Then the chief priests of the Jews ¹  said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’”

The word of God continued to spread, ¹  the number of disciples in Jerusalem ²  increased greatly, and a large group ³  of priests became obedient to the faith.

But some men from the Synagogue ¹  of the Freedmen (as it was called), ²  both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, ³  stood up and argued with Stephen.

He ¹  was a devout, God-fearing man, ²  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ³  and prayed to God regularly.

The ¹  circumcised believers ²  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ³  that ⁴  the gift of the Holy Spirit ⁵  had been poured out ⁶  even on the Gentiles,

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ¹  the word of God. ² 

When he saw that this pleased the Jews, ¹  he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) ² 

and by this one ¹  everyone who believes is justified ²  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ³  you. ⁴ 

But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ¹  and they began to contradict ²  what Paul was saying ³  by reviling him. ⁴ 

When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ¹  and praise ²  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ³  believed.

But the Jews incited ¹  the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out ²  of their region.

Now some men came down from Judea ¹  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ²  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

but that we should write them a letter ¹  telling them to abstain ²  from things defiled ³  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ⁴  and from blood.

For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ¹  because he is read aloud ²  in the synagogues ³  every Sabbath.”

that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹  and from blood and from what has been strangled ²  and from sexual immorality. ³  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ⁴  you will do well. Farewell. ⁵ 

A man named Ananias, ¹  a devout man according to the law, ²  well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, ³ 

This man was seized ¹  by the Jews and they were about to kill him, ²  when I came up ³  with the detachment ⁴  and rescued him, because I had learned that he was ⁵  a Roman citizen. ⁶ 

After five days the high priest Ananias ¹  came down with some elders and an attorney ²  named ³  Tertullus, and they ⁴  brought formal charges ⁵  against Paul to the governor.

After two years ¹  had passed, Porcius Festus ²  succeeded Felix, ³  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ⁴ 

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, ¹  bringing many serious ²  charges that they were not able to prove. ³