God's Covenant Promise and the Church's Birth

1. When David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of Yahweh’s covenant is in a tent.” 2. Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart; for God is with you.” 3. That same night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4. “Go and tell David my servant, ‘Yahweh says, “You shall not build me a house to dwell in; 5. for I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tent to another. 6. In all places in which I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”’ 7. “Now therefore, you shall tell my servant David, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel. 8. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth. 9. I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more. The children of wickedness will not waste them any more, as at the first, 10. and from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that Yahweh will build you a house. 11. It will happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your offspring after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12. He will build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him that was before you; 14. but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne will be established forever.”’” 15. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. 16. Then David the king went in, and sat before Yahweh; and he said, “Who am I, Yahweh God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far? 17. This was a small thing in your eyes, God; but you have spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have respected me according to the standard of a man of high degree, Yahweh God. 18. What can David say yet more to you concerning the honor which is done to your servant? For you know your servant. 19. Yahweh, for your servant’s sake, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, to make known all these great things. 20. Yahweh, there is no one like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21. What one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and awesome things, in driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeem out of Egypt? 22. For you made your people Israel your own people forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God. 23. Now, Yahweh, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, be established forever, and do as you have spoken. 24. Let your name be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel. The house of David your servant is established before you.’ 25. For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26. Now, Yahweh, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant. 27. Now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Yahweh, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.” 1. After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines. 2. He defeated Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute. 3. David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah to Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. 4. David took from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them enough for one hundred chariots. 5. When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians. 6. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went. 7. David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8. From Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took very much brass, with which Solomon made the bronze sea, the pillars, and the vessels of brass. 9. When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10. he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to Greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him (for Hadadezer had wars with Tou); and he had with him all kinds of vessels of gold and silver and brass. 11. King David also dedicated these to Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations; from Edom, from Moab, from the children of Ammon, from the Philistines, and from Amalek. 12. Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah struck eighteen thousand of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13. He put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went. 14. David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness for all his people. 15. Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16. Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; Shavsha was scribe; 17. and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief officials serving the king. 1. After this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. 2. David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3. But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?” 4. So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away. 5. Then some people went and told David how the men were treated. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.” 6. When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah. 7. So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people, who came and encamped near Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8. When David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the army of the mighty men. 9. The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. 10. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose some of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. 11. The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12. He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you are to help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13. Be courageous, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him.” 14. So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the front of the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him. 15. When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. 16. When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers, and called out the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer leading them. 17. David was told that; so he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, came to them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18. The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrian men seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and also killed Shophach the captain of the army. 19. When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David, and served him. The Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.

1. The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2. until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3. To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. 4. Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5. For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6. Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7. He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. 8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” 9. When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, 11. who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.” 12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13. When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14. All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 15. In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, 16. “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. 17. For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. 18. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. 19. It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ 20. For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell therein;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’ 21. “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22. beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23. They put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24. They prayed, and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen 25. to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.” 26. They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles. 1. Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3. Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. 5. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. 6. When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7. They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8. How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10. Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11. Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!” 12. They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13. Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15. For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. 16. But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17. ‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18. Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19. I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 20. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21. It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22. “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, 23. him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24. whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. 25. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 26. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; 27. because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. 28. You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29. “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31. he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. 32. This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. 33. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. 34. For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand, 35. until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38. Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40. With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. 42. They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. 43. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44. All who believed were together, and had all things in common. 45. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. 46. Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47. praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved. 1. Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2. A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple. 3. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. 4. Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” 5. He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7. He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. 8. Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God. 9. All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10. They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11. As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. 12. When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? 13. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. 14. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15. and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses. 16. By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17. “Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18. But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 20. and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, 21. whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. 22. For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. 23. It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24. Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days. 25. You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘In your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26. God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.” 1. As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, 2. being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3. They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening. 4. But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 5. In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem. 6. Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest. 7. When they had stood Peter and John in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9. if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10. be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole. 11. He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’ 12. There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!” 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14. Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16. saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it. 17. But so that this spreads no further among the people, let’s threaten them, that from now on they don’t speak to anyone in this name.” 18. They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, 20. for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.” 21. When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done. 22. For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old. 23. Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24. When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; 25. who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? 26. The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.’ 27. “For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28. to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen. 29. Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30. while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.” 31. When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. 32. The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33. With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. 34. For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35. and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need. 36. Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race, 37. having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

1. Praise Yah! Praise, you servants of Yahweh, praise Yahweh’s name. 2. Blessed be Yahweh’s name, from this time forward and forever more. 3. From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Yahweh’s name is to be praised. 4. Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens. 5. Who is like Yahweh, our God, who has his seat on high, 6. Who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth? 7. He raises up the poor out of the dust. Lifts up the needy from the ash heap; 8. that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 9. He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!