Acts 11

1 And the apostles and the brothers who are in Judea heard that the nations also received the word of God,

The apostles and the followers throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God’s message.

2 and when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of circumcision were contending with him,

But, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were converts from Judaism began to attack him,

3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!”

on the ground that he had visited people who were not circumcised, and had taken meals with them.

4 And Peter having begun, set [it] forth to them in order, saying,

So Peter began to relate the facts to them as they had occurred.

5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw in a trance a vision, a certain vessel coming down, as a great sheet by four corners being let down out of Heaven, and it came to me;

“I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and was praying; and, while in a trance, I saw a vision. There was something like a great sail descending, let down by its four corners out of the heavens; and it came right down to me.

6 at which having looked steadfastly, I was considering, and I saw the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky;

Looking intently at it, I began to distinguish quadrupeds, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds;

7 and I heard a voice saying to me, Having risen, Peter, slay and eat;

and I also heard a voice saying to me – ‘Stand up, Peter, kill something and eat.’

8 and I said, Not so, Lord, because anything common or unclean has at no time entered into my mouth;

‘No, Lord, I cannot,’ I answered, ‘for nothing defiled or unclean has ever passed my lips.’

9 and a voice answered me a second time out of Heaven, What God cleansed, you do not declare common.

Then a second time there came a voice from the heavens. ‘What God has pronounced clean’, it said, ‘you must not call defiled.’

10 And this happened three times, and again was all drawn up to Heaven,

This happened three times, and then all was drawn up again into the heavens.

11 and behold, immediately, three men stood at the house in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me,

At that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea to see me, came up to the house in which we were.

12 and the Spirit said to me to go with them, doubting nothing, and these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man,

The Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. These six companions also went with me. And, when we came into the man’s house,

13 he also declared to us how he saw the messenger standing in his house, and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter,

he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and how the angel had said to him – ‘Send to Joppa and fetch the Simon, who is also known as Peter;

14 who will speak sayings by which you will be saved, you and all your house.

for he will tell you truths, which will prove the means of salvation to you and all your household.’

15 And in my beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as also on us in the beginning,

I had but just begun to speak,” continued Peter, “when the Holy Spirit fell on them, exactly as on us at the first;

16 and I remembered the saying of the LORD, how He said, John indeed immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit;

and I recalled the saying of the Master – ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

17 if then God gave to them the equal gift as also to us, having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, I—how was I able to withstand God?”

Since then, God had given them the very same gift as he gave us when we became believers in Jesus Christ the Master – who was I that I could thwart God?”

18 And they, having heard these things, were silent, and were glorifying God, saying, “Then, indeed, God also gave conversion to life to the nations.”

On hearing this statement, they said no more, but broke out into praise of God. “So even to the Gentiles,” they exclaimed, “God has granted the repentance which leads to life!”

19 Those, indeed, therefore, having been scattered abroad, from the tribulation that came after Stephen, went through to Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none except to Jews only;

Now those who had been scattered in different directions, in consequence of the persecution that followed the death of Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the message – but only to Jews.

20 and there were certain of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having entered into Antioch, were speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming good news—the Lord Jesus,

Some of them, however, who were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, on coming to Antioch, addressed themselves also to the Jews of foreign birth, telling them the good news about that Lord Jesus.

21 and the hand of the LORD was with them, a great number also, having believed, turned to the LORD.

The power of the Lord was with them, so that a great number who had learned to believe came over to the Lord’s side.

22 And the account was heard in the ears of the assembly that [is] in Jerusalem concerning them, and they sent forth Barnabas to go through to Antioch,

The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

23 who, having come, and having seen the grace of God, was glad, and was exhorting all with purpose of heart to cleave to the LORD,

On coming there he saw to his great joy these tokens of the loving kindness of God, and encouraged them all to make up their minds to be faithful to the Lord –

24 because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith, and a great multitude was added to the LORD.

For Barnabas was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith – and a large number of people took their stand on the Lord’s side.

25 And Barnabas went forth to Tarsus, to seek for Saul,

Afterward Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

26 and having found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that they assembled together a whole year in the assembly, and taught a great multitude, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

and, when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it came about that, for a whole year, they attended the meetings of the church there, and taught a large number of people; and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’

27 And in those days there came from Jerusalem prophets to Antioch,

During this time, some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem.

28 and one of them, by name Agabus, having stood up, signified through the Spirit a great scarcity is about to be throughout all the world—which also came to pass in the time of Claudius Caesar—

One of them, named Agabus, came forward and, under the influence of the Spirit, foretold a great famine that was to spread over all the world – a famine which occurred in the reign of Claudius.

29 and the disciples, according as anyone was prospering, determined each of them to send for ministry to the brothers dwelling in Judea,

So the disciples, without exception, determined, in proportion to their means, to send something to help the followers living in Judea.

30 which also they did, having sent to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

And this they did, sending it to the church elders by Barnabas and Saul.