Paul and Barnabas Are Sent to the Gentiles

13 Now (A)in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: (B)Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, (C)Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, (D)“Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work (E)to which I have called them.” Then, (F)having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Preaching in Cyprus

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to (G)Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salamis, (H)they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had (I)John as their assistant.

Now when they had gone through [a]the island to Paphos, they found (J)a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But (K)Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) [b]withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, (L)filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, (M)you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, (N)the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

At Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and (O)John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and (P)went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 And (Q)after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have (R)any word of [c]exhortation for the people, say on.”

16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and (S)you who fear God, listen: 17 The God of this people [d]Israel (T)chose our fathers, and exalted the people (U)when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with [e]an uplifted arm He (V)brought them out of it. 18 Now (W)for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. 19 And when He had destroyed (X)seven nations in the land of Canaan, (Y)He distributed their land to them by allotment.

20 “After that (Z)He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, (AA)until Samuel the prophet. 21 (AB)And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them (AC)Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And (AD)when He had removed him, (AE)He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, (AF)‘I have found David the son of Jesse, (AG)a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ 23 (AH)From this man’s seed, according (AI)to the promise, God raised up for Israel (AJ)a[f] Savior—Jesus— 24 (AK)after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, (AL)‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, (AM)there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

26 “Men and brethren, sons of the [g]family of Abraham, and (AN)those among you who fear God, (AO)to you the [h]word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, (AP)because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. 28 (AQ)And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. 29 (AR)Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, (AS)they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. 30 (AT)But God raised Him from the dead. 31 (AU)He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings—(AV)that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

(AW)‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’

34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to [i]corruption, He has spoken thus:

(AX)‘I will give you the sure [j]mercies of David.’

35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm:

(AY)‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’

36 “For David, after he had served [k]his own generation by the will of God, (AZ)fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and [l]saw corruption; 37 but He whom God raised up [m]saw no corruption. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that (BA)through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and (BB)by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41 ‘Behold,(BC) you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.’

Blessing and Conflict at Antioch

42 [n]So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, (BD)persuaded them to continue in (BE)the grace of God.

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they (BF)opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, (BG)“It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but (BH)since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, (BI)we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us:

(BJ)‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’

48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. (BK)And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, (BL)raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 (BM)But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52 And the disciples (BN)were filled with joy and (BO)with the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 13:6 NU the whole island
  2. Acts 13:8 opposed
  3. Acts 13:15 encouragement
  4. Acts 13:17 M omits Israel
  5. Acts 13:17 Mighty power
  6. Acts 13:23 M salvation, after
  7. Acts 13:26 stock
  8. Acts 13:26 message
  9. Acts 13:34 the state of decay
  10. Acts 13:34 blessings
  11. Acts 13:36 in his
  12. Acts 13:36 underwent decay
  13. Acts 13:37 underwent no decay
  14. Acts 13:42 Or And when they went out of the synagogue of the Jews; NU And when they went out, they begged

13 And there were certain in Antioch, in the assembly there, prophets and teachers; both Barnabas, and Simeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen also -- Herod the tetrarch's foster-brother -- and Saul;

and in their ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, `Separate ye to me both Barnabas and Saul to the work to which I have called them,'

then having fasted, and having prayed, and having laid the hands on them, they sent [them] away.

These, indeed, then, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, thence also they sailed to Cyprus,

and having come unto Salamis, they declared the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they had also John [as] a ministrant;

and having gone through the island unto Paphos, they found a certain magian, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name [is] Bar-Jesus;

who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man; this one having called for Barnabas and Saul, did desire to hear the word of God,

and there withstood them Elymas the magian -- for so is his name interpreted -- seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith.

And Saul -- who also [is] Paul -- having been filled with the Holy Spirit, and having looked stedfastly on him,

10 said, `O full of all guile, and all profligacy, son of a devil, enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease perverting the right ways of the Lord?

