Acts 15:6-21

English Standard Version

⁶^(A)The ^(B)apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷And after there had been much ^(C)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, ^(D)that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear ^(E)the word of ^(F)the gospel and believe. ⁸And God, ^(G)who knows the heart, ^(H)bore witness to them, ^(I)by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹and ^(J)he made no distinction between us and them, ^(K)having cleansed their hearts ^(L)by faith. ¹⁰Now, therefore, why ^(M)are you putting God to the test ^(N)by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples ^(O)that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹But we ^(P)believe that we will be ^(Q)saved through ^(R)the grace of the Lord Jesus, ^(S)just as they will.”

¹²And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul ^(T)as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. ¹³After they finished speaking, ^(U)James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴^(V)Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them ^(W)a people for his name. ¹⁵And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

¹⁶^(X)“‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
     and I will restore it,
¹⁷that the remnant^[a] of mankind ^(Y)may seek the Lord,
    and all the Gentiles ^(Z)who are called by my name,
     says the Lord, who makes these things ¹⁸^(AA)known from of old.’

¹⁹Therefore ^(AB)my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who ^(AC)turn to God, ²⁰but should write to them ^(AD)to abstain from ^(AE)the things polluted by idols, and from ^(AF)sexual immorality, and from ^(AG)what has been strangled, and from ^(AH)blood. ²¹For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, ^(AI)for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”