¹⁶ Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand^(A) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;^{(B) 18} for about forty years he endured their conduct^[a](C) in the wilderness;^{(D) 19} and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,^(E) giving their land to his people^(F) as their inheritance.^{(G) 20} All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges^(H) until the time of Samuel the prophet.^{(I) 21} Then the people asked for a king,^(J) and he gave them Saul^(K) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,^(L) who ruled forty years. ²² After removing Saul,^(M) he made David their king.^(N) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;^(O) he will do everything I want him to do.’^(P)

²³ “From this man’s descendants^(Q) God has brought to Israel the Savior^(R) Jesus,^(S) as he promised.^{(T) 24} Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.^{(U) 25} As John was completing his work,^(V) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(W) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(X)

²⁶ “Fellow children of Abraham^(Y) and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation^(Z) has been sent. ²⁷ The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus,^(AA) yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets^(AB) that are read every Sabbath. ²⁸ Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.^{(AC) 29} When they had carried out all that was written about him,^(AD) they took him down from the cross^(AE) and laid him in a tomb.^{(AF) 30} But God raised him from the dead,^{(AG) 31} and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.^(AH) They are now his witnesses^(AI) to our people.

³² “We tell you the good news:^(AJ) What God promised our ancestors^{(AK) 33} he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus.^(AL) As it is written in the second Psalm:

³⁴ God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,

³⁵ So it is also stated elsewhere:

³⁶ “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep;^(AP) he was buried with his ancestors^(AQ) and his body decayed. ³⁷ But the one whom God raised from the dead^(AR) did not see decay.

³⁸ “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.^{(AS) 39} Through him everyone who believes^(AT) is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.^{(AU) 40} Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: