Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers : - - - Barnabas , - Simeon - called Niger , - Lucius of Cyrene , - Manaen ( who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch ) , and Saul.
(While) they were worshiping the Lord and fasting , the - Holy Spirit said , “ Set apart - for Me - Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. ”
And after they had fasted and prayed , - they laid (their) hands on them (and) sent (them) off.
So ... (Barnabas and Saul) , sent forth by the Holy Spirit , went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.
(When) they arrived at Salamis , they proclaimed the word - of God in the vvv Jewish synagogues. And John - was with them - as their helper.
- They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos , (where) they found a vvv Jewish sorcerer (and) false prophet vvv named Bar-Jesus ,
- vvv an attendant of the proconsul , Sergius Paulus. (The proconsul) , a man of intelligence , summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word - of God.
But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his - name means ) opposed them (and) tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
Then Saul , who (was) also (called) Paul , filled with (the) Holy Spirit , looked directly at Elymas
and said , “ O child of (the) devil (and) enemy of all righteousness , (you are) full of all kinds of deceit and - trickery ! vvv Will you never stop perverting the - straight ways of the Lord ?
vvv Now look , (the) hand of the Lord (is) against you , and for a time you will be blind (and) vvv unable to see the light of the sun. ” - Immediately mist and darkness came over him , and he groped about , seeking someone to lead (him) by the hand.
(When) the proconsul saw what had happened , he believed , for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
After setting sail from - Paphos , - Paul (and) his companions ... came to Perga - in Pamphylia , (where) John - left ... them to return to Jerusalem.
And from - Perga , they traveled inland ... to - Pisidian Antioch , where they entered ... the synagogue on the - Sabbath ... (and) sat down.
- After the reading from the Law and the Prophets , the synagogue leaders sent word to them - : vvv “ Brothers , if you have ... ... a word of encouragement for the people , please speak. ”
- Paul stood up , - motioned with (his) hand , (and) began to speak : “ Men (of) Israel and (you Gentiles) who fear - God , listen (to me) !
The God of the people of Israel chose our - fathers. - He made them into a great - people during (their) stay in - Egypt , and with an uplifted arm He led them out of (that land).
- He endured their conduct ... for about forty years in the wilderness.
And having vanquished seven nations in - Canaan , {He gave} their - land (to His people) as an inheritance.
(All this took about) 450 {} ... ... years. - After this , (God) gave (them) Judges - until the time of Samuel the prophet.
Then (the people) asked for a king , and - God gave them - forty years (under) Saul son of Kish , - from (the) tribe of Benjamin.
(After) removing (Saul) , He raised up - David as their king and vvv testified (about him) : ‘ I have found David (son) - of Jesse a man after My (own) heart ; (he) will carry out My - will in its entirety. ’
From the descendants of this (man) , - God has brought - to Israel (the) Savior Jesus , as He promised.
Before ... the arrival of (Jesus) , John - preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
- As John - was completing (his) course , he said , ‘ Who do you suppose I am ? I am not (that One). But - He is coming after me whose - sandals ... ... I am not worthy to untie. ’
vvv Brothers , children of Abraham ... , and - - you ( Gentiles ) who fear - God , (it is) to us (that) this message of salvation has been sent.
- The (people) of Jerusalem and their - rulers did not recognize (Jesus) , yet in condemning (Him) they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read - every Sabbath.
And though they found no ground for a death sentence , they asked Pilate to have Him executed ....
- When they had carried out all that was written about Him , they took (Him) down from the tree (and) laid (Him) in a tomb.
But - God raised Him from (the) dead ,
(and) for many days (He) was seen by those who had accompanied Him from - Galilee to Jerusalem. (They) are now His witnesses to (our) people.
And now we proclaim to you the good news ... : - (What God) promised ... - (our) fathers
- - (He) has fulfilled - for us , their children , by raising up Jesus .... vvv As it is written in the - second Psalm - : ‘ You are My Son ; today I have become Your Father ....’
- In fact , (God) raised Him from (the) dead , never to see ... ... decay. As He has said ... - : ‘ I will give you the holy (and) - sure (blessings) (promised to) David.’
So also , He says in another (Psalm -) : vvv ‘ You will not let Your - Holy One see decay.’
For - (when) David had served - vvv God’s purpose in his own generation , he fell asleep. - (His body) was buried with his - fathers and saw decay.
But the (One) whom God raised from the dead vvv did not see decay.
Therefore let it be known to you , vvv brothers , that through (Jesus) (the) forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
- Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything vvv you could not be justified from by (the) law of Moses.
Watch out , then , that vvv what was spoken by the prophets does not happen (to you) :
‘ Look , (you) scoffers , - wonder and perish ! For I am doing a work in your - days (that) ... vvv vvv you would never believe , even if someone told you.’ ”
(As) (Paul and Barnabas) were leaving (the synagogue) , (the people) urged them to continue this - message on the next Sabbath.
(After) the synagogue was dismissed , many of the Jews and - devout converts to Judaism followed - Paul and - Barnabas , who spoke to them (and) urged them to continue in the grace - of God.
- On the following Sabbath , nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word - of (the) Lord.
But (when) the Jews saw the crowds , they were filled with jealousy , and {they} blasphemously contradicted what vvv Paul was saying.
Then - Paul and - Barnabas answered (them) boldly - : “ It was necessary to speak the word - of God to you first. But since you reject it and vvv do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal - life , vvv we now turn to the Gentiles.
For this is what the Lord has commanded us : ‘ I have made you - a light for (the) Gentiles , - - to bring ... salvation to (the) ends of the earth.’ ”
(When) the Gentiles heard (this) , they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord , and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
And the word of the Lord spread throughout ... (that) region.
The Jews , however , incited the religious women - of prominence and the leading men of the city. - They stirred up persecution against - Paul and Barnabas and drove them out ... of their - district.
(So) - they shook the dust {off} (their) feet (in protest) against them (and) went to Iconium.
And the disciples were filled with joy and (with the) Holy Spirit.