Love and Obey the Lord

11 Love^(A) the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.^{(B) 2} Remember today that your children^(C) were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God:^(D) his majesty,^(E) his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;^{(F) 3} the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;^{(G) 4} what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots,^(H) how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea^[a](I) as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. ⁵ It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, ⁶ and what he did^(J) to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened^(K) its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. ⁷ But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.^(L)

⁸ Observe therefore all the commands^(M) I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,^{(N) 9} and so that you may live long^(O) in the land the Lord swore^(P) to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.^{(Q) 10} The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt,^(R) from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. ¹¹ But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys^(S) that drinks rain from heaven.^{(T) 12} It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes^(U) of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

¹³ So if you faithfully obey^(V) the commands I am giving you today—to love^(W) the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul^(X)— ¹⁴ then I will send rain^(Y) on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains,^(Z) so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. ¹⁵ I will provide grass^(AA) in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.^(AB)

¹⁶ Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.^{(AC) 17} Then the Lord’s anger^(AD) will burn against you, and he will shut up^(AE) the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce,^(AF) and you will soon perish^(AG) from the good land the Lord is giving you. ¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^{(AH) 19} Teach them to your children,^(AI) talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.^{(AJ) 20} Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,^{(AK) 21} so that your days and the days of your children may be many^(AL) in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.^(AM)

²² If you carefully observe^(AN) all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love^(AO) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast^(AP) to him— ²³ then the Lord will drive out^(AQ) all these nations^(AR) before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.^{(AS) 24} Every place where you set your foot will be yours:^(AT) Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River^(AU) to the Mediterranean Sea. ²⁵ No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror^(AV) and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.^(AW)

²⁶ See, I am setting before you today a blessing^(AX) and a curse^(AY)— ²⁷ the blessing^(AZ) if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; ²⁸ the curse if you disobey^(BA) the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods,^(BB) which you have not known. ²⁹ When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim^(BC) the blessings, and on Mount Ebal^(BD) the curses.^{(BE) 30} As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh,^(BF) in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal.^{(BG) 31} You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession^(BH) of the land the Lord your God is giving^(BI) you. When you have taken it over and are living there, ³² be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.

ש Sin and Shin

ת Taw

Ananias and Sapphira

5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself,^(A) but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.^(B)

³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan^(C) has so filled your heart^(D) that you have lied to the Holy Spirit^(E) and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?^{(F) 4} Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?^(G) What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”^(H)

⁵ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.^(I) And great fear^(J) seized all who heard what had happened. ⁶ Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body,^(K) and carried him out and buried him.

⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”^(L)

⁹ Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?^(M) Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

¹⁰ At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.^(N) Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.^{(O) 11} Great fear^(P) seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

The Apostles Heal Many

¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders^(Q) among the people. And all the believers used to meet together^(R) in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(S) 13} No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.^{(T) 14} Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.^{(U) 15} As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.^{(V) 16} Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.^(W)

The Apostles Persecuted

¹⁷ Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party^(X) of the Sadducees,^(Y) were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.^{(Z) 19} But during the night an angel^(AA) of the Lord opened the doors of the jail^(AB) and brought them out.^{(AC) 20} “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”^(AD)

²¹ At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates^(AE) arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin^(AF)—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. ²² But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there.^(AG) So they went back and reported, ²³ “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” ²⁴ On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests^(AH) were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.

²⁵ Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” ²⁶ At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people^(AI) would stone them.

²⁷ The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin^(AJ) to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸ “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,”^(AK) he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”^(AL)

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!^{(AM) 30} The God of our ancestors^(AN) raised Jesus from the dead^(AO)—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.^{(AP) 31} God exalted him to his own right hand^(AQ) as Prince and Savior^(AR) that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.^{(AS) 32} We are witnesses of these things,^(AT) and so is the Holy Spirit,^(AU) whom God has given to those who obey him.”

³³ When they heard this, they were furious^(AV) and wanted to put them to death. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel,^(AW) a teacher of the law,^(AX) who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. ³⁵ Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. ³⁶ Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷ After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census^(AY) and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸ Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.^{(AZ) 39} But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”^(BA)

⁴⁰ His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged.^(BB) Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing^(BC) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.^{(BD) 42} Day after day, in the temple courts^(BE) and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news^(BF) that Jesus is the Messiah.^(BG)