¹ OR in que’ giorni venne Giovanni Battista, predicando nel deserto della Giudea, e dicendo:

² Ravvedetevi, perciocchè il regno de’ cieli è vicino.

³ Perciocchè questo Giovanni è quello del qual fu parlato dal profeta Isaia, dicendo: Vi è una voce d’uno che grida nel deserto: Acconciate la via del Signore, addirizzate i suoi sentieri.

⁴ Or esso Giovanni avea il suo vestimento di pel di cammello, ed una cintura di cuoio intorno a’ lombi, e il suo cibo erano locuste e miele salvatico.

⁵ Allora Gerusalemme, e tutta la Giudea, e tutta la contrada d’intorno al Giordano, uscirono a lui.

⁶ Ed erano battezzati da lui nel Giordano, confessando i lor peccati.

⁷ Or egli, veggendo molti de’ Farisei e de’ Sadducei venire al suo battesimo, disse loro: Progenie di vipere, chi vi ha mostrato di fuggir dall’ira a venire?

⁸ Fate adunque frutti degni dal ravvedimento.

⁹ E non pensate di dir fra voi stessi: Noi abbiamo Abrahamo per padre; perciocchè io vi dico, che Iddio può, eziandio da queste pietre, far sorgere dei figliuoli ad Abrahamo.

¹⁰ Or già è ancora posta la scure alla radice degli alberi; ogni albero adunque che non fa buon frutto, sarà di presente tagliato, e gettato nel fuoco.

¹¹ Ben vi battezzo io con acqua, a ravvedimento; ma colui che viene dietro a me è più forte di me, le cui suole io non son degno di portare; egli vi battezzerà con lo Spirito Santo e col fuoco.

¹² Egli ha la sua ventola in mano, e monderà interamente l’aia sua, e raccoglierà il suo grano nel granaio; ma arderà la paglia col fuoco inestinguibile.

¹³ ALLORA venne Gesù di Galilea al Giordano a Giovanni, per esser da lui battezzato.

¹⁴ Ma Giovanni lo divietava forte, dicendo: Io ho bisogno di esser battezzato da te, e tu vieni a me!

¹⁵ E Gesù, rispondendo, gli disse: Lascia al presente; perciocchè così ci conviene adempiere ogni giustizia. Allora egli lo lasciò fare.

¹⁶ E Gesù, tosto che fu battezzato, salì fuor dell’acqua; ed ecco, i cieli gli si apersero, ed egli vide lo Spirito di Dio scendere in somiglianza di colomba, e venire sopra di esso.

¹⁷ Ed ecco una voce dal cielo, che disse: Questo è il mio diletto Figliuolo, nel quale io prendo il mio compiacimento.

¹ Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

² A certain man who was lame from his mother's womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple.

³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy.

⁴ Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, "Look at us."

⁵ He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them.

⁶ But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"

⁷ He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength.

⁸ Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.

⁹ All the people saw him walking and praising God.

¹⁰ They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

¹¹ As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

¹² When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, "You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?

¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.

¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

¹⁵ and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.

¹⁶ By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ "Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

¹⁸ But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

¹⁹ "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,

²⁰ and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before,

²¹ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.

²² For Moses indeed said to the fathers, 'The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you.

²³ It will be, that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

²⁴ Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.

²⁵ You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'In your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.'

²⁶ God, having raised up his servant, Jesus, sent him to you first, to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from your wickedness."