Actuum Apostolorum 5
1 Vir autem quidam nomine Ananias, cum Saphira uxore suo vendidit agrum,
There was, however, a man named Ananias, who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property,
2 et fraudavit de pretio agri, conscia uxore sua: et afferens partem quamdam, ad pedes Apostolorum posuit.
and, with her connivance, kept back some of the proceeds. He brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Dixit autem Petrus: Anania, cur tentavit Satanas cor tuum, mentiri te Spiritui Sancto, et fraudare de pretio agri?
‘Ananias,’ Peter exclaimed, ‘how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?
4 nonne manens tibi manebat, et venundatum in tua erat potestate? quare posuisti in corde tuo hanc rem? non es mentitus hominibus, sed Deo.
While it was unsold, was not it your own? And after it was sold, was not the money at your own disposal? How did you come to think of such a thing? You have lied, not to people, but to God!’
5 Audiens autem Ananias hæc verba, cecidit, et expiravit. Et factus est timor magnus super omnes qui audierunt.
As Ananias heard these words, he fell down and expired; and everyone who heard of it was appalled.
6 Surgentes autem juvenes amoverunt eum, et efferentes sepelierunt.
The young men got up, and, winding the body in a sheet, carried it out and buried it.
7 Factum est autem quasi horarum trium spatium, et uxor ipsius, nesciens quod factum fuerat, introivit.
After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Dixit autem ei Petrus: Dic mihi mulier, si tanti agrum vendidistis? At illa dixit: Etiam tanti.
‘Is it true,’ Peter asked, addressing her, ‘that you sold your land for such a sum?’ ‘Yes,’ she answered, ‘we did.’
9 Petrus autem ad eam: Quid utique convenit vobis tentare Spiritum Domini? Ecce pedes eorum qui sepelierunt virum tuum ad ostium, et efferent te.
Then Peter said, ‘How did you come to agree to provoke the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out too.’
10 Confestim cecidit ante pedes ejus, et expiravit. Intrantes autem juvenes invenerunt illam mortuam: et extulerunt, et sepelierunt ad virum suum.
Instantly Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and expired. On coming in, the young men found her dead; so they carried her out and buried her by her husband’s side.
11 Et factus est timor magnus in universa ecclesia, et in omnes qui audierunt hæc.
The whole church and all who heard of these events were appalled.
12 Per manus autem Apostolorum fiebant signa et prodigia multa in plebe. Et erant unanimiter omnes in porticu Salomonis.
Many signs and wonders continued to occur among the people, through the instrumentality of the apostles, whose custom it was to meet all together in the Colonnade of Solomon;
13 Ceterorum autem nemo audebat se conjungere illis: sed magnificabat eos populus.
but of the rest no one ventured to join them. On the other hand, the people were full of their praise,
14 Magis autem augebatur credentium in Domino multitudo virorum ac mulierum,
and still larger numbers, both of men and women, as they became believers in the Lord, were added to their number.
15 ita ut in plateas ejicerent infirmos, et ponerent in lectulis et grabatis, ut, veniente Petro, saltem umbra illius obumbraret quemquam illorum, et liberarentur ab infirmitatibus suis.
The consequence was that people would bring out their sick even into the streets, and lay them on mattresses and mats, in the hope that, as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on someone of them.
16 Concurrebat autem et multitudo vicinarum civitatum Jerusalem, afferentes ægros, et vexatos a spiritibus immundis: qui curabantur omnes.
Besides this, the inhabitants of the towns round Jerusalem flocked into the city, bringing with them their sick and those who were troubled by foul spirits; and they were cured everyone.
17 Exsurgens autem princeps sacerdotum, et omnes qui cum illo erant (quæ est hæresis sadducæorum), repleti sunt zelo:
At this the high priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy,
18 et injecerunt manus in Apostolos, et posuerunt eos in custodia publica.
arrested the apostles, and had them placed in custody.
19 Angelus autem Domini per noctem aperiens januas carceris, et educens eos, dixit:
An angel of the Lord, however, opened the prison doors at night and led them out.
20 Ite, et stantes loquimini in templo plebi omnia verba vitæ hujus.
‘Go,’ he said, ‘and stand in the Temple Courts, and tell the people the whole message of this new life.’
21 Qui cum audissent, intraverunt diluculo in templum, et docebant. Adveniens autem princeps sacerdotum, et qui cum eo erant, convocaverunt concilium, et omnes seniores filiorum Israël: et miserunt ad carcerem ut adducerentur.
