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, stared at him, 10and said, “13You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you 14son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked 15the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now, behold, 16the 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 17proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at 18the teaching of the Lord.

13Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from 19Paphos and came to 20Perga in 21Pamphylia; but 22John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But going on from Perga, they arrived at 23Pisidian 24Antioch, and on 25the Sabbath day they went into 26the synagogue and sat down. 15After 27the reading of the Law and 28the Prophets, 29the synagogue officials sent word to them, saying, “30Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” 16Paul stood up, and 31motioning with his hand said,

“Men of Israel, and 32you who fear God, listen: 17The God of this people Israel 33chose our fathers and 3435made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm 36He led them out from it. 18For 37a period of about forty years 38He put up with them in the wilderness. 1939When He had destroyed 40seven nations in the land of Canaan, He 41distributed their land as an inheritance--all of which took 42about 450 years. 20After these things He 43gave them judges until 44Samuel the prophet. 21Then they 45asked for a king, and God gave them 46Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22After He had 47removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘48I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My 49will.’ 2350From the descendants of this man, 51according to promise, God has brought to Israel 52a Savior, Jesus, 24after 53John had proclaimed, before 54His coming, a 55baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And while John 56was completing his course, 57he 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“58Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of 59this salvation has been sent. 27For those who live in Jerusalem, and their 60rulers, 61recognizing neither Him nor the 62declarations of 63the prophets which are 64read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they 65asked Pilate that He be executed. 29When they had 66carried out everything that was written concerning Him, 67they took Him down from the 6869cross and 70laid Him in a tomb. 30But God 71raised Him from the dead; 31and for many days 72He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now 73His witnesses to the people. 32And we 74preach to you the good news of 75the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by 76raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘77You are My Son; today I have fathered You.’ 34As for the fact that He 78raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘79I will give you the holy and faithful mercies 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 God’s 86purpose in his own generation, 87fell asleep, and was 88buried among his fathers and 89underwent decay; 37but He whom God 90raised did not 91undergo decay. 38Therefore let it be known to you, 92brothers, that 93through 94Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and 95through Him 96everyone who believes is 97freed from all things, from which you could not be 98freed 99through the Law of Moses. 40Therefore, see that the thing spoken of 100in the Prophets does not come upon you:41‘101Look, you scoffers, and be astonished, and 102perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

42As 103Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these 104things spoken to them the next 105Sabbath. 43Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the 106God-fearing 107108proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in 109the grace of God.

44The next 110Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of 111the Lord. 45But when 112the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were 113blaspheming. 46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you 114first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, 115we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘116I have appointed You as a 117light 118to the Gentiles, That You may 119bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying 120the word of 121the Lord; and all who 122had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49And 123the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50But 124the Jews incited the 125126devout women 127of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their 128region. 51But 129they shook off the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to 130Iconium. 52And the disciples were continually 131filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.