使徒行传 13
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
巴拿巴和扫罗接受差遣
13 安提阿教会中有几位先知和教师，就是巴拿巴、绰号“黑人”的希缅、古利奈人路求、与分封王希律一同长大的马念以及扫罗。 2 一天，他们正在敬拜主、禁食的时候，圣灵对他们说：“要为我把巴拿巴和扫罗分别出来，好让他们做我呼召他们去做的事。” 3 于是，他们禁食祷告并把手按在巴拿巴和扫罗身上，然后差遣他们出去。
4 二人受圣灵差遣，下到西流基，从那里乘船去塞浦路斯。 5 他们到了撒拉米，就在当地的犹太会堂传讲上帝的道。约翰·马可做他们的助手。
6 他们走遍全岛，远至帕弗，在那里遇见一个冒充先知的犹太术士巴·耶稣。 7 这人和当地的士求·保罗总督常有来往。士求·保罗是个聪明人，他邀请了巴拿巴和扫罗来，要听上帝的道。 8 但希腊名字叫以吕马的那个术士反对使徒，试图拦阻总督信主。 9 又名扫罗的保罗被圣灵充满，盯着他说： 10 “你这魔鬼的儿子，充满了诡诈和邪恶，是一切正义之敌，到现在还想歪曲主的正道吗？ 11 现在主要亲手惩罚你，使你瞎眼，暂时不见天日！”
他顿觉眼前一片漆黑，只好四处摸索，求人领他走路。 12 总督看见所发生的事，对主的道感到惊奇，就信了。
保罗传扬基督
13 保罗和同伴从帕弗乘船到旁非利亚的别加。约翰·马可在那里离开他们回耶路撒冷去了。 14 他们由别加继续前行，来到彼西底区的安提阿。在安息日那天，他们进了会堂坐下来。 15 读完律法书和先知书后，会堂主管派人告诉他们：“弟兄们，如果你们有什么劝勉众人的话，请讲。”
16 保罗站起来向大家挥手示意，说：“各位以色列同胞和各位敬畏上帝的外族朋友们，请听我说。 17 以色列的上帝拣选了我们的祖先，让他们在埃及寄居期间人丁兴旺成为大族，后来祂伸出臂膀带领他们离开埃及。 18 他们在旷野漂泊的那四十年间，上帝一直照顾、容忍他们。 19 后来上帝又灭了迦南境内的七族，把土地分给他们作产业。 20 前后历时约四百五十年。之后，上帝又为他们设立士师，直到撒母耳先知的时代。
21 “后来，他们求上帝为他们立一位王，上帝就选立便雅悯支派中基士的儿子扫罗为王，执政四十年。 22 之后，上帝废掉扫罗，选立大卫做王，并为他作证说，‘我找到了耶西的儿子大卫，他是合我心意的人，他必遵行我一切的旨意。’ 23 上帝照自己的应许，从大卫的后裔中为以色列人立了一位救主，就是耶稣。 24 在耶稣还未公开露面以前，约翰已经劝告以色列人要悔改，接受洗礼。 25 约翰在工作快要完成的时候说，‘你们以为我是谁？我不是基督。在我之后来的那位，我连给祂解鞋带也不配。’
26 “弟兄们，各位亚伯拉罕的子孙和敬畏上帝的外族人啊，这救恩之道原是传给我们的。 27 可是耶路撒冷的人和他们的官长不知道耶稣是基督，虽然每个安息日都诵读先知的信息，却把基督判死罪。这正应验了先知们的话。 28 他们虽然找不到判祂死罪的理由，却强求彼拉多将祂处死。 29 祂受死的记载全部应验之后，有人把祂从十字架上取下来，安放在石墓里。 30 但上帝却使祂从死里复活。 31 之后有许多天，那些从加利利跟随祂上耶路撒冷的人都看见过祂，他们如今在百姓中都是祂的见证人。 32 我们要报给你们一个好消息，上帝给我们祖先的应许， 33 祂借着使耶稣复活已为我们做子孙的成就了。正如诗篇第二篇所说，
“‘你是我的儿子，
我今日成为你父亲。’
34 圣经曾这样记载上帝使祂从死里复活、永不朽坏的事，
“‘我必将应许大卫的圣洁、
可靠的恩福赐给你们。’
35 又在诗篇上说，
“‘你必不让你的圣者身体朽坏。’
36 “大卫在世时遵行上帝的旨意，最后死了，葬在他祖先那里，肉身也朽坏了。 37 然而，上帝使之复活的那位却没有朽坏。 38 所以，弟兄们，你们应该知道，赦罪的信息是借着耶稣传给你们的。 39 你们靠遵行摩西律法不能被称为义人，只有信靠耶稣才能被称为义人。 40 你们要当心，免得先知说的话应验在你们身上，
41 “‘藐视真理的人啊，看吧！
你们要在惊惧中灭亡，
因为我要在你们的时代行一件事，
即使有人告诉你们，
你们也不会信。’”
42 保罗和巴拿巴离开会堂时，会堂里的人请求他们下一个安息日再来讲道。 43 许多犹太人和诚心改信犹太教的外族人都跟随保罗和巴拿巴，二人就与他们谈论，劝勉他们要坚定不移地信靠上帝的恩典。
44 到了下一个安息日，几乎全城的人都聚集起来，要听上帝的道。 45 犹太人看见那么多人聚集，充满嫉妒，便反驳保罗所讲的，诽谤他。 46 保罗和巴拿巴毫不畏惧地说：“上帝的道本该先传给你们，你们既然拒绝接受，认为自己不配得永生，我们现在就把这道传给外族人。 47 因为主这样吩咐我们，
“‘我已使你成为外族人的光，
好把救恩带到地极。’”
48 外族人听后，非常欢喜，颂赞主的道。凡被选定得永生的人都信了主。 49 主的道传遍了那个地方。
50 但犹太人煽动虔诚的贵妇和城中显要迫害保罗和巴拿巴，将二人赶出城去。 51 保罗和巴拿巴便当众跺掉脚上的尘土[a]，去了以哥念。 52 门徒满心喜乐，被圣灵充满。
Acts 13
International Children’s Bible
Barnabas and Saul Are Chosen
