Acts 11
New King James Version
Peter Defends God’s Grace
11 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, (A)those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, (B)“You went in to uncircumcised men (C)and ate with them!”
4 But Peter explained it to them (D)in order from the beginning, saying: 5 (E)“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then (F)the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover (G)these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 (H)And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, (I)as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, (J)‘John indeed baptized with water, but (K)you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 (L)If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, (M)who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, (N)“Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Barnabas and Saul at Antioch
19 (O)Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to (P)the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And (Q)the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and (R)turned to the Lord.
22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out (S)Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and (T)encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, (U)full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. (V)And a great many people were added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas departed for (W)Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Relief to Judea
27 And in these days (X)prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 Then one of them, named (Y)Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of (Z)Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send (AA)relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 (AB)This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Gevurot 11
Orthodox Jewish Bible
11 And the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Achim b’Moshiach, the ones throughout Yehudah, heard that also the non-Jews received the dvar Hashem.
2 But when Kefa went up to Yerushalayim, those of the faction of the Bris Milah were taking issue with him,
3 Saying, "You entered into a bais of anashim arelim (uncircumcised men) and you sat at tish with them."
4 But Kefa began explaining to them beseder (in order), saying,
5 "I was davening in the shtetl of Yafo and in a trance I saw a chazon (vision) of a certain object descending like a large linen cloth lowered by four corners from Shomayim, and it came up to me.
6 "And when I had gazed upon it, I saw fourfooted animals of ha’aretz and chayyat hasadeh and remasim haAdamah and oph HaShomayim.
7 "And I heard also a bat kol saying to me, ‘Get up, Kefa. Kill and eat.’
8 "But I said, ‘By no means, Adoni, because nothing common or tameh (unclean) has ever entered into my stomach.’
9 "And the bat kol answered for a second time from Shomayim, ‘What Hashem made tahor (clean) do not declare tameh (unclean).’
10 "This happened shlosh pe’amim, and everything was pulled up again into Shomayim.
11 "Hinei, at once shloshah anashim stood at the bais in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.
12 "And the Ruach Hakodesh said to me to accompany them without hesitating and these sheshet haAchim b’Moshiach came with me also, and we entered into the bais of the ish.
13 "He reported to us how he saw the malach in his bais having stood and having said, ‘Send to Yafo and summon Shimon, the one being called Kefa,
14 ‘Who will speak words to you by which you and all your bais will find Yeshu’at Eloheinu.’
15 "As I began to speak, the Ruach Hakodesh fell upon them, just as also upon us in the beginning.
16 And I remembered the dvar of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu, how he used to say, ‘Yochanan gave a tevilah of teshuva with a mikveh mayim, but you will be given a tevilah with the Ruach Hakodesh.'
17 "If then Hashem gave the same matanah to them as also to us after believing in Moshiach Adoneinu, who then was I to stand in the way of Hashem?"
18 And having heard these things, they were silenced and glorified Hashem, saying ‘Then also to the Nations Hashem has given teshuva unto Chayyim.'
19 Then the ones, that is, those having been scattered because of the tzoros that happened in connection with Stefanos, came to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking to no one the dvar Hashem except only to Yehudim.
20 And there were some of them, anashim of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having come to Antioch, were speaking also to the Yevanim, proclaiming the Besuras HaGeulah of Adoneinu Yehoshua.
21 The hand of Adonoi was on them and a large number, having had emunah, turned to Moshiach Adoneinu.
22 The report about them was heard in the ears of the Kehillah of Moshiach in Yerushalayim, and they sent out Bar-Nabba to go to Antioch;
23 Who, having come, and having seen the Chen v’Chesed Hashem, rejoiced and was encouraging everyone with deveykus (devotion) to HaAdon to remain true to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.
24 For Bar-Nabba was a mentsh, a gavra, an ish tov full of the Ruach Hakodesh and of emunah. And a great multitude was added to Adoneinu.
25 And Bar-Nabba left for Tarsus to look for Sha’ul,
26 And, having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year, they met with Moshiach’s Kehillah there, and taught a large multitude. And it was in Antioch that the talmidim were first called Ma’aminim HaMeshichiyim (Messianic Believers).
27 Now in these yamim, nevi’im came down from Yerushalayim to Antioch.
28 One of them, by name of Agav, having got up, indicated through the Ruach Hakodesh a great famine was about to come all over the world. And this famine actually occurred during the time of Claudius.
29 Now the talmidim decided that according to their means, each of them would send support to the Achim b’Moshiach dwelling in Yehudah;
30 Which also they did, having sent to the Ziknei HaKehillot by the hand of Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International