18. For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
19. After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance.
20. All this took about four hundred fifty years. After this he gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
21. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.
22. After removing him, God raised up David their king. He testified about him: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’
23. From the descendants of this man God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised.
24. Before Jesus arrived, John had proclaimed a baptism for repentance to all the people of Israel.
25. But while John was completing his mission, he said repeatedly, ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’
26. Brothers, descendants of Abraham’s family, and those Gentiles among you who fear God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us.
27. For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him, and they fulfilled the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning him.