Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Acts 12:1-5 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 6:1-9
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

1  “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 

2  and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 

3  Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

4  “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.

5  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 

6  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 

7  Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 

8  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 

9  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

ACTS 12:1-5

MORE PERSECUTION

1  About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 

2  He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 

3  When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 

4  Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 

5  But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

Deuteronomy 5:23-33 and Acts 11:19-30 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 5:23-33
THE PEOPLE'S FEAR
23  “But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me.
24  They said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live!
25  But now, why should we risk death again? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire.
26  Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive?
27  Go yourself and listen to what the Lord our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’
28  “The Lord heard the request you made to me. And he said, ‘I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right.
29  Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.
30  Go and tell them, “Return to your tents.”
31  But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.’”
32  So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail.
33  Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

ACTS 11:19-30
THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH

19  Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.

20  However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. 

21  The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

22  When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 

23  When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 

24  Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

25  Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 

26  When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)

27  During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. 

28  One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) 

29  So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. 

30  This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.

Peter Explains His Actions (Acts 11:1-18) New Living Translation

1    Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. 

2    But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 

3    “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.

4    Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. 

5    “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me.

6    When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. 

7    And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’

8    “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.’

9    “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’

10  This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

11  “Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying.

12  The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us. 

13  He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 

14  He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’

15  “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. 

16  Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 

17  And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

18  When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Ten Commandments For The Covenant Community (Deuteronomy 5:1-22) New Living Translation

1    Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, “Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them!

2    “The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai.

3    The Lord did not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today.

4    At the mountain the Lord spoke to you face to face from the heart of the fire. 

5    I stood as an intermediary between you and the Lord, for you were afraid of the fire and did not want to approach the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said:

6    “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

7    “You must not have any other god but me.

8    “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 

9    You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 

10  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

11  “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

12  “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 

13  You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 

14  but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. 

15  Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.

16  “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

17  “You must not murder.

18  “You must not commit adultery.

19  “You must not steal.

20  “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

21  “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

22  “The Lord spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

Deuteronomy 4:44-49 and Acts 10:44-48 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 4:44-49
INTRODUCTION TO THE GIVING OF GOD'S LAW
44  This is the body of instruction that Moses presented to the Israelites.
45  These are the laws, decrees, and regulations that Moses gave to the people of Israel when they left Egypt,
46  and as they camped in the valley near Beth-peor east of the Jordan River. (This land was formerly occupied by the Amorites under King Sihon, who ruled from Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites destroyed him and his people when they came up from Egypt.
47  Israel took possession of his land and that of King Og of Bashan—the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan.
48  So Israel conquered the entire area from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge all the way to Mount Sirion, also called Mount Hermon.
49  And they conquered the eastern bank of the Jordan River as far south as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah.)

ACTS 10:44-48
THE GENTILES RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

44  Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.

45  The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 

46  For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God.

Then Peter asked,
47  “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”
48  So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

Deuteronomy 4:41-43 and Acts 10:34-43 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 4:41-43
THE CITIES OF REFUGE EAST OF THE JORDAN
41  Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River.
42  Anyone who killed another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, could flee there to live in safety.
43  These were the cities: Bezer on the wilderness plateau for the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad; Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh.

ACTS 10:34-43
THE GENTILES HEAR THE GOOD NEWS

34  Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. 

35  In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. 

36  This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 

37  You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. 

38  And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

39  “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross,

40  but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 

41  not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 

42  And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 

43  He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10:1-33) New Living Translation

1    In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. 

2    He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. 

3    One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

4    Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.  And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!

5    Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 

6    He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”

7    As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. 

8    He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa. 

9    The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, 

10  and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 

11  He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. 

12  In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. 

13  Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

14  “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”

15  But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” 

16  The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

17  Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate, 

18  they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.

19  Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. 

20  Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”

21  So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

22  They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.” 

23  So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

24  They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 

25  As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. 

26  But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!” 

27  So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.

28  Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.

29  So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”

30  Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me.

31  He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! 

32  Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’ 

33  So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”

Warning Against Idolatry and There Is Only One God (Deuteronomy 4:15-40) New Living Translation

DEUTERONOMY 4:15-31
WARNING AGAINST IDOLATRY

15  “But be very careful! You did not see the Lord’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. 

16  So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, 

17  an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, 

18  a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. 

19  And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. 

20  Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.

21  “But the Lord was angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. 

22  You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not. Instead, I will die here on the east side of the river. 

23  So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has forbidden this. 

24  The Lord your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.

25  “In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols of any kind. This is evil in the sight of the Lord your God and will arouse his anger.

