se, eating their food with gladness and
simple-heartedness, praising God and having the good-will of all the
people. Day by day God added many to the number of the saved.

One day Peter and John were on their way to the Temple for the hour of
prayer at three in the afternoon. A man who had been lame from birth,
and who was placed daily at what was called the Beautiful Gate of the
Temple, was being carried there to beg from the people who went in. When
he saw that Peter and John were about to go in, he asked them to give
him something. But Peter fixed his eyes on him, and John did also, and
said, "Look at us." And the man looked attentively, expecting to receive
something from them. Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but
what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!"
And he took him by the right hand and raised him up. And immediately his
feet and his ankles received strength and he leaped up, stood on his
feet, walked about and went with them into the Temple, walking, and
leaping and praising God.

When the people who saw him walking about and praising God knew that he
was the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple,
they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him;
and as he still kept close to Peter and John, the astonished crowd
rushed to them in what was called Solomon's Porch.

Then Peter said to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at
this? Or why do you stare at us as though we had made him walk by some
power or goodness of our own? The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of
Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has honored Jesus his servant, whom
you delivered up and denied before Pilate when he had decided to let him
go. But you denied the Holy and Just One and asked that a murderer be
set free and put to death the One who brings life to men! But God
brought him back from the dead, as we bear witness. Jesus, through faith
in his name, has given strength to this man whom you see and know. Yes,
it is faith in him that has made this man perfectly well in the presence
of you all.

"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your
rulers. Turn then to God and live right lives that your sins may be
forgiven, so that God may send you strength. After raising his Servant
from the grave, God sent him first to you to bless you by turning each
of you from your wickedness."

While they were speaking to the people,