1 NOW there were in the church at An'ti-och prophets and teachers; Bar'na-bas, and Simeon who was called Ni'ger, and Lu'cius from the city of Cy-rene, and Man'a-el, * who was the son of the man who brought up Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 As they fasted and prayed to God, the Holy Spirit said to them, Appoint for me Saul and Bar'na-bas for the work to which I have called them.

3 So, after they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 Thus these two were sent forth by the Holy Spirit, and went down to Se-leu'ci-a; and from there they sailed to Cy'prus.

5 And when they had entered the city of Sal'a-mis, they preached the word of our LORD in the synagogues of the Jews: and John ministered unto them.

6 And when they had traveled the whole island as far as the city of Pa'phos, they found a Jewish sorcerer, who was a false prophet and whose name was Bar-Shu'ma:

7 Who was very close friend to a wise man, the proconsul whose name was Ser'gi-us Pau'lus, who called for Saul and Bar'na-bas, and desired to hear from them the word of God.

8 But Bar-Shu'ma the sorcerer (whose name is interpreted Elymas) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

9 Then Saul, who is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked at him,

10 And said, O man full of every kind of subtlety and of all evil things, you son of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the LORD?

11 And now the hand of the LORD is against you, and you shall be blind, and shall not see the sun for a time. And in that very hour there fell on him a mist and darkness; and he went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand.

12 And when the proconsul saw what had happened, he was amazed, and believed the teaching of the LORD.

13 Then Paul and Bar'na-bas sailed from the city of Pa'phos, and came to Per'ga, a city in Pam-phyl'i-a: and John separated from them and went to Jerusalem.

14 But they left Per'ga and came to An'tioch, a city in Pi-sid'i-a, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the elders of the synagogue sent to them, saying, O men and brethren, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, speak.

16 So Paul stood up, and lifting his hands said, O men of Israel, and those of you who fear God, hear my words:

17 The God of this people of Is'ra-el chose our forefathers, and exalted and multiplied them when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a strong arm he brought them out of it.

18 And he fed them in the wilderness for forty years.

19 And he destroyed seven nations in the land of Ca'naan, and he gave them their land for an inheritance.

20 And for a period of four hundred and fifty years he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.

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

22 And when in time God took Saul away he raised up to them David to be their king; concerning whom he testified and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, to do my will.

23 Of this man's seed God has, according to his promise, raised to Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

24 Before whose coming, he had sent John to preach the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And as John fulfilled his ministry, he said, Whom do you think I am? I am not he. But behold there comes one after me the strings of whose shoes I am not worthy to untie.

26 O men and brethren, descendants of the family of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God, to you is the word of salvation sent.

27 For in as much as the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders did not understand him nor the en_lbp_books of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they condemned him; but all the things which were written have been fulfilled.

28 And though they found no cause for his death, they asked Pilate that they might kill him.

29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they lowered him from the cross and laid him in a sepulchre.

30 But God raised him from the dead;

31 And for many days he was seen by them who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people.

32 And behold we also preach to you that that very promise which was made to our fathers,

33 Behold God has fulfilled it unto us their children, for he has raised up Jesus, just as it is written in the second psalm, You are my son, this day I have begotten you.

34 And God raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, as he said, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

35 And again he said in another place, You shall not suffer your Holy One to see corruption.

36 For David, after he had served his own generation with the will of God, passed away; though he was a greater man than his fathers, yet he saw corruption.

37 But he whom God raised did not see corruption.

38 Be it known to you, therefore, brethren, that through this very one is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:

39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40 Beware, therefore, lest that which is written in the prophets may come upon you.

41 Be careful, O you despisers, for you shall wonder and perish: for I will do a great work in your day which you will not believe even if a man tell it to you.

42 And as Paul and Bar'na-bas were leaving them, the people besought them to speak these things to them the next sabbath.

43 Now when the congregation was dismissed, a great many Jews, and also proselytes who feared God, followed Paul and Bar'na-bas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

44 And the next sabbath day the whole city gathered to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the great crowd, they were filled with envy, and they bitterly opposed the words of Paul, and they blasphemed.

46 Then Paul and Bar'na-bas said to them boldly, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you: but because you reject it, you have decided against yourselves and you are unworthy of everlasting life, so behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

47 For so has our Lord commanded us, as it is written, I have set you to be a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all that region.

50 But the Jews stirred up the chief men of the city and the rich women who worshipped God with them, so that they stirred up a persecution against Paul and Bar'na-bas, and expelled them beyond their borders.

51 And as they went out, they shook off the dust of their feet upon them, and they came to the city of I-co'ni-um.

52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.