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.

Now in the congregation that was in Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (the one called Niger), Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), 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.”

As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart to 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.

Then, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off.

4 So Barnabas and Saul, directed by the Holy Spirit, went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

So, having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

5 Arriving at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their assistant.

And upon arriving in Salamis, they started proclaiming the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews (also they had John as 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.

Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew named Bar-Jesus,

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.

who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, really wanting to hear the Word of God.

8 But the magician Elymas (his Greek name) opposed them, trying to prevent the governor from trusting in God.

But the sorcerer Elymas (for so his name is translated) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 Saul, also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and looked straight at him.

Then Saul, also called Paul, filled with Holy Spirit and looking intently at him,

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?

said: “O full of all deceit and all trickery, son of a devil, enemy of all righteousness! Will you not stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

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.

Well now, the Lord's hand is against you and you will be blind, not seeing the sun until next season!” Immediately mist and darkness engulfed him, and he started going around looking for someone to lead him by the hand.

12 When the governor saw what happened he trusted in God, amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had happened, being astonished at the teaching of 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.

Then Paul and his party set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphilia (here 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.

Going on from Perga they arrived in Antioch of Pisidia; and entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down.

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 leaders sent to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, do 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 standing up and motioning with his hand, Paul said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.

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 chose our fathers, and prospered the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt, and brought them out of it with an uplifted arm.

18 and he patiently dealt with them in the desert for about forty years.

For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.

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.

And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them possession of their land.

20 Then he provided them with judges as leaders until the time of the prophet Samuel.

After these things, He gave judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

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 then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, a son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, 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.’

And removing him He raised up for them David as king, about whom He gave witness and said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

23 Jesus is David's descendant; he is the Savior that God promised to bring to Israel.

God, from this man's seed, according to promise, has brought Salvation to Israel,

24 Before Jesus came, John announced the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

John having heralded beforehand, in advance of His coming, a baptism of repentance to 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.’

Well, as John was fulfilling his course, he said: ‘Whom do you suppose me to be? No I am not—but indeed He comes after me, the sandals of whose feet 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!

“Men, brothers, sons of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God: to you the word of this salvation has been 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 Jerusalem dwellers and their rulers, understanding neither Him nor the voices 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.

Though they found no cause for death, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.

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.

When they had fulfilled all things that were written about Him, they took Him down from the cross and placed 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 for many days He was seen by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.

32 We are here to bring to you the good news of the promise that God made to our forefathers,

“Yes we proclaim to you the good news: the promise that was made to the fathers,

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.’

God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, when He raised up Jesus; as also it stands written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’

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.’

And that He raised Him from the dead, no longer to return to corruption, He has spoken thus, ‘I will give you the holy things guaranteed to David.’

35 As another psalm says, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’

Further, it is stated elsewhere, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’

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.

Now David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw decay;

37 The one God raised from the dead saw no decay.

but the One whom God raised up did not see decay.

38 My brothers, I want you to understand that we're telling you that through this man sins are forgiven.

Therefore, let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this One forgiveness of sins is 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 by Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.

40 Make sure that what the prophets said doesn't happen to you:

So take care, lest there come upon you that which has been spoken in the prophets:

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, marvel and perish! For I am working a work in your days to which you will not give credence, even if someone were to explain it in detail to you.’”

42 As they were leaving, the people pleaded with them to tell them more the next Sabbath.

Now as the Jews were going out of the synagogue, the Gentiles implored repeatedly that these words might be spoken to them 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.

The synagogue service having been dismissed, many of the Jews and the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who started addressing them, urging them to continue in the grace of God.

44 The following Sabbath almost the whole town turned out to hear the word of God.

Well the next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered to hear the Word of God.

45 However, when the Jews saw the crowds, they became extremely jealous, contradicting what Paul was saying and cursing him.

But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with envy and started speaking against the things said by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

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)

But Paul and Barnabas speaking boldly said: “It was necessary that God's Word should be spoken to you first. But since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, now we are being turned 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.’”

Because that is just how the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you to be a light for ethnic nations, that you should be for salvation up to the last place on 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)

Now upon hearing this, the Gentiles rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal live believed. (aiōnios g166)

49 So God's word was spread throughout the region.

Well the Word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.

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 stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and raised up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their borders.

51 So they shook the dust off their feet against them as a sign of protest, and went on to Iconium.

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

52 And the believers continued to be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

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