴And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. ⁴⁶And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth.

⁴⁸And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region. ⁵⁰But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders. ⁵¹But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. ⁵²And the disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit.

Top of page.

Acts 14

¹And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. ²But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren. ³Long time therefore they tarried [there] speaking boldly in the Lord, who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. ⁴But the multitude of the city was divided; and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. ⁵And when there was made an onset both of the Gentiles and of the Jews with their rulers, to treat them shamefully and to stone them, ⁶they became aware of it, and fled unto the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the region round about: ⁷and there they preached the gospel. ⁸And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. ⁹The same heard Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes upon him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, ¹⁰said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked. ¹¹And when the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. ¹²And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³And the priest of Jupiter whose [temple] was before the city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the multitudes. ¹⁴But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rent their garments, and sprang forth among the multitude, crying out ¹⁵and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is: ¹⁶who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷And yet He left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness. ¹⁸And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them. ¹⁹But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. ²⁰But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, ²²confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. ²³And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed. ²⁴And they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; ²⁶and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. ²⁷ And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles. ²⁸And they tarried no little time with the disciples.

Top of page.

Acts 15

¹And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, [saying], Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. ²And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, [the brethren] appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. ³They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. ⁴And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them. ⁵But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses. ⁶And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter. ⁷And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. ⁸ And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; ⁹and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they. ¹²And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them. ¹³And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me: ¹⁴Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. ¹⁵And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, ¹⁶After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up: ¹⁷That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, ¹⁸Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.

¹⁹Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the Gentiles turn to God; ²⁰but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. ²¹For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath. ²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; [namely], Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: ²³and they wrote [thus] by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting: ²⁴ Forasmuch as we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment; ²⁵it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ²⁹that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well. ³⁰So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle. ³¹And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation. ³²And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them. ³³And after they had spent some time [there], they were dismissed in peace from the brethren unto those that had sent them forth. ³⁴ [But it seemed good unto Silas to abide there.] ³⁵But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. ³⁶And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [and see] how they fare. ³⁷And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark. ³⁸But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. ³⁹ And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto Cyprus; ⁴⁰but Paul choose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Top of page.