11 and now, lo, a hand of the Lord [is] upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season;' and presently there fell upon him a mist and darkness, and he, going about, was seeking some to lead [him] by the hand;

12 then the proconsul having seen what hath come to pass, did believe, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 And those about Paul having set sail from Paphos, came to Perga of Pamphylia, and John having departed from them, did turn back to Jerusalem,

14 and they having gone through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia, and having gone into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, they sat down,

15 and after the reading of the law and of the prophets, the chief men of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, `Men, brethren, if there be a word in you of exhortation unto the people -- say on.'

16 And Paul having risen, and having beckoned with the hand, said, `Men, Israelites, and those fearing God, hearken:

17 the God of this people Israel did choose our fathers, and the people He did exalt in their sojourning in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm did He bring them out of it;

18 and about a period of forty years He did suffer their manners in the wilderness,

19 and having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He did divide by lot to them their land.

20 `And after these things, about four hundred and fifty years, He gave judges -- till Samuel the prophet;

21 and thereafter they asked for a king, and God did give to them Saul, son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years;

22 and having removed him, He did raise up to them David for king, to whom also having testified, he said, I found David, the [son] of Jesse, a man according to My heart, who shall do all My will.

23 `Of this one's seed God, according to promise, did raise to Israel a Saviour -- Jesus,

24 John having first preached, before his coming, a baptism of reformation to all the people of Israel;

25 and as John was fulfilling the course, he said, Whom me do ye suppose to be? I am not [he], but, lo, he doth come after me, of whom I am not worthy to loose the sandal of [his] feet.

26 `Men, brethren, sons of the race of Abraham, and those among you fearing God, to you was the word of this salvation sent,

27 for those dwelling in Jerusalem, and their chiefs, this one not having known, also the voices of the prophets, which every sabbath are being read -- having judged [him] -- did fulfill,

28 and no cause of death having found, they did ask of Pilate that he should be slain,

29 and when they did complete all the things written about him, having taken [him] down from the tree, they laid him in a tomb;

30 and God did raise him out of the dead,

31 and he was seen for many days of those who did come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

32 `And we to you do proclaim good news -- that the promise made unto the fathers,

33 God hath in full completed this to us their children, having raised up Jesus, as also in the second Psalm it hath been written, My Son thou art -- I to-day have begotten thee.

34 `And that He did raise him up out of the dead, no more to return to corruption, he hath said thus -- I will give to you the faithful kindnesses of David;

35 wherefore also in another [place] he saith, Thou shalt not give Thy kind One to see corruption,

36 for David, indeed, his own generation having served by the will of God, did fall asleep, and was added unto his fathers, and saw corruption,

37 but he whom God did raise up, did not see corruption.

38 `Let it therefore be known to you, men, brethren, that through this one to you is the forgiveness of sins declared,

39 and from all things from which ye were not able in the law of Moses to be declared righteous, in this one every one who is believing is declared righteous;

40 see, therefore, it may not come upon you that hath been spoken in the prophets:

41 See, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish, because a work I -- I do work in your days, a work in which ye may not believe, though any one may declare [it] to you.'

42 And having gone forth out of the synagogue of the Jews, the nations were calling upon [them] that on the next sabbath these sayings may be spoken to them,

43 and the synagogue having been dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes did follow Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were persuading them to remain in the grace of God.

44 And on the coming sabbath, almost all the city was gathered together to hear the word of God,

45 and the Jews having seen the multitudes, were filled with zeal, and did contradict the things spoken by Paul -- contradicting and speaking evil.

46 And speaking boldly, Paul and Barnabas said, `To you it was necessary that first the word of God be spoken, and seeing ye do thrust it away, and do not judge yourselves worthy of the life age-during, lo, we do turn to the nations;

47 for so hath the Lord commanded us: I have set thee for a light of nations -- for thy being for salvation unto the end of the earth.'

48 And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the Lord, and did believe -- as many as were appointed to life age-during;

49 and the word of the Lord was spread abroad through all the region.

50 And the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the first men of the city, and did raise persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and did put them out from their borders;

51 and they having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium,

52 and the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.