13:1 Now there were in Antioch in the local church prophets and teachers, · both Barnabas and Simeon who was called Niger, · Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
13:2 While they were performing their service · to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, · “Set apart for me · Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
13:3 Then after fasting and praying · they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
13:4 So they, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
13:5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John as their assistant.
13:6 When they had gone through · the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain man, a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
13:7 who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.
13:8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the way his name is translated) · opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
13:9 But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
13:10 and said, “O man full of all kinds of deceit and all fraud, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ·
13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately fell upon him mist and darkness, and as he went about he sought someone to lead him by the hand.
13:12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
13:13 Then Paul and those with him put out to sea from · Paphos and came to Perga of Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem;
13:14 but they went on from · Perga and arrived at Pisidian Antioch. · · On the sabbath day they went into the synagogue · and sat down.
13:15 After · the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “My brothers, if there is any among you with a word of encouragement for the people, say it.”
13:16 So Paul stood up, and gesturing with his hand, said, “Men of Israel and you who fear · God, listen:
13:17 The God of this people Israel chose · our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt; then with uplifted arm he led them out of it.
13:18 And for about forty years he put up with their ways in the wilderness.
13:19 · After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them · their land as an inheritance.
13:20 All this took about four hundred fifty years. · · After this he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.
13:21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them · · Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.
13:22 · After removing him, he raised up · David to be their king, of whom · he said by way of testimony: ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after · my heart, who will do everything · I want him to.’
13:23 It was from the offspring of this man that · God according to promise brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
13:24 Before his coming John had proclaimed · a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
13:25 And as John was completing his ministry, he said repeatedly, ‘What do you suppose me to be? I am not he. But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals for his feet.’
13:26 “My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear · God, it is to us that the message of this salvation has been sent.
13:27 For those who live in Jerusalem and · their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.
13:28 And though they found no crime deserving death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
13:29 And when they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
13:31 and he was seen for many days by those who had gone up with him from · Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
13:32 And we are telling you the good news regarding the promise that was made to the fathers,
13:33 that God has fulfilled this · for us, · their children, by raising Jesus; as also in the second Psalm it is written, · ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’
13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus from the dead, no more about to return to corruption, thus he said: ‘I will give to you the sacred and sure promises made to David.’ ·
13:35 So also in another psalm he says, ‘You will not let · your Holy One see corruption.’
13:36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with · his fathers and saw corruption,
13:37 but he whom · God raised up did not see corruption.
13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, my brothers, that through this one forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you; and from all from which you could not be set free by the law of Moses,
13:39 by this man everyone who believes is set free.
13:40 Take care then that what was spoken in the prophets does not happen to you.
13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; · be amazed and perish! For I am doing a work in · your days, a work that you will not believe, even though someone should tell you in detail.’”
13:42 As they went out, · the people begged that these things be discussed with them on the next Sabbath. ·
13:43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many · Jews and · devout converts followed · Paul and · Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.
13:44 On the · following Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord.
13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they began to contradict what was being said by Paul.
13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly · · and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles.
13:47 For thus the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
13:48 When the Gentiles heard · this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
13:49 So the word of the Lord was being spread throughout the whole region.
13:50 But the Jews incited the devout women of honorable rank and the leading men of the city, and they stirred up persecution against · Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of · their district.
13:51 So they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went on to Iconium.
13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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