Acts 13
1 The church at Antioch had prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (the childhood friend of Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.
Among the members of the church at Antioch there were several prophets and teachers – Barnabas, Simeon who was known by the name of ‘Black’, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, foster-brother of Prince Herod, and Saul.
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul to do the work I've called them to.”
While they were engaged in the worship of the Lord and were fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them.”
3 After they had fasted, prayed, and placed their hands on them in blessing, they sent them on their way.
Accordingly, after fasting and prayer, they placed their hands on them and dismissed them.
4 So Barnabas and Saul, directed by the Holy Spirit, went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
Barnabas and Saul, sent on this mission, as they were, by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus.
5 Arriving at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their assistant.
On reaching Salamis, they began to tell the message of God in the Jewish synagogues; and they had John with them as an assistant.
6 They traveled throughout the island and eventually came to Paphos. There they found a Jewish magician, a false prophet by the name of Bar-jesus.
After passing through the whole island, they reached Paphos, where they found an astrologer who pretended to be a prophet – a Jew by birth, whose name was Barjoshua.
7 He was close to the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. Sergius Paulus invited Barnabas and Saul to come and visit him since he wanted to hear the word of God.
He was at the court of the Governor, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who sent for Barnabas and Saul and asked to be told God’s message.
8 But the magician Elymas (his Greek name) opposed them, trying to prevent the governor from trusting in God.
But Elymas, the astrologer (for that is the meaning of the word), opposed them, eager to divert the Governor’s attention from the faith.
9 Saul, also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and looked straight at him.
However, Saul (who is the same as Paul), full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on him and said,
10 “You are full of deception and all kinds of evil, you son of the devil, you enemy of all that is right! Will you never give up perverting the Lord's true ways?
“You incarnation of deceit and all fraud! You son of the devil! You opponent of all that is good! Will you never cease to divert the straight paths of the Lord? Listen!
11 Look, the Lord's hand is on you and you will become blind. You will not see the sun for some time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell on him, and he had to find someone who could lead him by the hand.
The hand of the Lord is on you even now, and you will be blind for a time and unable to see the sun.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went feeling about for someone to guide him.
12 When the governor saw what happened he trusted in God, amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
When the Governor saw what had happened, he became a believer in Christ, being greatly impressed by the teaching about the Lord.
13 Then Paul and those with him sailed from Paphos and went to Perga in Pamphylia, while John left them and went back to Jerusalem.
After this, Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and went to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
14 They went through Perga and on to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and were seated.
The others went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. There they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and took their seats.
15 After the readings from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent them a message saying, “Brothers, please share with the congregation any words of encouragement you may have.”
After the reading of the Law and the prophets, the synagogue leader sent them this message – “Friends, if you have any helpful words to address to the people, now is the time to speak.”
16 Paul stood up, motioned with his hand to get their attention, and began speaking. “Men of Israel, and all of you who have reverence for God, listen to me.
So Paul rose and, motioning with his hand, said: “People of Israel and all here who worship God, hear what I have to say.
17 The God of the people of Israel chose our forefathers, and gave our people prosperity during their stay in the land of Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out of Egypt,
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, and during their stay in Egypt increased the prosperity of the people, and then with uplifted arm brought them out from that land.
18 and he patiently dealt with them in the desert for about forty years.
For about forty years he bore with them in the desert;
19 After he had overthrown seven nations living in the land of Canaan, God divided their land among the Israelites and gave it to them to inherit. This took about four hundred and fifty years.
then, after destroying seven heathen nations in Canaan, he allotted their land to this people –
20 Then he provided them with judges as leaders until the time of the prophet Samuel.
For about four hundred and fifty years. In later times he gave them Judges, of whom the prophet Samuel was the last.
21 Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled for forty years.
And, when they demanded a king, God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.
22 Then God removed Saul, and made David their king. God approved of David, saying ‘I found David the son of Jesse to be a man according to my own heart; he will do everything I intend.’
After removing him, he raised David to the throne, and bore this testimony to him – ‘In David, the son of Jesse, I have found a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my purposes.’
23 Jesus is David's descendant; he is the Savior that God promised to bring to Israel.
It was from this man’s descendants that God, in accordance with his promise, gave Israel a Savior – Jesus;
24 Before Jesus came, John announced the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
John having first proclaimed, before the appearance of Jesus, a baptism on repentance for all the people of Israel.
25 As John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one you're looking for. But after me one is coming whose sandals I'm not worthy to untie.’
As John was drawing towards the end of his career, he said ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not the Christ. But there is “one coming” after me, whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’
26 My brothers, children of Abraham and those of you who have reverence for God: the message of this salvation has been sent to us!
Brothers and sisters, descendants of Abraham, and all those among you who worship God, it was to us that the message of this salvation was sent.
