⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole town gathered to hear the word of the Lord.^{[a] 45} But when the Jewish leaders^[b] saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to object to the statements made by Paul and even to abuse him.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas boldly declared, “We had to speak God’s word to you first, but since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now going to turn to the gentiles. ⁴⁷ For that is what the Lord ordered us to do: ‘I have made you a light to the gentiles to be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.’”^[c]

⁴⁸ When the gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. Meanwhile, all who had been destined to eternal life believed, ⁴⁹ and the word of the Lord began to spread throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders^[d] stirred up devout women of high social standing and the officials in the city, started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their territory. ⁵¹ So Paul and Barnabas^[e] shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. ⁵² Meanwhile, the disciples continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit.