¹But a certain man by the name of Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold some property, ²and he put some of the proceeds aside for himself, his wife also knowing about it, and he brought a certain part and placed it at the feet of the apostles. ³But Peter said, “Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart, so that you lied to the holy spirit, and you put some of the proceeds of the land aside? ⁴Something has definitely been kept back for yourself, hasn't it, and when it was sold, didn't you have power to choose? How did you come up with this course of action in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.” ⁵When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and expired, and a great fear came on all those who heard these things. ⁶Then the young men stood up and wrapped him in a shroud and carried him out and buried him. ⁷And it came to pass after an interval of about three hours that his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place. ⁸And Peter said to her, “Tell me did you sell the land for this price?” And she said, “Yes, for this price.” ⁹Then Peter said to her, “How come you agreed to put the spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will also carry you out.” ¹⁰And immediately she fell at his feet and expired. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her with her husband. ¹¹And great fear came upon the whole church and on all those who heard these things. ¹²And many signs and miracles were taking place among the people by the apostles, and all were of one mind in Solomon's Portico. ¹³But of the rest, no-one dared to join them, but the people spoke highly of them, ¹⁴and all the more believers were being added to the Lord – crowds of both men and women – ¹⁵and as a result they brought out the sick onto the various streets and put them on beds and stretchers, in order that when Peter came, even just his shadow might be cast on one of them. ¹⁶And the population of the cities round about also flocked to Jerusalem carrying the ill and those troubled by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. ¹⁷Then the high priest and all those with him rose up – this being the sect of the Sadducees – and they were full of jealousy, ¹⁸and they laid their hands on the apostles and had them put in the state prison. ¹⁹But the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison in the night, and he led them out, and he said, ²⁰“Go and stand up in the temple and speak all these words of life to the people.” ²¹And when they had heard this, they went at about dawn into the temple and gave teaching. Now when the high priest arrived, and those with him, they convened the Sanhedrin council, and the whole council of elders of the sons of Israel, and they sent to the prison for them to be brought. ²²But when the attendants arrived, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported back, ²³and they said, “We found the prison closed under all security, and the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no-one inside.” ²⁴And when the priest and the head guard of the temple and the senior priests heard these words, they were at a loss concerning them as to what this might turn into. ²⁵Then someone arrived and reported back to them as follows: “We have seen how the men whom you had put in prison are standing in the temple teaching the people.” ²⁶Then the head guard went away with the attendants and brought them, not with force, for they feared the people, so as not to be stoned. ²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them in front of the Sanhedrin council. And the high priest questioned them, ²⁸and he said, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And you have gone and filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring the blood of this man on us.” ²⁹Then Peter and the apostles answered and said, “It is necessary to obey God rather than men. ³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you laid hands on and hung on wood. ³¹God has exalted this man as a ruler and saviour at his right hand so as to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are his witnesses of these words, as is the holy spirit which God has given to those who obey him.” ³³Then those who heard it were cut to the quick and resolved to destroy them. ³⁴But a certain person in the Sanhedrin council, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the apostles outside for a little while. ³⁵And he said to them, “Men and Israelites, watch out with these men as to what you are going to do. ³⁶For before these times Theudas stood up, saying he was someone, to whom a number of men were called – about four hundred – and he was killed, and all who trusted him were disbanded and came to nothing. ³⁷After this man, Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and he caused a considerable number of people to revolt, rallying behind him, yet that man perished, and all those who trusted him were scattered. ³⁸And as for the present matters, I say to you, do not get involved with these men, and leave them alone, for if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be dissolved, ³⁹but if it is of God, you cannot dissolve it, otherwise you for your part might be found to be opposing God.” ⁴⁰Then they were persuaded by him, and they called the apostles and flogged them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and they released them. ⁴¹So they went away from the encounter with the Sanhedrin council rejoicing because they had been deemed worthy to suffer ignominy for the sake of the name of Jesus. ⁴²And they did not cease teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and from house to house every day.