26  “Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against you. If you break my covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will live there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed. 

27  For the Lord will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive. 

28  There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. 

29  But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.

30  “In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the Lord your God and listen to what he tells you. 

31  For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.

DEUTERONOMY 4:32-40

THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD

32  “Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before? 

33  Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire—as you did—and survived? 

34  Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.

35  “He showed you these things so you would know that the Lord is God and there is no other. 

36  He let you hear his voice from heaven so he could instruct you. He let you see his great fire here on earth so he could speak to you from it. 

37  Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power. 

38  He drove out nations far greater than you, so he could bring you in and give you their land as your special possession, as it is today.

39  “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. 

40  If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

Deuteronomy 4:1-14 and Acts 9:32-43 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 4:1-14
MOSES URGES ISRAEL TO BE OBEDIENT

1    “And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 

2    Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you.

3    “You saw for yourself what the Lord did to you at Baal-peor. There the Lord your God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor. 

4    But all of you who were faithful to the Lord your God are still alive today—every one of you.

5    “Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. 

6    Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ 

7    For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him?

8    And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?

9    “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

10  Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’

11  “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. 

12  And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice. 

13  He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. 

14  It was at that time that the Lord commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

ACTS 9:32-43

PETER IN LYDDA AND JOPPA

32  Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 

33  There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 

34  Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. 

35  Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.

36  There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 

37  About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room.

38  But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”

39  So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. 

40  But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 

41  He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.

42  The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. 

43  And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.

Deuteronomy 3:21-29 and Acts 9:26-31 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 3:21-29
MOSES IS NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER CANAAN

21  “At that time I gave Joshua this charge: ‘You have seen for yourself everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan. 

22  Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.’

23  “At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said, 

24  ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do? 

25  Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’

26  “But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more. 

27  But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River. 

28  Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.’ 

29  So we stayed in the valley near Beth-peor.

ACTS 9:26-31

SAUL IN JERUSALEM

26  When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!
27  Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
28  So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
29  He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.
30  When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.
31  The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.

Deuteronomy 3:12-22 and Acts 9:20-25 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 3:12-22
MOSES FORBIDDEN TO ENTER THE LAND

12  “When we took possession of this land, I gave to the tribes of Reuben and Gad the territory beyond Aroer along the Arnon Gorge, plus half of the hill country of Gilead with its towns. 

13  Then I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan—Og’s former kingdom—to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (This entire Argob region of Bashan used to be known as the land of the Rephaites. 

14  Jair, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh, conquered the whole Argob region in Bashan, all the way to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. Jair renamed this region after himself, calling it the Towns of Jair, as it is still known today.) 

15  I gave Gilead to the clan of Makir. 

16  But I also gave part of Gilead to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The area I gave them extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge in the south to the Jabbok River on the Ammonite frontier. 

17  They also received the Jordan Valley, all the way from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea, with the Jordan River serving as the western boundary. To the east were the slopes of Pisgah.

18  “At that time I gave this command to the tribes that would live east of the Jordan: ‘Although the Lord your God has given you this land as your property, all your fighting men must cross the Jordan ahead of your Israelite relatives, armed and ready to assist them. 

19  Your wives, children, and numerous livestock, however, may stay behind in the towns I have given you.

20  When the Lord has given security to the rest of the Israelites, as he has to you, and when they occupy the land the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan River, then you may all return here to the land I have given you.’ 

21  “At that time I gave Joshua this charge: ‘You have seen for yourself everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan. 

22  Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.’

ACTS 9:20-25

SAUL PREACHES IN DAMASCUS

20  And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”

21  All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”

22  Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. 

23  After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. 

24  They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. 

25  So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.

Deuteronomy 3:1-11 and Acts 9:1-19 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 3:1-11
ISRAEL CONQUERS KING OG

1    “Next we turned and headed for the land of Bashan, where King Og and his entire army attacked us at Edrei. 

2    But the Lord told me, ‘Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory over Og and his entire army, and I will give you all his land. Treat him just as you treated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.’

3    “So the Lord our God handed King Og and all his people over to us, and we killed them all. Not a single person survived. 

4    We conquered all sixty of his towns—the entire Argob region in his kingdom of Bashan. Not a single town escaped our conquest. 

5    These towns were all fortified with high walls and barred gates. We also took many unwalled villages at the same time. 

