8 ¹ And Saul was among those who approved of his murder.

THIS WAS THE BEGINNING of a time of violent persecution for the church in Jerusalem; and all except the apostles were scattered over the country districts of Judaea and Samaria. 8 ² Stephen was given burial by certain devout men, who made a great lamentation for him. 8 ³ Saul, meanwhile, was harrying the church; he entered house after house, seizing men and women, and sending them to prison.