Acts 13

First Missionary Journey

1Now there were 1prophets and 2teachers at 3Antioch, in the 4church that was there: 5Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of 6Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with 7Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2While they were 8serving the Lord and fasting, 9the Holy Spirit said, “Set 10Barnabas and Saul apart for Me for 11the work to which I have called them.” 3Then, when they had fasted, 12prayed, and 13laid their hands on them, 14they sent them away.

4So, being 15sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to 16Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in 17the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had 18John as their helper. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a 19magician, a Jewish 20false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the 21proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the 22magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the 23proconsul away from 24the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, 2526filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him, 10and said, “27You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you 28son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked 29the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now, behold, 30the 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 31proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at 32the teaching of the Lord.

13Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from 33Paphos and came to 34Perga in 35Pamphylia; but 36John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But going on from Perga, they arrived at 37Pisidian 38Antioch, and on 39the Sabbath day they went into 40the synagogue and sat down. 15After 41the reading of the Law and 42the Prophets, 43the synagogue officials sent word to them, saying, “44Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” 16Paul stood up, and 45motioning with his hand said,

“Men of Israel, and 46you who fear God, listen: 17The God of this people Israel 47chose our fathers and 4849made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm 50He led them out from it. 18For 51a period of about forty years 52He put up with them in the wilderness. 1953When He had destroyed 54seven nations in the land of Canaan, He 55distributed their land as an inheritance--all of which took 56about 450 years. 20After these things He 57gave them judges until 58Samuel the prophet. 21Then they 59asked for a king, and God gave them 60Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22After He had 61removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘62I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My 63will.’ 2364From the descendants of this man, 65according to promise, God has brought to Israel 66a Savior, Jesus, 24after 67John had proclaimed, before 68His coming, a 69baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And while John 70was completing his course, 71he 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“72Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of 73this salvation has been sent. 27For those who live in Jerusalem, and their 74rulers, 75recognizing neither Him nor the 76declarations of 77the prophets which are 78read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they 79asked Pilate that He be executed. 29When they had 80carried out everything that was written concerning Him, 81they took Him down from the 8283cross and 84laid Him in a tomb. 30But God 85raised Him from the dead; 31and for many days 86He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now 87His witnesses to the people. 32And we 88preach to you the good news of 89the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by 90raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘91You are My Son; today I have fathered You.’ 34As for the fact that He 92raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘93I will give you the holy and faithful mercies of David.’ 35Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: ‘94You will not 95allow Your 96Holy One to 97undergo decay.’ 36For 98David, after he had 99served God’s 100purpose in his own generation, 101fell asleep, and was 102buried among his fathers and 103underwent decay; 37but He whom God 104raised did not 105undergo decay. 38Therefore let it be known to you, 106brothers, that 107through 108Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and 109through Him 110everyone who believes is 111freed from all things, from which you could not be 112freed 113through the Law of Moses. 40Therefore, see that the thing spoken of 114in the Prophets does not come upon you:41‘115Look, you scoffers, and be astonished, and 116perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

42As 117Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these 118things spoken to them the next 119Sabbath. 43Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the 120God-fearing 121122proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in 123the grace of God.

Paul Turns to the Gentiles

44The next 124Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of 125the Lord. 45But when 126the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were 127blaspheming. 46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you 128first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, 129we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘130I have appointed You as a 131light 132to the Gentiles, That You may 133bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying 134the word of 135the Lord; and all who 136had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49And 137the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50But 138the Jews incited the 139140devout women 141of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their 142region. 51But 143they shook off the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to 144Iconium. 52And the disciples were continually 145filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.