6    We completely destroyed the kingdom of Bashan, just as we had destroyed King Sihon of Heshbon. We destroyed all the people in every town we conquered—men, women, and children alike. 

7    But we kept all the livestock for ourselves and took plunder from all the towns.

8    “So we took the land of the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River—all the way from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon. 

9    (Mount Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians, and the Amorites call it Senir.) 

10  We had now conquered all the cities on the plateau and all Gilead and Bashan, as far as the towns of Salecah and Edrei, which were part of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. 

11  (King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)

ACTS 9:1-19

THE CONVERSION OF SAUL

1    Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 

2    He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

3    As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 

4    He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

5    “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.  And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!

6    Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7    The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one!

8    Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 

9    He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

10  Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”  “Yes, Lord!” he replied.

11  The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 

12  I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

13  “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 

14  And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

15  But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 

16  And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

17  So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 

18  Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 

19  Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.  Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.

Deuteronomy 2:26-37 and Acts 8:26-40 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 2:26-37
ISRAEL DEFEATS KING SIHON

26  Moses continued, “From the wilderness of Kedemoth I sent ambassadors to King Sihon of Heshbon with this proposal of peace:

27  ‘Let us travel through your land. We will stay on the main road and won’t turn off into the fields on either side. 

28  Sell us food to eat and water to drink, and we will pay for it. All we want is permission to pass through your land. 

29  The descendants of Esau who live in Seir allowed us to go through their country, and so did the Moabites, who live in Ar. Let us pass through until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.’

30  “But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to allow us to pass through, because the Lord your God made Sihon stubborn and defiant so he could help you defeat him, as he has now done.

31  “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Look, I have begun to hand King Sihon and his land over to you. Begin now to conquer and occupy his land.’

32  “Then King Sihon declared war on us and mobilized his forces at Jahaz. 

33  But the Lord our God handed him over to us, and we crushed him, his sons, and all his people. 

34  We conquered all his towns and completely destroyed everyone—men, women, and children. Not a single person was spared. 

35  We took all the livestock as plunder for ourselves, along with anything of value from the towns we ransacked.

36  “The Lord our God also helped us conquer Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and the town in the gorge, and the whole area as far as Gilead. No town had walls too strong for us. 

37  However, we avoided the land of the Ammonites all along the Jabbok River and the towns in the hill country—all the places the Lord our God had commanded us to leave alone.

ACTS 8:26-40

PHILLIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN OFFICIAL

26  As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 

27  So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 

28  and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

29  The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

30  Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31  The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

32  The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:  “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.

    And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

33  He was humiliated and received no justice.  Who can speak of his descendants?  For his life was taken from the earth.”

34  The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 

35  So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

36  As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”

^*****Some manuscripts add verse 37, “You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

38  He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39  When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 

40  Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

Deuteronomy 2:13-25 and Acts 8:14-25 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 2:13-25
THE YEARS IN THE DESERT (continued)
13  Moses continued, “Then the Lord said to us, ‘Get moving. Cross the Zered Brook.’ So we crossed the brook.
14  “Thirty-eight years passed from the time we first left Kadesh-barnea until we finally crossed the Zered Brook! By then, all the men old enough to fight in battle had died in the wilderness, as the Lord had vowed would happen.
15  The Lord struck them down until they had all been eliminated from the community.
16  “When all the men of fighting age had died,
17  the Lord said to me,
18  ‘Today you will cross the border of Moab at Ar
19  and enter the land of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot. But do not bother them or start a war with them. I have given the land of Ammon to them as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”
20  (That area was once considered the land of the Rephaites, who had lived there, though the Ammonites call them Zamzummites.
21  They were also as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites. But the Lord destroyed them so the Ammonites could occupy their land.
22  He had done the same for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, for he destroyed the Horites so they could settle there in their place. The descendants of Esau live there to this day.
23  A similar thing happened when the Caphtorites from Crete invaded and destroyed the Avvites, who had lived in villages in the area of Gaza.)
24  Moses continued, “Then the Lord said, ‘Now get moving! Cross the Arnon Gorge. Look, I will hand over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and I will give you his land. Attack him and begin to occupy the land.
25  Beginning today I will make people throughout the earth terrified because of you. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble with dread and fear.’”

ACTS 8:14-25
THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED IN SAMARIA
14  When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.
15  As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.
16  The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17  Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18  When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.
19  “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
20  But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!
21  You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.
22  Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts,
23  for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”
24  “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”
25  After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.

