Acts 13

1 Now there were in Antioch, in the gathering there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. [a] 2 And while they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off.

4 So they, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed off to Cyprus; 5 and when they were in Salamis they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they also had John as an attendant. 6 And going through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a man, a magician, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. He called Barnabas and Saul to him and asked to hear the word of God; [b] 8 but Elymas the magician — for that is how his name is translated — was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. [c]

9 But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at him 10 and said, “You who are full of every deceit and every fraud, son of the Accuser, enemy of all righteousness — will you not stop twisting the straight ways of the Lord? [d] 11 And now, look, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun, for a time.” And at once a mist and darkness fell on him, and going about he was looking for people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, trusted, astounded at the teaching of the Lord.

13 And putting out from Paphos, Paul and those with him came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John withdrew from them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 And they went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia, and going into the synagogue on the Sabbath day they sat down. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if there is any word of encouragement in you for the people, speak.”

16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand he said: “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and he lifted the people high while they were strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm he led them out of it; 18 and for about forty years he put up with their ways in the wilderness; [e] 19 and having pulled down seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance — 20 about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things he gave them judges, until Samuel the prophet. [f] 21 And from then on they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And having removed him he raised up David for them as king, to whom he also bore witness and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do everything I want.’ [g]

23 From this man’s seed God has brought to Israel, according to promise, one who rescues — Jesus. 24 John had proclaimed beforehand, before his coming, an immersion of a change of mind to all the people of Israel; 25 and as John was finishing his course he was saying, ‘What do you suppose me to be? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me the sandal of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26 Men, brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God — to us the word of this rescue has been sent out. 27 For those living in Jerusalem and their rulers, not recognizing him, fulfilled the voices of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by judging him; 28 and finding no cause of death in him, they asked Pilate that he be done away with. 29 And when they had finished everything written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead; 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.

32 And we bring you the good news that the promise made to the fathers — 33 this God has fulfilled for our children by raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: [h] †

34 And that he raised him from the dead, no longer about to return to decay, he has said in this way: ‘I will give you the sure holy things of David.’ [i] 35 And so in another place he says: ‘You will not allow your holy one to see decay.’ [j] 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was added to his fathers and saw decay; 37 but the one God raised did not see decay.

38 So let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is announced to you; and from everything you could not be set right from by the law of Moses, 39 in this man everyone who trusts is set right. [k] 40 So watch out that what is spoken of in the prophets does not come upon you:

42 And as they were going out, the people kept urging that these words be spoken to them on the Sabbath in between. 43 And when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout converts followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke with them and were urging them to stay with the favor of God. [m]

44 And on the coming Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But the Jews, seeing the crowds, were filled with jealousy, and they spoke against the things being said by Paul, blaspheming. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you push it away and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life — look, we are turning to the nations. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed you as a light for the nations, so you may be a rescue to the ends of the earth.’” [n]

48 And when the nations heard this they were rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to everlasting life trusted; 49 and the word of the Lord was carried through the whole region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders. 51 But they shook the dust off their feet against them and came to Iconium; 52 and the disciples were being filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.