Acts 13
1 Among [the people in] the congregation at Antioch there were (prophets/those who spoke messages from God) and those who taught [people about Jesus. They were] Barnabas; Simeon, who was also called Niger/Blackman; Lucius, from Cyrene [city]; Manaen, who had grown up with [King] Herod [Antipas]; 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 worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said [to them], “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to [serve] me and to [go and do] the work that I have chosen them [to do]!”
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 So they continued (to fast/to abstain from eating food) and pray. Then having put their hands on Barnabas and Saul and [praying that God would help them], they sent them off [to do what the Holy Spirit had commanded].
Then, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off.
4 Barnabas and Saul, guided by the Holy Spirit, went down [from Antioch] to Seleucia [port]. From there they went by ship to Salamis [port on Cyprus Island].
So, having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 While they were in Salamis, [they went] to the Jewish meeting places. There they proclaimed the message from God [about Jesus]. John [Mark went with them and] was helping them.
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 [The three of] them went across the entire island to Paphos [city]. There they met a magician whose name was Bar-Jesus. He was a Jew who falsely [claimed] (to be a prophet/to speak messages from God).
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 often accompanied the governor [of the island], Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor sent [someone] to ask Barnabas and Saul to come to him, because he wanted to hear God’s message. [So Barnabas and Saul came and told him about Jesus].
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 However, the magician, whose name was Elymas [in the Greek language], was opposing them. He repeatedly tried to persuade the governor not to believe [in Jesus].
But the sorcerer Elymas (for so his name is translated) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 Then Saul, who now called himself Paul, empowered by the Holy Spirit, looked intently at the magician and said,
Then Saul, also called Paul, filled with Holy Spirit and looking intently at him,
10 “You [(sg)] are serving the devil and you oppose everything that is good! You are always lying [to people] and doing [other] evil things to them. (You must stop saying that the truth about the Lord [God is a lot of lies!]/When will you stop changing what is true about the Lord [God and saying] what is not true about him?) [RHQ]
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 Right now the Lord [God] [MTY] is going to punish you! You will become blind and not [even] be able to see light for [some] time.” At once he became [blind, as though he was] in a dark mist, and he groped about, searching for someone [to hold him by the] hand and lead him.
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 had happened [to Elymas], he believed [in the Lord Jesus]. He was amazed by [what Paul and Barnabas] were teaching about the Lord [Jesus].
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had happened, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
13 [After that], Paul and the two men with him went by ship from Paphos to Perga [port] in Pamphylia [province. At Perga] John [Mark] left them and returned to [his home in] 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 Then Paul and Barnabas traveled [by land] from Perga, and arrived in Antioch [city] near Pisidia [district in Galatia province]. (On the Sabbath/On the Jewish rest day) they entered the synagogue/the Jewish meeting place and sat down.
Going on from Perga they arrived in Antioch of Pisidia; and entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down.
15 [Someone] read [aloud] from what [Moses had written. Then someone read from what the other] prophets [had written] [MTY]. Then the leaders of the Jewish meeting place gave [someone this] note [to take] to Paul and Barnabas: “Fellow Jews, if [one of] you wants to speak to the people [here] to encourage them, please speak [to us(exc) now].”
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 So Paul stood up and motioned with his right hand [so that the people would listen to him]. Then he said, “Fellow Israelis and you [non-Jewish people] who [also] worship God, [please] listen [to me]!
So standing up and motioning with his hand, Paul said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.
17 God, whom we [(inc)] Israelis worship, chose our ancestors [to be his people], and he caused them to become very numerous while they were foreigners living in Egypt. [Then after many years], God helped them [MTY] powerfully and led them out of there.
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 [Even though they repeatedly disobeyed him, he] cared for them for about 40 years [while they were] in the desert.
For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.
19 He [enabled the Israelis] to conquer seven tribal groups [who were then living] in Canaan [region], and he gave their land to us Israelis for us to possess.
