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.
The church at Antioch had prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (the childhood friend of 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]!”
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.”
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].
After they had fasted, prayed, and placed their hands on them in blessing, they sent them on their way.
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 Barnabas and Saul, directed by the Holy Spirit, went to Seleucia. 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.
Arriving at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their 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).
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.
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].
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.
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 magician Elymas (his Greek name) opposed them, trying to prevent the governor from trusting in God.
9 Then Saul, who now called himself Paul, empowered by the Holy Spirit, looked intently at the magician and said,
Saul, also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and looked straight 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]
“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?
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.
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.
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].
When the governor saw what happened he trusted in God, amazed at the teaching about 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 those with him sailed from Paphos and went to Perga in Pamphylia, while John left them and went back 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.
They went through Perga and on to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and were seated.
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 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.”
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]!
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.
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 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,
18 [Even though they repeatedly disobeyed him, he] cared for them for about 40 years [while they were] in the desert.
and he patiently dealt with them in the desert for about forty years.
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.
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.
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].
Then he provided them with judges as leaders until the time of the prophet Samuel.
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.
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.
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].’”
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.’
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.
Jesus is David's descendant; he is the Savior that God promised to bring 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.
Before Jesus came, John announced the baptism of repentance to all the people of 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].’”
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.’
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.
My brothers, children of Abraham and those of you who have reverence for God: the message of this salvation has been sent to us!
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 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!
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].
Even though they couldn't find any evidence to sentence him to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
We are here to bring to you the good news of the promise that God made to our forefathers,
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.
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.’
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].’
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.’
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.’
As another psalm says, ‘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].
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.
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.”
The one God raised from the dead saw no 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].
My brothers, I want you to understand that we're telling you that through this man sins are forgiven.
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.
40 Therefore be careful that [God] does not judge you [MTY], as one of the prophets said [MTY] that God would do!
Make sure that what the prophets said doesn't happen to you:
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!”
‘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!’”
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].
As they were leaving, the people pleaded with them to tell them more 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].
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.
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].
The following Sabbath almost the whole town turned out 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].
However, when the Jews saw the crowds, they became extremely jealous, contradicting what Paul was saying and cursing him.
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)
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)
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].’”
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.’”
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)
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)
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].
So God's word was spread throughout 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 incited the prominent religious women and leaders of the city to persecute Paul and Barnabas, and had them expelled from their territory.
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 the dust off their feet against them as a sign of protest, and went on to Iconium.
52 Meanwhile, the believers [in Antioch] continued to rejoice greatly, and they continued to be completely controlled by the Holy Spirit.
And the believers continued to be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