13 In the church at Antioch there were these prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (also called Niger), Lucius (from the city of Cyrene), Manaen (who had grown up with Herod, the ruler) and Saul. 2 They were all worshiping the Lord and giving up eating.[a] The Holy Spirit said to them, “Give Barnabas and Saul to me to do a special work. I have chosen them for it.”
3 So they gave up eating and prayed. They laid their hands on[b] Barnabas and Saul and sent them out.
Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus
4 Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went to the city of Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus. 5 When they came to Salamis, they preached the Good News of God in the Jewish synagogues. John Mark was with them to help.
6 They went across the whole island to Paphos. In Paphos they met a Jew who was a magician. His name was Bar-Jesus. He was a false prophet, 7 who always stayed close to Sergius Paulus, the governor. Sergius Paulus was a smart man. He asked Barnabas and Saul to come to him, because he wanted to hear the message of God. 8 But Elymas, the magician (that is what his name means), was against them. He tried to stop the governor from believing in Jesus. 9 But Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Saul’s other name was Paul.) He looked straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You son of the devil! You are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of evil tricks and lies. You are always trying to change the Lord’s truths into lies! 11 Now the Lord will touch you, and you will be blind. For a time you will not be able to see anything—not even the light from the sun.”
Then everything became dark for Elymas. He walked around, trying to find someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the governor saw this, he believed. He was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas Leave Cyprus
13 Paul and those with him sailed away from Paphos. They came to Perga, in Pamphylia. But John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 They continued their trip from Perga and went to Antioch, a city in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 The law of Moses and the writings of the prophets were read. Then the leaders of the synagogue sent a message to Paul and Barnabas: “Brothers, if you have any message that will encourage the people, please speak!”
