Missionary journey I—Barnabas and Saul→Paul

1Now in the congregation that was in Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (the one called Niger), Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.

2As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them!”

3Then, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off.

1st stop—Cyprus

4So, having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, ²⁸⁶they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ²⁸⁷

5And upon arriving in Salamis, they started proclaiming the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews (also they had John as assistant).

6Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew named Bar-Jesus,

7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, really wanting to hear the Word of God.

8But the sorcerer Elymas (for so his name is translated) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9Then Saul, also called Paul, ²⁸⁸filled with Holy Spirit and looking intently at him,

10said: “O full of all deceit and all trickery, son of a devil, enemy of all righteousness! ²⁸⁹Will you not stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

11Well now, the Lord's hand is against you and you will be blind, not seeing the sun until next season!” Immediately mist and darkness engulfed him, and he started going around looking for someone to lead him by the hand.

12Then the proconsul believed, when he saw ²⁹⁰what had happened, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

On to Pisidian Antioch

13Then Paul and his party set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphilia (here John left them and returned to Jerusalem). ²⁹¹

14Going on from Perga they arrived in Antioch of Pisidia; and entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down.

15After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if you have a word of encouragement ²⁹²for the people, do speak.”

Paul expounds the Gospel

16So standing up and motioning with his hand, Paul said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.

17The God of this people chose our fathers, and prospered the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt, and brought them out of it with an uplifted arm.

18For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.

19And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them possession of their land.

20After these things, He gave judges for about four hundred and fifty ²⁹³years, until Samuel the prophet. ²⁹⁴

21And then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, a son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. ²⁹⁵

22And removing him He raised up for them David as king, about whom He gave witness and said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

23God, from this man's seed, according to promise, has brought ²⁹⁶Salvation ²⁹⁷to Israel,

24John having heralded beforehand, in advance of His coming, a baptism of repentance to Israel. ²⁹⁸

25Well, as John was fulfilling his course, he said: ‘Whom do you suppose me to be? No I am not—but indeed He comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ ²⁹⁹

26“Men, brothers, sons of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God: to you ³⁰⁰the word of this salvation has been sent.

27The Jerusalem dwellers and their rulers, understanding neither Him nor the voices of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him.

28Though they found no cause for death, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.

29When they had fulfilled all things that were written about Him, they took Him down from the cross ³⁰¹and placed Him in a tomb.

30But God raised Him from the dead;

31and for many days He was seen by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are ³⁰²His witnesses to the people.

32“Yes we proclaim to you the good news: the promise that was made to the fathers,

33God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, when He raised up Jesus; ³⁰³as also it stands written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ ³⁰⁴

34And that He raised Him from the dead, ³⁰⁵no longer to return to corruption, ³⁰⁶He has spoken thus, ‘I will give you the holy things guaranteed to David.’ ³⁰⁷

35Further, it is stated elsewhere, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’ ³⁰⁸

36Now David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw decay;

37but the One whom God raised up did not see decay. ³⁰⁹

38Therefore, let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this One forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;

39and by Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses. ³¹⁰

40So take care, lest there come upon you that which has been spoken in the prophets:

41‘Look you despisers, marvel and perish!
For I am working a work in your days to which you will not give credence,
even if someone were to explain it in detail to you.’ ” ³¹¹

The reaction

42Now as the Jews were going out of the synagogue, the Gentiles implored repeatedly ³¹²that these words might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.

43The synagogue service having been dismissed, many of the Jews and the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who started addressing them, urging them to continue in the grace of God.

44Well the next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered to hear the Word of God. ³¹³

45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with envy ³¹⁴and started speaking against the things said by Paul, contradicting and ³¹⁵blaspheming.

46But Paul and Barnabas speaking boldly said: “It was necessary that God's Word should be spoken to you first. ³¹⁶But since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, ³¹⁷now we are being turned to the Gentiles.

47Because that is just how the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you to be a light for ethnic nations, that you should be for salvation
up to the last place on earth.’ ” ³¹⁸

48Now upon hearing this, the Gentiles rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal live believed. ³¹⁹

49Well the Word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. ³²⁰

50But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women ³²¹and the chief men of the city, and raised up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their borders.

51So they shook off the dust from their feet against them, ³²²and went to Iconium.

52But the disciples were filled with joy and with Holy Spirit. ³²³