1In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to do."
3So when they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away.
4So, sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
5When they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their helper.
6They travelled through the island as far as Paphos. There they found a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Barjesus.
7He was with the governor of the country, Sergius Paulus, a wise man. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul, and wanted to hear the word of God.
8But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) stood against them. He tried to turn the governor away from the faith.
10and said, "You are full of every trick and every kind of wickedness. You child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness. Will you never stop twisting the straight ways of the Lord?"
11"Now look, the hand of the Lord is on you. You will be blind and will not see the sun for a time." At once a mist and a darkness fell on him, and he groped about, looking for someone to lead him by the hand.
12When the governor saw what had happened, he believed, and he was amazed at the teaching of the Lord.
13Then Paul and those with him sailed from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and went back to Jerusalem.
14They went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
15After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, "Men and brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, speak."
16Then Paul stood up. He made a sign with his hand and said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen."
17"The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers. He lifted the people up when they lived as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a mighty arm he brought them out of it."
18"For about forty years he put up with their ways in the wilderness."
19"He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, and he shared out their land to our fathers by lot."
20"After that he gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet."
21"Then they asked for a king. God gave them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years."
22"When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king. He also spoke about him and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do all that I want.'"
23"From this man's family God has raised up for Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised."
24"Before Jesus came, John had already preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel."
25"As John was finishing his work, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not he. But look, there is one coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the shoes on his feet.'"
26"Men and brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and all among you who fear God: this message of salvation has been sent to you."
27"The people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not know him. They did not know the words of the prophets, which are read every sabbath day. So they fulfilled those words by condemning him."
28"They found no reason to put him to death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed."
29"When they had done everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb."
30"But God raised him from the dead."
31"For many days he was seen by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are his witnesses to the people."
32"And we bring you good news. The promise that was made to our fathers"
33"God has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus up again. It is also written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'"
34"And about raising him from the dead, never again to return to decay, he said this: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'"
35"So he also says in another psalm, 'You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.'"
36"For David served his own generation by the will of God. Then he fell asleep and was laid with his fathers, and he saw decay."
37"But the one whom God raised up saw no decay."
38"So know this, men and brothers: through this man forgiveness of sins is preached to you."
39"And through him everyone who believes is set right from all the things that the law of Moses could not set you right from."
40"So take care. Do not let what the prophets spoke about come upon you:"
41"'Look, you who scoff, and wonder, and perish. For I am doing a work in your days, a work you will never believe, even if someone tells it to you.'"
42When the Jews had gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43When the meeting broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout converts to the Jewish faith followed Paul and Barnabas. They spoke to them and urged them to keep on in the grace of God.
44On the next sabbath day almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with envy. They spoke against the things Paul said, contradicting him and speaking evil.
46Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "The word of God had to be spoken to you first. But since you push it away and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, look, we now turn to the Gentiles."
47"For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and gave glory to the word of the Lord. And all who were appointed to eternal life believed.
49So the word of the Lord was spread through all that region.
50But the Jews stirred up the devout and important women and the leading men of the city. They raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
51So they shook the dust off their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
52And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.