And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them possession of their land.
20 [Our ancestors began to possess Canaan] about 450 years after [their ancestors had arrived in Egypt].” Acts 13:20b-22 “After that, God appointed leaders [to rule the Israeli people. Those leaders continued to rule our people] until the time when the prophet Samuel [ruled them].
After these things, He gave judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
21 Then, [while Samuel was still their leader], the people demanded that he [appoint] a king [to rule them. So] God appointed Saul, the son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, [to be their king]. He [ruled them] for 40 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 After God had rejected Saul [from being king], he appointed David to be their king. God said about him, ‘I have observed that David, son of Jesse, is exactly the kind of man that I desire [IDM]. He will do [everything that] I want [him to do].’”
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 “From [among] David’s descendants, God brought one of them, Jesus, to [us] Israeli people to save us, just like he had told [David and our other ancestors] that he would do.
God, from this man's seed, according to promise, has brought Salvation to Israel,
24 Before Jesus began his work, John [the Baptizer] preached to all of our Israeli people [who came to him. He told them] that they should turn away from their sinful behavior [and ask God to forgive them. Then he] would baptize them.
John having heralded beforehand, in advance of His coming, a baptism of repentance to Israel.
25 When John was about to finish the work [that God gave him to do], he frequently said [to the people], ‘Do you think [RHQ] that I am [the Messiah whom God promised to send]? No, I am not. But listen! The Messiah will [soon] come. [He is so much greater than I am that] I am not [even] important enough to be his slave [MET].’”
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 “Fellow Israelis, you who are descendants of Abraham, and [you non-Jewish people who] also worship God, [please listen! It is] to [all of] us that [God] has sent the message about [how he] saves people.
“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 who were living in Jerusalem and their rulers did not realize that this man [Jesus was the one whom God had sent to save them]. Although messages from [MTY] the prophets have been read [aloud] {someone has read [aloud] messages from [MTY] the prophets} every (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest), they did not understand [what the prophets wrote about the Messiah. So] the [Jewish leaders] condemned Jesus [to die], which was just like the prophets predicted.
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 [Many people accused Jesus of doing wicked things], but they could not prove that he had done anything for which he deserved to die. They insistently asked Pilate [the governor] to command that Jesus be executed {to command soldiers to execute Jesus}. [So Pilate did what they asked him to do].
Though they found no cause for death, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.
29 They did [to Jesus] all the things that [the prophets long ago had] written [that people would do to] him. [They killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. Then] his body was taken {[some people took] his body} down from the cross and placed it 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 However, God (raised him from the dead/caused him to live again after he had died)
But God raised Him from the dead;
31 and for many days he [repeatedly] appeared to [his followers] who had come along with him from Galilee [province] to Jerusalem. Those [who saw him] are telling the [Jewish] people about him now.”
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 “[Right] now we [two] are proclaiming to you this good message. We want to tell you that God has fulfilled what he promised to [our Jewish] ancestors!
“Yes we proclaim to you the good news: the promise that was made to the fathers,
33 He has now done that for us [(inc) who are] their descendants, [and also for you who are not Jews], by causing Jesus to live again. That is just like what [David] wrote in the second Psalm that [God said when he was sending his Son], You [(sg)] are my Son; Today I have shown everyone [that I really am] 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] has (raised [the Messiah] from the dead/caused [the Messiah] to live again after he had died) and will never let him die again. [Concerning that, God] said [to our Jewish ancestors], ‘I will surely help you, as I [promised] David [that I would do].’
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 So [in writing] another [Psalm, David] said this [to God about the Messiah]: ‘Because I am devoted to you and always obey [you, when I die] you [(sg)] will not let my body decay.’
Further, it is stated elsewhere, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’
36 While David was living, he did what God wanted him to do. And when he died [EUP], his [body] was buried, [as] his ancestors’ [bodies had been buried], and his body decayed. [So he could not have been speaking about himself in this Psalm].