When they heard this, they went at daybreak into the Temple Courts, and began to teach. The high priest and his party, on their arrival, summoned the High Council, including all the leaders of the people among the Israelites, and sent to the jail to fetch the apostles.
22 Cum autem venissent ministri, et aperto carcere non invenissent illos, reversi nuntiaverunt,
But, when the officers got there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported that,
23 dicentes: Carcerem quidem invenimus clausum cum omni diligentia, et custodes stantes ante januas: aperientes autem neminem intus invenimus.
while they had found the goal barred securely and the guards posted at the doors, yet, on opening them, they had not found anyone inside.
24 Ut autem audierunt hos sermones magistratus templi et principes sacerdotum, ambigebant de illis quidnam fieret.
When the officer in charge at the Temple and the chief priests heard their story, they were perplexed about the apostles and as to what all this would lead to.
25 Adveniens autem quidam, nuntiavit eis: Quia ecce viri quos posuistis in carcerem, sunt in templo, stantes et docentes populum.
Presently, however, someone came and told them, that the men whom they had put in prison were actually standing in the Temple Courts, teaching the people.
26 Tunc abiit magistratus cum ministris, et adduxit illos sine vi: timebant enim populum ne lapidarentur.
Then, the officer went with his men and fetched the apostles – without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people –
27 Et cum adduxissent illos, statuerunt in concilio: et interrogavit eos princeps sacerdotum,
and then brought them before the Council. The high priest demanded an explanation from them.
28 dicens: Præcipiendo præcepimus vobis ne doceretis in nomine isto, et ecce replestis Jerusalem doctrina vestra: et vultis inducere super nos sanguinem hominis istius.
‘We gave you strict orders,’ he said, ‘not to teach in this name. Yet you have actually flooded Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to make us responsible for the death of this man.’
29 Respondens autem Petrus et Apostoli, dixerunt: Obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus.
To this Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than people.
30 Deus patrum nostrorum suscitavit Jesum, quem vos interemistis, suspendentes in ligno.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a cross.
31 Hunc principem et salvatorem Deus exaltavit dextera sua ad dandam pœnitentiam Israëli, et remissionem peccatorum:
It is this Jesus whom God has exalted to his right hand, to be a guide and a Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
32 et nos sumus testes horum verborum, et Spiritus Sanctus, quem dedit Deus omnibus obedientibus sibi.
And we are witness to the truth of this, and so is the Holy Spirit – the gift of God to those who obey him.’
33 Hæc cum audissent, dissecabantur, et cogitabant interficere illos.
The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the apostles to death.
34 Surgens autem quidam in concilio pharisæus, nomine Gamaliel, legis doctor, honorabilis universæ plebi, jussit foras ad breve homines fieri,
But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.
35 dixitque ad illos: Viri Israëlitæ, attendite vobis super hominibus istis quid acturi sitis.
He then said, ‘People of Israel, take care as to what you intend to do with these men.
36 Ante hos enim dies extitit Theodas, dicens se esse aliquem, cui consensit numerus virorum circiter quadringentorum: qui occisus est, et omnes qui credebant ei, dissipati sunt, et redacti ad nihilum.
For not long ago Theudas appeared, professing to be somebody, and was joined by a body of some four hundred men. But he was killed; and all his followers scattered and dwindled away.
37 Post hunc extitit Judas Galilæus in diebus professionis, et avertit populum post se: et ipse periit, et omnes quotquot consenserunt ei, dispersi sunt.
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census, and induced people to follow him; yet he, too, perished and all his followers were dispersed.
38 Et nunc itaque dico vobis, discedite ab hominibus istis, et sinite illos: quoniam si est ex hominibus consilium hoc aut opus, dissolvetur:
And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to leave them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;
39 si vero ex Deo est, non poteritis dissolvere illud, ne forte et Deo repugnare inveniamini. Consenserunt autem illi.
but, if they are of divine origin, you will be powerless to put an end to them – or else you may find yourselves fighting against God!’
40 Et convocantes Apostolos, cæsis denuntiaverunt ne omnino loquerentur in nomine Jesu, et dimiserunt eos.
The Council followed his advice, and, calling the apostles in, had them flogged, and then, after cautioning them not to speak in the name of Jesus, set them free.
41 Et illi quidem ibant gaudentes a conspectu concilii, quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Jesu contumeliam pati.
But the apostles left the Council, rejoicing that they had been thought worthy to suffer disgrace for that name;
42 Omni autem die non cessabant in templo et circa domos, docentes et evangelizantes Christum Jesum.
and never for a single day, either in the Temple Courts or in private houses, did they cease to teach, or to tell the good news of Jesus, the Christ.