27 The people living in Jerusalem and their leaders didn't recognize Jesus or understand the words spoken by the prophets that are read every Sabbath. In fact they fulfilled the prophetic words by condemning him!
The people of Jerusalem and their leaders, failing to recognize Jesus, and not understanding the utterances of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.
28 Even though they couldn't find any evidence to sentence him to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
They found no ground at all for putting him to death, and yet demanded his execution from Pilate;
29 After they had fulfilled everything predicted that they would do to him, they took him down from the cross and buried him in a tomb.
and, after carrying out everything written about him, they took Jesus down from the cross, and laid him in a tomb.
30 But God raised him from the dead,
But God raised him from the dead;
31 and he appeared over the course of many days to those who had followed him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people.
and he appeared for many days to those who had gone up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and who are now witnesses for him to the people.
32 We are here to bring to you the good news of the promise that God made to our forefathers,
We also have good news to tell you, about the promise made to our ancestors –
33 that he has now fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus from the dead. As it is written in Psalm 2: ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’
That our children have had this promise completely fulfilled to them by God, by his raising Jesus. That is just what is said in the second Psalm – ‘You are my Son; this day I have become your Father.’
34 God raised him from the dead, never to die again, as he indicated by saying, ‘I will give you what is holy and trustworthy, as I promised to David.’
As to his raising Jesus from the dead, never again to return to corruption, this is what is said – ‘I will give to you the sacred promises made to David;’
35 As another psalm says, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’
And, therefore, in another Psalm it is said – ‘You will not give up the Holy One to undergo corruption.’
36 But David died, after he had done what God wanted in his own time, and he was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed.
David, after obediently doing God’s will in his own time, fell asleep and was laid by the side of his ancestors, and did undergo corruption;
37 The one God raised from the dead saw no decay.
but Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, did not undergo corruption.
38 My brothers, I want you to understand that we're telling you that through this man sins are forgiven.
I would, therefore, like you to know, friends, that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you,
39 Through him everyone who trusts in him is made morally right from all that is wrong—in a way that you could never be set right by the law of Moses.
and that, in union with him, everyone who believes in him is absolved from every sin from which under the Law of Moses you could not be absolved.
40 Make sure that what the prophets said doesn't happen to you:
Beware, therefore, that what is said in the prophets does not come true of you –
41 ‘You who are scornful, look in amazement, and die! For what I'm doing in your lifetime is something that you could never believe, even if someone told you!’”
‘Look, you despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I am doing a deed in your days – a deed which, though told you in full, you will never believe’.”
42 As they were leaving, the people pleaded with them to tell them more the next Sabbath.
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people begged for a repetition of this teaching on the next Sabbath.
43 After the meeting in the synagogue, many of the Jews and the converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas who spoke with them, encouraging them to continue to hold on to the grace of God.
After the congregation had dispersed, many of the Jews, and of the converts who joined in their worship, followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue to rely on the loving kindness of God.
44 The following Sabbath almost the whole town turned out to hear the word of God.
On the following Sabbath, almost all the city gathered to hear God’s message.
45 However, when the Jews saw the crowds, they became extremely jealous, contradicting what Paul was saying and cursing him.
But the sight of the crowds of people filled the minds of the Jews with jealousy, and they kept contradicting Paul’s statements in violent language.
46 So Paul and Barnabas spoke out strongly, saying “We had to speak the word of God to you first. But now that you're rejecting it—you're deciding that you're not worthy of eternal life—well now we're turning to the foreigners. (aiōnios g166)
Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out fearlessly, and said: “It was necessary that the message of God should be told to you first; but, since you reject it and reckon yourselves not worthy of the eternal life – we turn to the Gentiles! (aiōnios g166)
47 That's what the Lord has told us to do: ‘I've made you a light to the foreigners, and through you salvation will go to the ends of the earth.’”
For this is the Lord’s command to us – ‘I have destined you for a light to the Gentiles, a means of salvation to the ends of the earth’.”
48 When the foreigners heard this they were overjoyed, praising the Lord's word, and all those chosen for eternal life trusted in God. (aiōnios g166)
On hearing this, the Gentiles were glad and extolled God’s message; and all those who had been enrolled for eternal life became believers in Christ; (aiōnios g166)
49 So God's word was spread throughout the region.
and the Lord’s message was carried throughout that district.
50 But the Jews incited the prominent religious women and leaders of the city to persecute Paul and Barnabas, and had them expelled from their territory.
But the Jews incited the women of high social standing who worshiped with them, and the leading men of the town, and started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region.
51 So they shook the dust off their feet against them as a sign of protest, and went on to Iconium.
They, however, shook the dust off their feet in protest,
52 And the believers continued to be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
and went to Iconium, leaving the disciples full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.
