Acts 3

₁One day Peter and John went to the temple. It was the time of day when people came to the temple to pray, about the 9th hour (3 o'clock in the afternoon). ₂There were people who carried a cripple man to the temple door. He had been cripple from the day that he was born. Every day his people put him down at a door of the temple, at the Beautiful Gate, and the cripple man begged and asked the people at the temple for money. ₃The cripple man saw Peter and John when they were going into the temple and he asked them for money. ₄Peter and John looked at him and Peter said: ‘Look at us.’

₅The man looked at them and he hoped that they would give him something. ₆Then Peter said: ‘I don't have money, but I will give you something that I do have. Jesus of Nazareth sent me and He gave me the power to say to you: “Stand up and walk.” ’

₇Then Peter took the man's right hand and he helped him to stand. Immediately the man's feet and legs became strong, ₈and he jumped up and started to walk, and he went with Peter and John into the temple. He was walking and jumping and praising God. ₉All the people saw him walking and praising God. ₁₀They all knew that he was the cripple man who had always sat at the Beautiful Gate and asked for money. They were amazed at what had happened.

₁₁The man who had been cripple kept on holding on to Peter and John. They were in Solomon's_Porch and all the people ran and came to them. The people were very surprised. ₁₂When Peter saw all the people, he started to talk to them and he said: ‘Friends, why are you so surprised about what has happened? Why do you look at us like this? Do you think that we have the power to make this man walk again? Or do you think that we could do it because we are so religious? ₁₃No, it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God_of_Jacob who did it. Yes, the God of our fathers healed this man and He showed that Jesus is the King. When Jesus was standing before Pilate, Pilate wanted to let Him go free. But you gave Jesus to the Romans and you asked them to kill Jesus. You did not want to accept Him.

₁₄You did not want to accept the Righteous One who was holy. You asked Pilate to let a murderer go free ₁₅but you killed the One who gives eternal_life to people. God made Him come alive again and we are witnesses that He lives. ₁₆This crippled man heard the name of Jesus and he believed in Him. That is why Jesus healed him and you can all see that he can now walk.

₁₇Friends, I know that you and your leaders did not know what you were doing. ₁₈But God told all the prophets long ago to talk to the people and to bring the message that the Christ of God will suffer and will die. And God has now done what He said. It happened like God said. ₁₉That is why you must now turn your lives to God and do what He wants. Come to God and He will forgive all your sins. ₂₀Then you will know that Christ is the King and He will give you peace. God has chosen Jesus to be the Christ, and He will come again. ₂₁But now Jesus must stay in heaven until the time comes that God will make all things new, as his holy prophets promised long ago.

₂₂Moses said: “The Lord your God will send you a Prophet. He will be one of you, just as He chose me. You must listen to everything that He tells you. ₂₃Everyone who does not listen to that Prophet must know: The Lord will take him away from the people of God.”

₂₄Samuel and all the other prophets who came later also told us what would happen at this time. ₂₅You are the children of the prophets. You have received the covenant that God made with your forefathers. These promises are also for you. God said to Abraham: “All the people on earth will get my blessings because of your family.” ₂₆That is why God sent his Servant Jesus to you first. He wants to bless you. He wants each one of you to stop doing things that are wrong.’