¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.^{(A) 15} Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah^(B) on the day of judgment^(C) than for that town.^(D)

¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you.^(A) Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’^(B)

⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying^(A) and heaped abuse^(B) on him.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first.^(C) Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.^{(D) 47} For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord;^(G) and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

⁴⁹ The word of the Lord^(H) spread through the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.^{(I) 51} So they shook the dust off their feet^(J) as a warning to them and went to Iconium.^(K)

⁵ When Silas^(A) and Timothy^(B) came from Macedonia,^(C) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.^{(D) 6} But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,^(E) he shook out his clothes in protest^(F) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^(G) I am innocent of it.^(H) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^(I)

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

¹⁷ Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.^(A) When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,^(B) although I have done nothing against our people^(C) or against the customs of our ancestors,^(D) I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸ They examined me^(E) and wanted to release me,^(F) because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.^{(G) 19} The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.^(H) I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. ²⁰ For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel^(I) that I am bound with this chain.”^(J)

²¹ They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people^(K) who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²² But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”^(L)

²³ They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God,^(M) and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets^(N) he tried to persuade them about Jesus.^{(O) 24} Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.^{(P) 25} They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said^(Q) through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁸ “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation^(T) has been sent to the Gentiles,^(U) and they will listen!”