American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I {Or, am}was no prophet, neither {Or, am}was I {Or, one of the sons of the prophets See 1 Kings 20:35.}a prophet's son; but I {Or, am}was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees:
and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, {Or, from his youth}one of his chosen men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them!
John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.
And the high priest said, Are these things so?
And he said,Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.
Then came he out of the land of the Chaldæans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell:
and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them ill, four hundred years.
And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.
And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him,
and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.
And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's race became manifest unto Pharaoh.
And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself and our fathers;
and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of {Greek: Emmor.}Hamor in Shechem.
But as the time of the promise drew nigh which God vouchsafed unto Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
till there arose another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
The same dealt craftily with our race, and ill-treated our fathers, that {Or, he}they should cast out their babes to the end they might not {Greek: be preserved alive.}live.
At which season Moses was born, and was {Or, fair unto God Compare 2 Corinthians 10:4.}exceeding fair; and he was nourished three months in his father's house.
and when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works.
But when he was well-nigh forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian:
and he supposed that his brethren understood that God by his hand was giving them {Or, salvation}deliverance; but they understood not.
And the day following he appeared unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
Wouldest thou kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?
And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.
And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold, there came a voice of the Lord,
I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. And Moses trembled, and durst not behold.
And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them: and now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? him hath God sent to be both a ruler and a {Greek: redeemer.}deliverer with the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.
This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
This is that Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, {Deuteronomy 18:15}A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, {Or, as he raised up me}like unto me.
This is he that was in the {Or, congregation}church in the wilderness with the angel that spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to give unto us:
to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt,
saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, {Amos 5:25 ff.}Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrificesForty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch,And the star of the god Rephan,The figures which ye made to worship them:And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he appointed who spake unto Moses, that he should make it according to the figure that he had seen.
Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with {Greek: Jesus. Compare Hebrews 4:8.}Joshua when they entered on the possession of the {Or, Gentiles Compare chapter 4:25}nations, that God thrust out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.
But Solomon built him a house.
Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands; as saith the prophet,
{Isaiah 66:1 f.}The heaven is my throne,And the earth the footstool of my feet:What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord:Or what is the place of my rest?
Did not my hand make all these things?
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers;
ye who received the law {Or, as the ordinance of angels Greek: unto ordinances of angels.}as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not.
Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.
But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord;
and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul was consenting unto his death.And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles.
And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him.
But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.
They therefore that were scattered abroad, went about {Compare marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preaching the word.
And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ.
And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did. {Or, For many of those that had unclean spirits that cried with a loud voice came forth}
For from many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed.
And there was much joy in that city.
But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the {Greek: nation.}people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great.
And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.
But when they believed Philip {Compare marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great {Greek: powers.}miracles wrought, he was amazed.
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:
for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the {Some ancient authorities omit Holy.}Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this {Greek: word.}matter: for thy heart is not right before God.
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee.
For I see that thou {Or, wilt become gall (or, a gall root) of bitterness and a bond of iniquity. Compare Deuteronomy 29:18; Hebrew 12:15.}art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.
And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me.
They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and {Greek: brought good tidings. Compare chapter 5:22.}preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go {Or, at noon Compare chapter 22:6}toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert.
And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship;
and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.
And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him.
Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, {Isaiah 53:7 f.}He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb,So he openeth not his mouth:
In his humiliation his judgment was taken away:His generation who shall declare?For his life is taken from the earth.
And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other?
And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preached unto him Jesus.
And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? {Some ancient authorities insert, wholly or in part, version 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.}
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And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea.
And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not {Greek: pleasing.}fit that we should forsake the word of God, and {Or, minister to tables}serve tables.
{Some ancient authorities read But, brethren, look ye out from among you.}Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word.
They therefore that were scattered abroad, went about {Compare marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preaching the word.
They therefore that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none save only to Jews.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the {Many ancient authorities read Grecian Jews. See chapter 6:1.}Greeks also, {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preaching the Lord Jesus.
And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number that believed turned unto the Lord.
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, {Or, a learned man}an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the scriptures.
This man had been {Greek: taught by word of mouth.}instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John:
and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately.
And when he was minded to pass over into Achaia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him: and when he was come, he {Or, helped much through grace them that had believed}helped them much that had believed through grace;
for he powerfully confuted the Jews, {Or, showing publicly}and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, {Psalms 116:10.}I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak;
Paul and Timothy, {Greek: bondservants.}servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the {Or, overseers}bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you,
always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy,
for your fellowship in furtherance of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel from the first day until now;
being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:
even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because {Or, ye have me in your heart}I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace.
For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
so that ye may {Or, distinguish the things that differ}approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ;
being filled with the {Greek: fruit.}fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
so that my bonds became manifest in Christ {Greek: in the whole Prætorium.}throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest;
and that most of the brethren in the Lord, {Greek: trusting in my bonds.}being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
{Or, they that are moved by love do it, knowing &c.}the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
{Or, but they that are factious proclaim Christ, not &c.}but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.
What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
{Or, But if to live in the flesh be my lot, this is the fruit of my work: and what I shall choose I know not.}But if to live in the flesh, — if {Greek: this is for me fruit of work.}this shall bring fruit from my work, then {Or, what shall I choose?}what I shall choose I know not.
But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better:
yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake.
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy {Or, of faith}in the faith;
that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.
Only {Greek: behave as citizens worthily. Compare chapter 3:20.}let your manner of life be worthy of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving {Greek: with.}for the faith of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel;
and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God;
because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf:
having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
What is it then, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
And let the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others {Greek: discriminate.}discern.
For ye all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be {Or, comforted}exhorted;
For this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God's service, attending continually upon this very thing.
Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth {Greek: the other. Compare 1 Corinthians 6:1; 10:24; Galatians 6:4.}his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.
Wherefore {Or, comfort chapter 4:18.}exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do.
according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
{Or, not quarrelsome over wine}no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money;
one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the {Greek: judgment.}condemnation of the devil.
Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
For the {Or, overseer}bishop must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, {Or, not quarrelsome over wine.}no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;
holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the {Greek: healthful.}sound {Or, teaching}doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.
And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship;
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes {Greek: the brother.}our brother,
unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank {Some ancient authorities omit my.}my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;
that in everything ye were enriched in him, in all {Greek: word.}utterance and all knowledge;
even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye be unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no {Greek: schisms.}divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
{Or, Christ is divided! Was Paul crucified for you?}Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?
{Some ancient authorities read I give thanks that.}I thank God that I baptized none of you, save Crispus and Gaius;
lest any man should say that ye were baptized into my name.
And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to {Greek: bring good tidings. Compare Matthew 11:5.}preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.
For the word of the cross is to them that {Or, are perishing}perish foolishness; but unto us who {Or, are being saved}are saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, {Isaiah 29:14.}I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this {Or, age}world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the {Greek: thing preached.}preaching to save them that believe.
Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom:
but we preach {Or, a Messiah}Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;
but unto {Greek: the called themselves.}them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For {Or, ye behold}behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea {Many ancient authorities omit and.}and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
that no flesh should glory before God.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, {Or, both rightousness and sanctification and redemption}and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:
that, according as it is written, {Jeremiah 9:23 f.}He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight.
For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing,
in the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord {Some ancient authorities omit Jesus.}Jesus.
And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.