Acts 13:4-52

4So, being 1sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to 2Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in 3the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had 4John as their helper. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a 5magician, a Jewish 6false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the 7proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the 8magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the 9proconsul away from 10the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, 1112filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you 13son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked 14the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now, behold, 15the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the 16proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at 17the teaching of the Lord.

13Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from 18Paphos and came to 19Perga in 20Pamphylia; but 21John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But going on from Perga, they arrived at 22Pisidian 23Antioch, and on 24the Sabbath day they went into 25the synagogue and sat down. 15After 26the reading of the Law and 27the Prophets 28the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” 16Paul stood up, and 29motioning with his hand said,

“Men of Israel, and 30you who fear God, listen: 17The God of this people Israel 31chose our fathers and 3233made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm 34He led them out from it. 18For 35a period of about forty years 36He put up with them in the wilderness. 1937When He had destroyed 38seven nations in the land of Canaan, He 39distributed their land as an inheritance--all of which took 40about four hundred and fifty years. 20After these things He 41gave them judges until 42Samuel the prophet. 21Then they 43asked for a king, and God gave them 44Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22After He had 45removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘46I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My 47will.’ 2348From the descendants of this man, 49according to promise, God has brought to Israel 50a Savior, Jesus, 24after 51John had proclaimed before 52His coming a 53baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And while John 54was completing his course, 55he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26“Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of 56this salvation has been sent. 27For those who live in Jerusalem, and their 57rulers, 58recognizing neither Him nor the 59utterances of 60the prophets which are 61read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they 62asked Pilate that He be 63executed. 29When they had 64carried out all that was written concerning Him, 65they took Him down from 66the 67cross and 68laid Him in a tomb. 30But God 69raised Him from the dead; 31and for many days 70He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now 71His witnesses to the people. 32And we 72preach to you the good news of 73the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this promise 74to our children in that He 75raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘76You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’ 34As for the fact that He 77raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘78I will give you the holy and 79sure blessings of David.’ 35Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘80You will not 81allow Your 82Holy One to 83undergo decay.’ 36For 84David, after he had 85served 86the purpose of God in his own generation, 87fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and 88underwent decay; 37but He whom God 89raised did not 90undergo decay. 38Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that 91through 92Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and 93through Him 94everyone who believes is 95freed 96from all things, from which you could not be 97freed 98through the Law of Moses. 40Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of 99in the Prophets may not come upon you:41‘100Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and 101perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

42As 102Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these 103things might be spoken to them the next 104Sabbath. 43Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the 105God-fearing 106107proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in 108the grace of God.

44The next 109Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of 110the Lord. 45But when 111the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were 112blaspheming. 46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you 113first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, 114we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘115I have placed You as a 116light for the Gentiles, That You may 117bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying 118the word of 119the Lord; and as many as 120had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49And 121the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50But 122the Jews incited the 123124devout women 125of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their 126district. 51But 127they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to 128Iconium. 52And the disciples were continually 129filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.