16 Paul stood up. He raised his hand and said, “Men of Israel and you other people who worship God, please listen! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors. He made the people great during the time they lived in Egypt. He brought them out of that country with great power. 18 And he was patient with them[c] for 40 years in the desert. 19 God destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave the land to his people. 20 All this happened in about 450 years.
“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king. God gave them Saul son of Kish. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He was king for 40 years. 22 After God took him away, God made David their king. This is what God said about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse. He is the kind of man I want. He will do all that I want him to do.’ 23 So God has brought one of David’s descendants to Israel to be their Savior. That descendant is Jesus. And God promised to do this. 24 Before Jesus came, John[d] preached to all the people of Israel. He told them about a baptism of changed hearts and lives. 25 When he was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the Christ. He is coming later. I am not worthy to untie his sandals.’
26 “Brothers, sons in the family of Abraham, and you non-Jews who worship God, listen! The news about this salvation has been sent to us. 27 Those who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did not realize that Jesus was the Savior. They did not understand the words that the prophets wrote, which are read every Sabbath day. But they made them come true when they said Jesus was guilty. 28 They could not find any real reason for Jesus to die, but they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29 They did to him all that the Scriptures had said. Then they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him up from death! 31 After this, for many days, the people who had gone with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are now his witnesses to the people. 32 We tell you the Good News about the promise God made to our ancestors. 33 We are their children, and God has made this promise come true for us. God did this by raising Jesus from death. We read about this also in Psalm 2:
‘You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.’ Psalm 2:7
34 God raised Jesus from death. He will never go back to the grave and become dust. So God said:
‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings
that I promised to David.’ Isaiah 55:3
35 But in another place God says:
‘You will not let your Holy One
rot in the grave.’ Psalm 16:10
36 David did God’s will during his lifetime. Then he died and was buried with his fathers. And his body did rot in the grave! 37 But the One God raised from death did not rot in the grave. 38-39 Brothers, you must understand what we are telling you: You can have forgiveness of your sins through Jesus. The law of Moses could not free you from your sins. But everyone who believes is free from all sins through him. 40 Be careful! Don’t let what the prophets said happen to you:
41 ‘Listen, you people who doubt!
You can wonder, and then die.
I will do something in your lifetime that will amaze you.
You won’t believe it even when you are told about it!’” Habakkuk 1:5
42 While Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people asked them to tell them more about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 After the meeting, many Jews followed Paul and Barnabas from that place. With the Jews there were many who had changed to the Jewish religion and worshiped God. Paul and Barnabas were persuading them to continue trusting in God’s kindness.
44 On the next Sabbath day, almost all the people in the city came to hear the word of the Lord. 45 Seeing the crowd, the Jews became very jealous. They said insulting things and argued against what Paul said. 46 But Paul and Barnabas spoke very boldly. They said, “We must speak the message of God to you first. But you refuse to listen. You are judging yourselves not worthy of having eternal life! So we will now go to the people of other nations! 47 This is what the Lord told us to do. The Lord said:
‘I have made you a light for the non-Jewish nations.
You will show people all over the world the way to be saved.’” Isaiah 49:6
48 When the non-Jewish people heard Paul say this, they were happy. They gave honor to the message of the Lord. And many of the people believed the message. They were the ones chosen to have life forever.
49 And so the message of the Lord was spreading through the whole country. 50 But the Jews stirred up some of the important religious women and the leaders of the city against Paul and Barnabas. They started trouble against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their area. 51 So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet[e] and went to Iconium. 52 But the followers were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes
- 13:2 giving up eating This is called “fasting.” The people would give up eating for a special time of prayer and worship to God. It was also done to show sadness.
- 13:3 laid their hands on Here, this was a sign to show that these men were given a special work of God.
- 13:18 And . . . them Some Greek copies read “And he cared for them.”
- 13:24 John John the Baptist, who preached to people about Christ’s coming (Matthew 3; Luke 3).
- 13:51 shook . . . feet A warning. It showed that they were finished talking to these people.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