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 [Instead, he was speaking about Jesus. Jesus also died], but God (raised him from the dead/caused him to live again), and [therefore] his body did not decay.”
but the One whom God raised up did not see decay.
38 “Therefore, [my] fellow Israelis [and other friends], it is important for you to know that [we(exc)] are declaring to you [that God] can forgive you for your sins as a result of [what] Jesus [has done]. Because of [what] Jesus [has done], [God] considers that everyone who believes [in Jesus] is no longer guilty (OR, the record has been erased {[God] has erased the record}) concerning everything that they [have done that displeased God. But] when [God] does [that for you], it is not as a result of [your obeying] the laws [that] Moses [wrote].
Therefore, let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this One forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;
and by Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.
40 Therefore be careful that [God] does not judge you [MTY], as one of the prophets said [MTY] that God would do!
So take care, lest there come upon you that which has been spoken in the prophets:
41 [The prophet wrote that God said], You who ridicule [me], you will [certainly] be astonished [when you see what I am doing], and [then] you will be destroyed. You will be astonished because I will do something [terrible to you] while you are living. You would not believe [that I would do that] even though 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 After Paul [finished speaking], while he and Barnabas were leaving the Jewish meeting place, [many of] the people there repeatedly requested that on the next (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest) [the two of them] should speak to them [again] about those things [that Paul had just told them].
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 they began to leave [that meeting], many [of them] went along with Paul and Barnabas. They consisted of Jews and also of non-Jews who had accepted the things that the Jews believe. Paul and Barnabas continued talking to them, and were urging them to continue [believing the message that] God kindly [forgives people’s sins because of what Jesus did].
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 On the next Jewish rest day, most of the [people in Antioch came to] the Jewish meeting place to hear [Paul and Barnabas] speak about the Lord [Jesus].
Well the next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered to hear the Word of God.
45 But [the leaders of] [SYN] the Jews became extremely jealous, because they saw that large crowds of [non-Jewish people were coming to hear Paul and Barnabas. So] they began to contradict the things that Paul was saying [and also] to insult [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 Then, speaking very boldly, Paul and Barnabas said [to those Jewish leaders], “[We two] had to speak the message from God [about Jesus] to you [Jews] first [before we proclaim it to non-Jews, because God commanded us to do that. But] you are rejecting God’s message. [By doing that], you have shown that you are not worthy (to have eternal life/to live eternally [with God]). [Therefore], we are leaving [you, and now we] will go to the non-Jewish people [to tell them the message from God]. (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 [We are doing that also] because the Lord [God] has commanded us [to do it]. He said to us, ‘I have appointed you [to reveal things about me] to non-Jewish people [MET] that will be [like] a light to them. [I have appointed] you to tell people everywhere [MTY] in the world [about the one who came] to save [them].’”
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 While the non-Jewish people were listening [to those words], they began to rejoice, and they repeatedly said that the message about the Lord [Jesus] was wonderful. And all of the non-Jewish people whom [God] had chosen (to have eternal [life/to live eternally with God]) believed [the message about the Lord Jesus]. (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 [At that time, many of the believers] traveled around throughout that region. As they did that, they were proclaiming the message about the Lord [Jesus] [MTY].
Well the Word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.
50 However, [some leaders of] [SYN] the Jews incited the most important men in the city, and [some] important/influential women who had accepted what the Jews believe, to oppose [Paul and Barnabas. So those non-Jewish people] incited [other people also] to persecute Paul and Barnabas. As a result they expelled the two men from their region.
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, [as the two apostles were leaving, they] shook the dust from their feet [to show those Jewish leaders that God had rejected them and would punish them. They left Antioch] and went to Iconium [city].
So they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium.
52 Meanwhile, the believers [in Antioch] continued to rejoice greatly, and they continued to be completely controlled by the Holy Spirit.
But the disciples were filled with joy and with Holy Spirit.