Deuteronomy 2:1-12 and Acts 8:4-13 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 2:1-12
THE YEARS IN THE DESERT

1    “Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea, just as the Lord had instructed me, and we wandered around in the region of Mount Seir for a long time.

2    “Then at last the Lord said to me, 

3    ‘You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north. 

4    Give these orders to the people: “You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful. 

5    Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land. 

6    If you need food to eat or water to drink, pay them for it. 

7    For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”’

8    “So we bypassed the territory of our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We avoided the road through the Arabah Valley that comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber.  “Then as we turned north along the desert route through Moab, 

9    the Lord warned us, ‘Do not bother the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, or start a war with them. I have given them Ar as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”

10  (A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants. 

11  Both the Emites and the Anakites are also known as the Rephaites, though the Moabites call them Emites. 

12  In earlier times the Horites had lived in Seir, but they were driven out and displaced by the descendants of Esau, just as Israel drove out the people of Canaan when the Lord gave Israel their land.)

ACTS 8:4-13

THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED IN SAMARIA

4    But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

5    Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 

6    Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. 

7    Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.

8    So there was great joy in that city.

9    A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 

10  Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” 

11  They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.

12  But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 

13  Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.

Deuteronomy 1:34-45 and Acts 8:1-3 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 1:34-45
THE LORD PUNISHES ISRAEL
35  ‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,
36  except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’
37  “And the Lord was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land!
38  Instead, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Israel as they take possession of it.
39  I will give the land to your little ones—your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it.
40  As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.’
41  “Then you confessed, ‘We have sinned against the Lord! We will go into the land and fight for it, as the Lord our God has commanded us.’ So your men strapped on their weapons, thinking it would be easy to attack the hill country.
42  “But the Lord told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’
43  “This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against the Lord’s command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight.
44  But the Amorites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Seir to Hormah.
45  Then you returned and wept before the Lord, but he refused to listen.

ACTS 8:1-3
SAUL PERSECUTES THE CHURCH

1  Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.  A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 

2  (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) 

3  But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

Deuteronomy 1:19-33 and Acts 7:54-60 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 1:19-33
SCOUTS EXPLORE THE LAND

19  “Then, just as the Lord our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness, as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amorites. When we arrived at Kadesh-barnea, 

20  I said to you, ‘You have now reached the hill country of the Amorites that the Lord our God is giving us.

21  Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’

22  “But you all came to me and said, ‘First, let’s send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.’

23  “This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose twelve scouts, one from each of your tribes. 

24  They headed for the hill country and came to the valley of Eshcol and explored it. 

25  They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, ‘The land the Lord our God has given us is indeed a good land.’

26  “But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go in. 

27  You complained in your tents and said, ‘The Lord must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered. 

28  Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’

29  “But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them! 

30  The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. 

31  And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’

32  “But even after all he did, you refused to trust the Lord your God, 

33  who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. 

ACTS 7:54-60

THE STONING OF STEPHEN

54  The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.
55  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
56  And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
57  Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him
58  and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59  As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60  He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Deuteronomy 1:9-18 and Acts 7:44-53 (New Living Translation)

DEUTERONOMY 1:9-18

MOSES APPOINTS JUDGES

9    Moses continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself.

10  The Lord your God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars! 

11  And may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised! 

12  But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? 

13  Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

14  “Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’ 

15  So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.

16  “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions 

17  and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’

18  “At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do.

ACTS 7:44-53

STEPHEN'S SPEECH (continued)

44  “Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle  with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. 

45  Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.

46  “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.

47  But it was Solomon who actually built it. 

48  However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,

49  ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.  Could you build me a temple as good as that?’

    asks the Lord.  Could you build me such a resting place?

50  Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’

51  “You stubborn people! You are heathen  at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 

52  Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 

53  You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

Deuteronomy 1:1-8 and Acts 7:35-43 (New Living Test

DEUTERONOMY 1:1-8
INTRODUCTION TO MOSES' FIRST ADDRESS

1  These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley  near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.

2  Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. 

3  But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. 

4  This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

5  While the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully explained the Lord’s instructions as follows. 

6  “When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. 

7  It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, and all the way to the great Euphrates River. 

8  Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’”

ACTS 7:35-43 

STEPHEN'S SPEECH (continued)

35  “So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior.
36  And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.
37  “Moses himself told the people of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.’
38  Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God’s people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.
39  “But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt.
40  They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’
41  So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made.
42  Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written, ‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
43  No, you carried your pagan gods—the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them.  So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.’