1 Entretanto, certo homem, chamado Ananias, com sua mulher Safira, vendeu uma propriedade, 2 mas, em acordo com sua mulher, reteve parte do preço e, levando o restante, depositou-o aos pés dos apóstolos.

3 Então, disse Pedro: Ananias, por que encheu Satanás teu coração, para que mentisses ao Espírito Santo, reservando parte do valor do campo? 4 Conservando-o, porventura, não seria teu? E, vendido, não estaria em teu poder? Como, pois, assentaste no coração este desígnio? Não mentiste aos homens, mas a Deus. 5 Ouvindo estas palavras, Ananias caiu e expirou, sobrevindo grande temor a todos os ouvintes. 6 Levantando-se os moços, cobriram-lhe o corpo e, levando-o, o sepultaram. 7 Quase três horas depois, entrou a mulher de Ananias, não sabendo o que ocorrera. 8 Então, Pedro, dirigindo-se a ela, perguntou-lhe: Dize-me, vendestes por tanto aquela terra? Ela respondeu: Sim, por tanto. 9 Tornou-lhe Pedro: Por que entrastes em acordo para tentar o Espírito do Senhor? Eis aí à porta os pés dos que sepultaram o teu marido, e eles também te levarão. 10 No mesmo instante, caiu ela aos pés de Pedro e expirou. Entrando os moços, acharam-na morta e, levando-a, sepultaram-na junto do marido. 11 E sobreveio grande temor a toda a igreja e a todos quantos ouviram a notícia destes acontecimentos.

12 Muitos sinais e prodígios eram feitos entre o povo pelas mãos dos apóstolos. E costumavam todos reunir-se, de comum acordo, no Pórtico de Salomão. 13 Mas, dos restantes, ninguém ousava ajuntar-se a eles; porém o povo lhes tributava grande admiração. 14 E crescia mais e mais a multidão de crentes, tanto homens como mulheres, agregados ao Senhor, 15 a ponto de levarem os enfermos até pelas ruas e os colocarem sobre leitos e macas, para que, ao passar Pedro, ao menos a sua sombra se projetasse nalguns deles. 16 Afluía também muita gente das cidades vizinhas a Jerusalém, levando doentes e atormentados de espíritos imundos, e todos eram curados.

17 Levantando-se, porém, o sumo sacerdote e todos os que estavam com ele, isto é, a seita dos saduceus, tomaram-se de inveja, 18 prenderam os apóstolos e os recolheram à prisão pública. 19 Mas, de noite, um anjo do Senhor abriu as portas do cárcere e, conduzindo-os para fora, lhes disse: 20 Ide e, apresentando-vos no templo, dizei ao povo todas as palavras desta Vida. 21 Tendo ouvido isto, logo ao romper do dia, entraram no templo e ensinavam.

Chegando, porém, o sumo sacerdote e os que com ele estavam, convocaram o Sinédrio e todo o senado dos filhos de Israel e mandaram buscá-los no cárcere. 22 Mas os guardas, indo, não os acharam no cárcere; e, tendo voltado, relataram, 23 dizendo: Achamos o cárcere fechado com toda a segurança e as sentinelas nos seus postos junto às portas; mas, abrindo-as, a ninguém encontramos dentro. 24 Quando o capitão do templo e os principais sacerdotes ouviram estas informações, ficaram perplexos a respeito deles e do que viria a ser isto. 25 Nesse ínterim, alguém chegou e lhes comunicou: Eis que os homens que recolhestes no cárcere, estão no templo ensinando o povo. 26 Nisto, indo o capitão e os guardas, os trouxeram sem violência, porque temiam ser apedrejados pelo povo. 27 Trouxeram-nos, apresentando-os ao Sinédrio. E o sumo sacerdote interrogou-os, 28 dizendo: Expressamente vos ordenamos que não ensinásseis nesse nome; contudo, enchestes Jerusalém de vossa doutrina; e quereis lançar sobre nós o sangue desse homem. 29 Então, Pedro e os demais apóstolos afirmaram: Antes, importa obedecer a Deus do que aos homens. 30 O Deus de nossos pais ressuscitou a Jesus, a quem vós matastes, pendurando-o num madeiro. 31 Deus, porém, com a sua destra, o exaltou a Príncipe e Salvador, a fim de conceder a Israel o arrependimento e a remissão de pecados. 32 Ora, nós somos testemunhas destes fatos, e bem assim o Espírito Santo, que Deus outorgou aos que lhe obedecem.

33 Eles, porém, ouvindo, se enfureceram e queriam matá-los. 34 Mas, levantando-se no Sinédrio um fariseu, chamado Gamaliel, mestre da lei, acatado por todo o povo, mandou retirar os homens, por um pouco, 35 e lhes disse: Israelitas, atentai bem no que ides fazer a estes homens. 36 Porque, antes destes dias, se levantou Teudas, insinuando ser ele alguma coisa, ao qual se agregaram cerca de quatrocentos homens; mas ele foi morto, e todos quantos lhe prestavam obediência se dispersaram e deram em nada. 37 Depois desse, levantou-se Judas, o galileu, nos dias do recenseamento, e levou muitos consigo; também este pereceu, e todos quantos lhe obedeciam foram dispersos. 38 Agora, vos digo: dai de mão a estes homens, deixai-os; porque, se este conselho ou esta obra vem de homens, perecerá; 39 mas, se é de Deus, não podereis destruí-los, para que não sejais, porventura, achados lutando contra Deus. E concordaram com ele.

40 Chamando os apóstolos, açoitaram-nos e, ordenando-lhes que não falassem em o nome de Jesus, os soltaram. 41 E eles se retiraram do Sinédrio regozijando-se por terem sido considerados dignos de sofrer afrontas por esse Nome. 42 E todos os dias, no templo e de casa em casa, não cessavam de ensinar e de pregar Jesus, o Cristo.

1 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold some property.2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back some of the money for himself and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.3 Peter asked, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the money you got for the land?4 As long as it remained unsold, wasn't it your own? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? So how could you have conceived such a thing in your heart? You did not lie to men but to God!"5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized everyone who heard about it.6 The young men got up, wrapped him up, carried him outside, and buried him.7 After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.8 So Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?"She answered, "Yes, that was the price."9 Then Peter said to her, "How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you outside as well."10 She instantly fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead. So they carried her out and buried her next to her husband.11 And great fear seized the whole church and everyone else who heard about this.12 Now many signs and wonders were continuously being performed by the apostles among the people. And they were all together in Solomon's Colonnade.13 None of the other people dared to join them, although the people continued to hold them in high regard.14 Nevertheless, still more believers, a vast number of both men and women, were being added to the Lord.15 As a result, people kept carrying their sick into the streets and placing them on stretchers and cots so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he went by.16 Even from the towns around Jerusalem crowds continued coming in to bring their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.17 Then the high priest and all those from the sect of the Sadducees who were with him were filled with jealousy. So they went out,18 arrested the apostles, and put them in the city jail.19 But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and led them out. He told them,20 "Go and stand in the temple and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life."21 After they heard this, they went into the temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in.22 When the temple police got there, they did not find them in the prison. They came back and reported,23 "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside."24 When the commander of the temple guards and the high priests heard these words, they were utterly at a loss as to what could have happened to them.25 Then someone came and told them, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!"26 So the commander of the temple guards went with his men to bring them back without force, because they were afraid of being stoned to death by the people.27 When they brought them back, they made them stand before the Council, and the high priest began to question them.28 He said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name, didn't we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man's blood on us!"29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you hung him on a tree and killed him.31 God has exalted to his right hand this very man as our Leader and Savior in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him."33 When they heard this, they became furious and wanted to kill them.34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.35 Then he said to them, "Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men.36 For in days gone by Theudas appeared, claiming that he was important, and about 400 men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and disappeared.37 After that man, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and got people to follow him. He, too, died, and all his followers were scattered.38 "I'm telling you to keep away from these men for now. Leave them alone, because if this plan or movement is of human origin, it will fail.39 However, if it is from God, you won't be able to stop them, and you may even discover that you are fighting against God!" So they were convinced by him.40 After calling in the apostles and beating them, they ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus and let them go.41 They left the Council, rejoicing to have been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the Name.42 Every day in the temple and from house to house they kept teaching and proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ.