Open English Translation ACTs Chapter 13

13 In the assembly at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (called Niger), Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen (who grew up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. 2 One day when they were ministering to the master and fasting, the holy spirit said, Appoint Barnabas and Saul to serve me and do the work that I have called them to.” 3 So they fasted and prayed and placed their hands on the two, and then sent them off.

4 So Barnabas and Saul, having been sent by the holy spirit, went down to Seleucia at the coast and from there sailed on to the island of Cyprus. 5 When they arrived in the town of Salamis, they proclaimed God’s message in the Jewish meeting halls. They also had Yohan as their assistant.

6 They travelled around the island and when they got to Paphos, they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus.[fn] He was a sorcerer and false prophet 7 who was with Sergius Paulus the proconsul, an intelligent man. Sergius sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God’s message from them, 8 but the sorcerer opposed them and tried to prevent Sergius from believing. 9 So then Saul (the Roman form of his name was Paul), filled with the holy spirit looked intently at Bar-Jesus 10 and said, “You’re full of all kinds of deceit and fraud you child of the devil. Will you never stop twisting the truth about following the master? 11 Well, look here! The master will extend his power against you and blind you—you’ll go a season without seeing the sun!”

And immediately he could only see fog and darkness, and needed someone to guide him around by the hand. 12 The proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, and was amazed as he learnt about the master.

13 After that, Paul[fn] and his companions sailed from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia, but Yohan Mark left them and returned to Yerusalem. 14 Paul and his companions, went on from Perga to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the Jewish meeting hall on the Rest Day and sat down with the congregation. 15 After the readings from the Law and from the Prophets,[fn] the leaders sent a messenger over to them to ask, “Men, brothers, if you bring any message of encouragement for the congregation, please share it.”

16 So Paul stood up and, motioning with his hand, started speaking, “Fellow Israelis and every who reveres God, listen to me. 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and helped the people to prosper when they were staying in Egypt. Then later he showed his power as he led them out 18 and endured them in the wilderness for around forty years. 19 Then having overthrown seven nations in Caanan,[ref] he passed on that land as an inheritance 20 after around 450 years.

“Then he gave them judges through until the time of the prophet Samuel 21 when they requested a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benyamin to reign for forty years. 22 After Saul was removed, God chose David to be their king—the man of whom he said, ‘I found David the son of Jesse, a man who wants to obey me and do everything I ask.’ 23 Then eventually a descendant of David arrived in Israel as promised—the saviour Yeshua. 24 Before he arrived Yohan-the-Immerser had publicly preached to all the people of Israel about being immersed as a sign of repentance. 25 As Yohan’s ministry was nearing an end, he asked, ‘Who do you suspect I am? I’m not the messiah, but he will come after me, and I’m not even worthy to undo his sandals.’

26 “Men, brothers, descendants of Abraham and others here who revere God, the teaching about this salvation has been sent to us. 27 The people of Yerusalem and their religious leaders didn’t recognise this Yeshua, but by their judgement of him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Rest Day. 28 Despite not finding even one charge against him worthy of death, they requested Pilate to execute him 29 and when they had done all the things that the prophets had written about him, they took his body down from the stake and placed it in a burial chamber. 30 But God brought him back to life 31 and his followers who had come to Yerusalem from Galilee saw him for several days and now testify about this to the people. 32 So now we’re preaching this good message to you that what God promised to our ancestors 33 has now been fulfilled for our descendants, now that God brought Yeshua back to life just like it’s written in the second psalm:

‘You are my son;

today I have borne you.’

34 God brought him back to life, and he’s never going to return to the grave to decay. As God said,

‘I will give David’s faithful devout things??? to you all.’

35 So in another psalm God said,

‘You won’t allow your devout one to experience decay.’

36 This can’t be David, because after he’d served his own generation as God led him, he indeed died and was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 On the contrary, the one who God raised from the dead never experienced decay. 38 So brothers, let it be known to you all that your sins can now be forgiven through this Yeshua—the law of Moses was never able to offer you that. 39 Everyone who puts their trust in Yeshua is able to receive a clean record. 40 But keep your eyes open in case something else the prophets wrote might come true:

41 ‘Watch you scoffers, and be amazed and die because I’m doing something special during your time.

Even if someone described it clearly to you all, you still might not believe it.’ ”

42 As they left the meeting hall after the service, the people invited them to speak again the following Rest Day. 43 But when they starting walking away, many people followed after Paul and Barnabas, who then addressed them and encouraged them to continue trusting in God’s grace.

44 So on the following Rest Day, nearly everyone in the city had gathered there to hear the message from God. 45 But the Jewish religious leaders became very jealous when they saw the crowds and claimed that Paul’s words had slandered God. 46 But Paul and Barnabas responded boldly, “It was necessary for God’s message to be explained in the meeting hall to all of the Jews first. But since you are rejecting that teaching, you are all judging yourselves to be unworthy of living forever, so instead, we will now share it with the non-Jews. 47 Because this is what the master commanded us:

‘I have chosen you to be a light for the pagans;

You will take salvation to the end of the earth.’

48 When the non-Jews heard that, they were very happy and were praising the master’s message, and as many as were appointed to receive eternal life believed it.

49 So from there, the master’s message spread throughout the entire region. 50 But the Jewish religious leaders incited some prominent women from the meeting halls and some from the local city government, and they then stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and had them expelled out of their region. 51 So Paul and Barnabas just left that place to face their own consequences, and continued on to Iconium. 52 Meanwhile the believers back in Pisidian Antioch were full of happiness and of the holy spirit.