Study Desk

But the high priest rose up and those with him (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.

And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and those with him came, they called the Sanhedrin together, even all the Council of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the jailhouse for them to be brought.

But the officers who came did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported back,

Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this.

Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Sanhedrin. And the high priest questioned them,

But when they heard this, they became furious and intended to kill them.

So they followed his advice. And after calling the apostles in and beating them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

And this word pleased the whole congregation, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

And these they stood before the apostles, and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

But they were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."

And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him, dragged him away, and brought him to the Sanhedrin.

And they put forward false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases speaking words against this holy place and the Law;

But God spoke in this way, that his seed would be sojourners in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

‘And I Myself will judge the nation to which they will be enslaved,' said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.'

And from there they were removed to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

It was he who deceitfully took advantage of our family and mistreated our fathers to set their infants outside so that they would not survive.