Atos 13

¹ There were prophets and teachers in the congregation at Antioch. This included: Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

² As they ministered to God, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: »Set Barnabas and Saul apart for the work I have called them.«

³ After they fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away.

⁴ Being sent by Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

⁵ They preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews at Salamis. John was also there as an attendant.

⁶ They traveled the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they found Barjesus. He was a sorcerer, a false prophet and a Jew.

⁷ He was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man, who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

⁸ But Elymas the sorcerer opposed them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

⁹ Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him,

¹⁰ And said: »You child of the devil, full of all subtlety and mischief, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of Jehovah?

¹¹ »Look Jehovah’s hand is on you. You will be blind and not see the sun for a season.« Immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness. He went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

¹² When he saw what was done the deputy believed. He was astonished at the teaching of God.

¹³ Paul and his company put out to sea from Paphos. They went to Perga in Pamphylia. John left them to return to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ When they left Perga, they went to Antioch in Pisidia. They went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

¹⁵ After the public reading of the law and the prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying: »You men and brothers if you have a message of encouragement for the people speak.«

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up gestured with his hand and said: »Men of Israel, and you who reverence God, listen.«

¹⁷ »The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. He brought them out of Egypt with his great strength.

¹⁸ »He cared for them and endured their bad conduct in the wilderness for forty years.

¹⁹ »He destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance.

²⁰ »Then he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. This took about four hundred and fifty years.

²¹ »Afterward they desired a king. God gave Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, to them for forty years.

²² »When he removed him, he made David their king. He testified about him when he said: I found David the son of Jesse is a man after my own heart. He will do my will.

²³ »God brought the Savior Jesus to Israel from this man’s descendants.

²⁴ »Before Jesus came John preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

²⁵ »As John accomplished his purpose he asked: Who do you think I am? I am not that one. One comes after me whose shoes I am not worthy to untie.

²⁶ »Men and brothers, children of Abraham, and you of the nations who respect God, the message of salvation is sent to you.

²⁷ »The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not know Jesus. They fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath when they condemned Jesus.

²⁸ »They found no grounds for the death sentence for him. Yet they asked Pilate to put him to death.

²⁹ »When they had fulfilled all that was written about him, they took him down from the stake, and laid him in a tomb.

³⁰ »But God raised him from the dead:

³¹ »Those who came with him from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are his witnesses to the people.

³² »We tell you good news. It is God’s promise to the fathers.

³³ »God has fulfilled this promise to their children by resurrecting Jesus. Just as it is written in the second psalm: You are my Son, today I have become your father. (Psalms 2:7)

³⁴ »He raised him up from the dead, never to decay. It is stated in these words: I will give you the sure blessings promised David. (Isaiah 55:3)

³⁵ »He said in another psalm: You will not allow your Holy One to see decay. (Ps 16:10)

³⁶ »After David served his own generation by doing the will of God he died and was buried with his fathers. His body decayed.

³⁷ »But he Jesus, whom God raised again, saw no decay.

³⁸ »You should know, men and brothers that it is through this man Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

³⁹ »Through him all who believe are justified from all things. You could not be justified through the Law of Moses.

⁴⁰ Beware that what the prophets said does not happen to you.

⁴¹ »Look among the nations, watch, and be amazed. Though you are told you will not believe the work I do today.« (Habakkuk 1:5)

⁴² When the Jews left the synagogue the people asked for this message to be preached to them the next Sabbath.

⁴³ When the congregation dismissed, many followed Paul and Barnabas. They urged them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴ Nearly the entire city gathered the next Sabbath day to hear the word of God.

⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with envy. They spoke against those things Paul spoke. They contradicted and blasphemed him.

⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas became very bold, and said: »It was necessary that the Word of God should first be spoken to you. But seeing you reject it you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life! Therefore we turn to the people of the nations.

⁴⁷ »Jehovah commanded us with these words: I appoint you as a light to the nations. My salvation will come to the ends of the earth.« (Isaiah 49:6)

⁴⁸ And when the people of the nations heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were receptive to eternal life believed.

⁴⁹ The word of God Greek: kurios: God was published throughout the entire region.

⁵⁰ The Jews incited the devout and honorable women and the leading men of the city. They caused persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their coasts.

⁵¹ So they shook the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium.

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