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5 after the passover to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but earnest prayer was made 6 by the church to God for him. And when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and keepers 7 before the door guarded the prison. And, behold, an angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shone in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, say8 ing, "Rise up quickly." And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, "Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals." And he did so. Then the angel saith unto him, "Cast thy mantle about thee, and follow me." 9 And Peter went out, and followed him; and knew not that what was done by the angel was real; but thought that he 10 saw a vision. And when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and immedi11 ately the angel departed from him. And when Peter came

to himself, he said, “Now I certainly know that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the Jewish peo12 ple." And when he had considered the matter, he came to

the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together, and were pray13 ing. And when he' had knocked at the door of the porch, a 14 damsel came to attend, named Rhoda: and when she knew

Peter's voice, she opened not the porch for gladness; but 15 ran in and told that Peter stood before the porch. And they said unto her, "Thou art mad." But she confidently affirmed that it was so. Then they said, "It is his angel *."

Peter, R. T. and N.

* Or, messenger, N. m. "A Jewish opinion about guardian angels, or the souls of men converted into ministering spirits, may be here referred to without establishing its truth." See Doddridge. Newcome.

16 But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened 17 the door, they saw him, and were amazed. But he beckon

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ed to them with his hand to keep silence; and related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said also, "Report these things to James, and to the brethren." Then he departed, and went to another place.

Now when it was day, there was no small disturbance 19 among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Cesarea, and abode there'.

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Now he was disposed to make war against those of Tyre and Sidon. But they came to him with one consent, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was fed by the 21 king's country. And on a day appointed, Herod, arrayed

in royal apparel, sat on his throne, and made an oration to 22 them*. And the people gave a shout, saying, “It is the 23 voice of a god, and not of a man." And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him †, because he gave not glory to God: and he was eaten by worms, and expired.

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AND the word of God grew and multiplied. And Bar25 nabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their office; and brought with them John, whose surname was Mark.

CH. XIII. Now in the church that was at Antioch there were

certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrenè, and Manaen that had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and 1 Or, He went down from Judea, and abode in Cesarea. N. m. 2 Herod, R. T. and N. 3 Or, was highly incensed against. See Doddridge.

"This history is remarkably confirmed by Josephus, Ant. xix. viii. 2.” Newcome.

"This is the Jewish mode of expressing that God inflicted a disease on him," Newcome.

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2 Saul. And while they were publicly ministering to the

Lord and fasting, the holy spirit said, "Separate for me1

now Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have call

3 ed them." And when they had fasted and prayed, and put

4

their hands on them, they sent them away.

So these, having been sent forth by the holy spirit, de5 parted to Seleucia; and thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also 6 for their attendant. And when they had gone through the whole island to Paphos, they found a certain Magian, a 7 Jewish false prophet, whose name was Barjesus, that was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a wise man. This deputy called to him Barnabas and Saul, and 8 desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas, that is, the Magian, (for so is his name by interpretation,) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who is called Paul also, filled with the holy 10 spirit, looked earnestly on him, [and] said, “O full of all subtilty and of all mischief, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the 11 right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee: and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness: and he went about seeking some to lead 12 him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed; being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

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Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia. But John departed 14 from them, and returned to Jerusalem. And when they had passed through from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia; and went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, 15 and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the 1 Separate me, N. 2 the island, R. T.

prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation to the peo16 ple, speak." Then Paul stood up, and beckoned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel, and ye of the gentiles who 17 fear God, hearken. The God of this people' chose our fathers, and exalted the people, when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and brought them out of it with a high arm. 18 And about the space of forty years he fed them in the de19 sert. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave our fathers their land for an inheri20 tance. And after that, he appointed unto them judges, for

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about four hundred and fifty years +, until the prophet Sa21 muel. And afterward they desired a king: and God appointed unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe 22 of Benjamin, during forty years. And when God had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king: to whom he gave his testimony also, and said, 'I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to mine own heart, who will perform all my pleasure.'

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“Of this man's race God, according to his promise, hath 24 brought unto Israel' a Saviour, Jesus; when John had first

preached, before his appearance, the baptism of repent25 ance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, 'Who think ye that I am? I am not the Christ. But, behold, one cometh after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose.'

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"Brethren, sons of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever of the gentiles among you feareth God, to you the doctrine 27 of this salvation hath been sent. For those who dwell in

Jerusalem, and their rulers, when they knew not Christ, nor the words of the prophets, which are read on every sab

' this people Israel, R. T. So Wakefield. Gr. he carried them as a nurse.He bare with their manners, R. T. and N. 3 he divided their land to them by lot, R. T. 4 he gave their land for an inheritance for about 450 years. And after that he appointed judges. Mss. 5 hath given. Gr. raised up to Israel, R. T. and N. 6 Gr. entrance. 7 Whom, N.

28 bath, have fulfilled them by condemning him. And though

they found no just cause of death in him, yet they besought 29 Pilate that he might be put to death. And when they had

fulfilled all which was written of him, they took him down 30 from the cross', and laid him in a sepulchre. But God 31 raised him from the dead: and he was seen many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem; 32 who are now his witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings concerning the promise which was made 33 to the fathers; that God hath fulfilled it to us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus; as it is written also in the first psalm*; Thou art my son, this day I have begotten 34 thee.' And that God raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he speaketh thus, ' I will give 35 you the sure mercies promised to David.' Wherefore it is

said in another psalm also, Thou shalt not suffer thy holy 36 one to see corruption.' For after David had served his own generation according to the counsel of God, he fell asleep, and was gathered to his fathers, and saw corrup37 tion: but he whom God raised, did not see corruption.

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"Be it therefore known unto you, brethren, that through 39 him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed unto you. And by him all who believe are justified from all things, from which 40 ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware

therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the 41 prophets, Behold, ye scorners, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye will in 42 no wise believe, though it be declared unto you.'" And as Paul and Barnabas were going out of the synagogue, the

Gr. tree. made, N. m.

who are his witnesses, R. T. and N.

3 Or, holy promises

* The second psalm, R.T. “The first psalm is a reading better supported. The two first psalms, as they stand in our editions, were anciently joined together. See Wetstein. Or, the first psalm was originally a kind of preface. Michaelis by Marsb, i. 515." Newcome.

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