The Sin of Judah

17 “The sin of Judah is written with ^(A)a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on ^(B)the tablet of their heart, and on ^(C)the horns of their altars, ² while ^(D)their children remember their altars and their ^(E)Asherim, ^(F)beside every green tree and on the high hills, ^3 (G)on the mountains in the open country. ^(H)Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. ⁴ You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, ^(I)and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, ^(J)for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance

The Jerusalem Council

15 ^(A)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching ^(B)the brothers, “Unless you are ^(C)circumcised ^(D)according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ^(E)debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and ^(F)some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ^(G)the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, ^(H)being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(I)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and ^(J)brought great joy to all ^(K)the brothers.^{[a] 4 (L)}When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and ^(M)the apostles and the elders, and ^(N)they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to ^(O)the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ^(P)“It is necessary ^(Q)to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

^6 (R)The ^(S)apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much ^(T)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, ^(U)that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear ^(V)the word of ^(W)the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, ^(X)who knows the heart, ^(Y)bore witness to them, ^(Z)by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and ^(AA)he made no distinction between us and them, ^(AB)having cleansed their hearts ^(AC)by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why ^(AD)are you putting God to the test ^(AE)by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples ^(AF)that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we ^(AG)believe that we will be ^(AH)saved through ^(AI)the grace of the Lord Jesus, ^(AJ)just as they will.”

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

¹⁹ Therefore ^(AS)my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who ^(AT)turn to God, ²⁰ but should write to them ^(AU)to abstain from ^(AV)the things polluted by idols, and from ^(AW)sexual immorality, and from ^(AX)what has been strangled, and from ^(AY)blood. ²¹ For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, ^(AZ)for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then it seemed good to ^(BA)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called ^(BB)Barsabbas, and ^(BC)Silas, leading men among ^(BD)the brothers, ²³ with the following letter: ^(BE)“The brothers, both ^(BF)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers^[c] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, ^(BG)greetings. ²⁴ Since we have heard that ^(BH)some persons have gone out from us and ^(BI)troubled you^[d] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, ²⁵ it has seemed good to us, having come ^(BJ)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our ^(BK)beloved Barnabas and Paul, ^26 (BL)men who have ^(BM)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ We have therefore sent ^(BN)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸ For it has seemed good ^(BO)to the Holy Spirit and ^(BP)to us ^(BQ)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: ^29 (BR)that you abstain from ^(BS)what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

Keep the Sabbath Holy

¹⁹ Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which ^(A)the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, ²⁰ and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, ^(B)you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. ²¹ Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and ^(C)do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. ²² And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath ^(D)or do any work, but ^(E)keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. ²³ Yet ^(F)they did not listen or incline their ear, ^(G)but stiffened their neck, that they ^(H)might not hear and receive instruction.

²⁴ “‘But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and ^(I)bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but ^(J)keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, ²⁵ then ^(K)there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. ²⁶ And people shall come from ^(L)the cities of Judah ^(M)and the places around Jerusalem, ^(N)from the land of Benjamin, ^(O)from the Shephelah, from the hill country, ^(P)and from ^(Q)the Negeb, bringing ^(R)burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and ^(S)bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. ²⁷ But if you do not listen to me, to ^(T)keep the Sabbath day holy, ^(U)and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will ^(V)kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall ^(W)devour the palaces of Jerusalem and ^(X)shall not be quenched.’”

³⁰ So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. ³² And Judas and Silas, who were themselves ^(A)prophets, encouraged and ^(B)strengthened ^(C)the brothers with many words. ³³ And after they had spent some time, they were sent off ^(D)in peace by ^(E)the brothers to those who had sent them.^{[a] 35} But ^(F)Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Paul and Barnabas Separate

³⁶ And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit ^(G)the brothers ^(H)in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” ³⁷ Now Barnabas wanted to take with them ^(I)John called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul thought best not to take with them one ^(J)who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ And there arose ^(K)a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. ^(L)Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and departed, ^(M)having been commended by ^(N)the brothers to ^(O)the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ And he went through Syria and Cilicia, ^(P)strengthening the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul^[b] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named ^(Q)Timothy, ^(R)the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. ² He was well spoken of by ^(S)the brothers^[c] at Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he ^(T)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance ^(U)the decisions ^(V)that had been reached by ^(W)the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. ^5 (X)So the churches were strengthened in ^(Y)the faith, and they increased in numbers ^(Z)daily.