1 Enquanto eles falavam ao povo, vieram os sacerdotes, o chefe do templo e os saduceus,
2 contrariados porque ensinavam ao povo e anunciavam, na pessoa de Jesus, a ressurreição dos mortos.
3 Prenderam-nos e os meteram no cárcere até o outro dia, pois já era tarde.
4 Muitos, porém, dos que tinham ouvido a pregação creram; e o número dos fiéis elevou-se a mais ou menos cinco mil.
5 No dia seguinte reuniram-se em Jerusalém os chefes do povo, os anciãos, os escribas,
6 com Anás, sumo sacerdote, Caifás, João, Alexandre e todos os que eram da linhagem pontifical.
7 Colocando-os no meio, perguntaram: Com que poder ou em que nome fizestes isso?
8 Então Pedro, cheio do Espírito Santo, respondeu-lhes: Chefes do povo e anciãos, ouvi-me:
9 se hoje somos interrogados a respeito do benefício feito a um enfermo, e em que nome foi ele curado,
10 ficai sabendo todos vós e todo o povo de Israel: foi em nome de Jesus Cristo Nazareno, que vós crucificastes, mas que Deus ressuscitou dos mortos. Por ele é que esse homem se acha são, em pé, diante de vós.
11 Esse Jesus, pedra que foi desprezada por vós, edificadores, tornou-se a pedra angular.
12 Em nenhum outro há salvação, porque debaixo do céu nenhum outro nome foi dado aos homens, pelo qual devamos ser salvos.
13 Vendo eles a coragem de Pedro e de João, e considerando que eram homens sem estudo e sem instrução, admiravam-se. Reconheciam-nos como companheiros de Jesus.
14 Mas vendo com eles o homem que tinha sido curado, não puderam replicar.
15 Mandaram que se retirassem da sala do conselho, e conferenciaram entre si:
16 Que faremos destes homens? Porquanto o milagre por eles feito se tornou conhecido de todos os habitantes de Jerusalém, e não o podemos negar.
17 Todavia, para que esta notícia não se divulgue mais entre o povo, proibamos com ameaças, que no futuro falem a alguém nesse nome.
18 Chamaram-nos e ordenaram-lhes que absolutamente não falassem nem ensinassem em nome de Jesus.
19 Responderam-lhes Pedro e João: Julgai-o vós mesmos se é justo diante de Deus obedecermos a vós mais do que a Deus.
20 Não podemos deixar de falar das coisas que temos visto e ouvido.
21 Eles então, ameaçando-os de novo, soltaram-nos, não achando pretexto para os castigar por causa do povo, porque todos glorificavam a Deus pelo que tinha acontecido.
22 Pois já passava dos 40 anos o homem em quem se realizara essa cura milagrosa.
23 Postos em liberdade, voltaram aos seus irmãos e referiram tudo quanto lhes tinham dito os sumos sacerdotes e os anciãos.
24 Ao ouvirem isso, levantaram unânimes a voz a Deus e disseram: Senhor, vós que fizestes o céu, a terra, o mar e tudo o que neles há.
25 Vós que, pelo Espírito Santo, pela boca de nosso pai Davi, vosso servo, dissestes: Por que se agitam as nações, e imaginam os povos coisas vãs?
26 Levantam-se os reis da terra, e os príncipes se reúnem em conselho contra o Senhor e contra o seu Cristo {Sl 2,1s.}.
27 Pois na verdade se uniram nesta cidade contra o vosso santo servo Jesus, que ungistes, Herodes e Pôncio Pilatos com as nações e com o povo de Israel,
28 para executarem o que a vossa mão e o vosso conselho predeterminaram que se fizesse.
29 Agora, pois, Senhor, olhai para as suas ameaças e concedei aos vossos servos que com todo o desassombro anunciem a vossa palavra.
30 Estendei a vossa mão para que se realizem curas, milagres e prodígios pelo nome de Jesus, vosso santo servo!
31 Mal acabavam de rezar, tremeu o lugar onde estavam reunidos. E todos ficaram cheios do Espírito Santo e anunciaram com intrepidez a palavra de Deus.
32 A multidão dos fiéis era um só coração e uma só alma. Ninguém dizia que eram suas as coisas que possuía, mas tudo entre eles era comum.
33 Com grande coragem os apóstolos davam testemunho da ressurreição do Senhor Jesus. Em todos eles era grande a graça.
34 Nem havia entre eles nenhum necessitado, porque todos os que possuíam terras e casas vendiam-nas,
35 e traziam o preço do que tinham vendido e depositavam-no aos pés dos apóstolos. Repartia-se então a cada um deles conforme a sua necessidade.
36 Assim José {a quem os apóstolos deram o sobrenome de Barnabé que quer dizer Filho da Consolação}, levita natural de Chipre, possuía um campo.
37 Vendeu-o e trouxe o valor dele e depositou aos pés dos apóstolos.
1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.
2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest's family.
7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!
9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,
10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
11 Jesus is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.' [^1]
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
16 "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.
17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!
20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.
22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.
25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. "' [^3]
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.
28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all
34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"),
37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.