and were amazed. (17)And beckoning to them with the hand to be silent,
he related to them how the Lord brought him out of the prison. And he
said: Go tell these things to James, and to the brethren. And he
departed, and went to another place.
(18)And when it was day, there was no small commotion among the
soldiers, as to what was become of Peter. (19)And Herod, when he had
sought for him, and found him not, after examining the keepers,
commanded that they should be led away to death. And he went down from
Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.
(20)And Herod was highly displeased with the Tyrians and Sidonians.
But they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the
king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country
was nourished by that of the king.
(21)And on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his
throne, and made a speech to them. (22)And thereupon the people
shouted: The voice of a god, and not of a man! (23)And immediately an
angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not glory to God; and he
was eaten by worms, and expired.
(24)But the word of God grew and multiplied. (25)And Barnabas and Saul
returned from Jerusalem, having performed the service, taking with
them also John, who was surnamed Mark.
XIII.
AND there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and
teachers; Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the
Cyrenean, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and
Saul.
(2)And while they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy
Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, unto the work to
which I have called them. (3)Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid
their hands on them, they sent them away.
(4)They therefore, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, came down to
Seleucia; and from thence they sailed away to Cyprus. (5)And having
come to Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of
the Jews; and they had also John as an assistant.
(6)And having gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain
Magian, a Jewish false prophet, whose name was Bar-jesus; (7)who was
with the proconsul of the country, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man.
He, having called for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of
God. (8)But Elymas the Magian (for so his name is interpreted),
withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.
(9)Then Saul (who is also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit,
fixed his eyes on him, (10)and said: O full of all deceit and all
wickedness, child of the Devil, enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou
not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? (11)And now, behold,
the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing
the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and
darkness; and going about, he sought persons to lead him by the hand.
(12)Then the proconsul, seeing what was done, believed, being
astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
(13)And Paul and his companions, having put to sea from Paphos, came
to Perga in Pamphylia; and John departing from them returned to
Jerusalem. (14)But they, going on from Perga, came to Antioch in
Pisidia; and entering into the synagogue on the sabbath day, they sat
down. (15)And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the
rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying: Men, brethren, if ye
have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.
(16)And Paul arose, and beckoning with the hand, said: Men of Israel,
and ye that fear God, hearken. (17)The God of this people of Israel
chose our fathers; and he exalted the people in their sojourn in the
land of Egypt, and with a high arm he brought them out of it. (18)And
about the time of forty years he nourished them[13:18] in the
wilderness. (19)And having destroyed seven nations in the land of
Canaan, he gave them their land as a possession, (20)about four
hundred and fifty years. And after that, he gave judges, until Samuel
the prophet. (21)And afterward they desired a king; and God gave them
Saul the Son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
(22)And having removed him, he raised up for them David to be their
king; to whom also he gave testimony, saying: I found David the son of
Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.
(23)Of the seed of this man, God, according to promise, raised up to
Israel a Savior, Jesus; (24)John having first preached, before his
entrance, the immersion of repentance to all the people of Israel.
(25)Now as John was finishing his course, he said: Whom do ye suppose
me to be? I am not he. But, behold, there comes one after me, the
sandal of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.
(26)Men, brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and whoever among
you fears God, to you the word of this salvation was sent forth.
(27)For they who dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing
him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day,
fulfilled them in condemning him. (28)And though they found no cause
of death, they demanded of Pilate that he should be slain. (29)And
when they had fulfilled all the things written of him, they took him
down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. (30)But God raised him
from the dead. (31)And he was seen for many days by those who came up
with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the
people. (32)And we declare to you glad tidings of the promise made to
the fathers, (33)that God has fulfilled this to us their children, in
raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm[13:33]:
Thou art my Son;
I this day have begotten thee.
(34)And that he raised him up from the dead to return no more to
corruption, he has thus spoken: I will give to you the holy, the sure
promises of David. (35)Wherefore also in another psalm he says: Thou
wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. (36)For David, having
served his own generation according to the purpose of God, fell
asleep, and was added to his fathers, and saw corruption. (37)But he,
whom God raised, saw not corruption.
(38)Be it known to you therefore, men, brethren, that remission of
sins through this man is announced to you; (39)and by him all that
believe are justified from all things, from which ye were not able to
be justified by the law of Moses.
(40)Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken in the
prophets:
(41)Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish;
Because I work a work in your days,
A work which ye will not believe,
Though one should fully declare it to you.
(42)And as they were going out, they besought that these words might
be spoken to them on the next sabbath. (43)And when the congregation
was broken up, many of the Jews and of the proselyte worshipers
followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, persuaded them to
continue in the grace of God.
(44)And on the next sabbath day, almost the whole city came together
to hear the word of God. (45)But the Jews, seeing the multitudes, were
filled with indignation, and spoke against the things said by Paul,
contradicting and blaspheming.
(46)Then Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly, and said: It was necessary
that the word of God should first be spoken to you; but since ye
thrust it from you, and judge yourselves not worthy of the eternal
life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. (47)For so has the Lord commanded
us:
I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles,
That thou shouldst be for salvation to the end of the earth.
(48)And the Gentiles hearing it rejoiced, and glorified the word of
the Lord; and as many as were appointed unto eternal life believed.
(49)And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the
region.
(50)But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the
chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and
Barnabas, and drove them out from their borders. (51)And they, having
shaken off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium.
(52)And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.
XIV.
AND it came to pass in Iconium, that they went together into the
synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke, that a great multitude both of
Jews and Greeks believed. (2)But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up
and embittered the minds of the Gentiles against the brethren. (3)They
spent a long time, therefore, speaking boldly in the Lord, who gave
testimony to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be
done by their hands.
(4)But the multitude of the city was divided; and part held with the
Jews, and part with the apostles. (5)And when a movement was made,
both of the Gentiles and Jews with their rulers, to abuse and stone
them, (6)they, being aware of it, fled to the cities of Lycaonia,
Lystra and Derbe, and the region around; (7)and there they were
publishing the good news.
(8)And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being
lame from his mother's womb, who never walked. (9)This man was
listening to Paul as he spoke; who, fixing his eyes on him, and
perceiving that he had faith to be healed, (10)said with a loud voice:
Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up, and walked.
(11)And the multitudes, seeing what Paul did, lifted up their voices,
saying in the speech of Lycaonia: The gods are come down to us in the
likeness of men. (12)And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul,
Mercury, because he was the chief speaker. (13)And the priest of
Jupiter, that was before the city, having brought oxen and garlands to
the gates, would have offered sacrifice with the people. (14)But the
apostles, Barnabas and Paul, hearing of it, rent their clothes, and
rushed forth to the multitude; crying out, (15)and saying: Sirs, why
do ye these things? We also are men of like nature with you, bringing
you glad tidings, that ye should turn from these vanities to the
living God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things
that are therein; (16)who, in the ages past, suffered all nations to
walk in their own ways; (17)although he left not himself without
witness, in that he did good, giving you rain from heaven, and
fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
(18)And with these sayings they hardly restrained the people from
sacrificing to them.
(19)But there came thither Jews from Antioch and Iconium; and having
persuaded the people, and stoned Paul, they drew him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead. (20)But the disciples having gathered
around him, he rose up, and came into the city; and on the morrow he
departed with Barnabas to Derbe. (21)And having published the good
news to that city, and made many disciples, they turned back to
Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch; (22)confirming the souls of the
disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must
through much affliction enter into the kingdom of God.
(23)And having appointed for them elders in every church, they
commended them, with prayer and fasting, to the Lord, on whom they
believed. (24)And after passing through Pisidia, they came to
Pamphylia. (25)And having spoken the word in Perga, they went down to
Attalia; (26)and thence they sailed away to Antioch, from whence they
had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they
accomplished.
(27)And having come, and gathered the church together, they reported
how great things God wrought with them, and that he opened to the
Gentiles a door of faith. (28)And they spent no little time with the
disciples.
XV.
AND certain men, coming down from Judaea, taught the brethren: Except
ye are circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye can not be saved.
(2)Paul and Barnabas having therefore had no little dissension and
discussion with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and
certain others of them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and
elders, about this question.
(3)They therefore, having been sent forward by the church, passed
through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the
Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. (4)And having
come to Jerusalem, they were gladly received by the church, and the
apostles and elders; and they reported how great things God wrought
with them. (5)But there arose some of those from the sect of the
Pharisees who believed, saying: It is necessary to circumcise them,
and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
(6)And the apostles and the elders came together to consider this
matter. (7)And when there had been much discussion, Peter arose, and
said to them: Men, brethren, ye know that a long time ago God made
choice among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of
the glad tidings and believe. (8)And God who knows the heart bore them
witness, giving to them the Holy Spirit, as also to us; (9)and made no
difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
(10)Now therefore why do ye tempt God, by putting a yoke upon the neck
of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
(11)But, through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we believe that we shall
be saved, in the same manner as they also.
(12)And all the multitude became silent, and listened to Barnabas and
Paul, narrating how great signs and wonders God wrought among the
Gentiles through them.
(13)And after they were silent, James answered, saying: Men, brethren,
hearken to me. (14)Simeon narrated how at first God visited the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (15)And with this
agree the words of the prophets; as it is written:
(16)After this I will return,
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down;
And I will rebuild the ruins thereof, and will set it up again;
(17)that the rest of men may seek after the Lord,
And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name has been called,
Saith the Lord, who does these things[15:17].
(18)Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
(19)Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not those who from among
the Gentiles are turning to God; (20)but that we write to them, that
they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from
what is strangled, and from blood. (21)For Moses of old time has in
every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every
sabbath.
(22)Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, resolved,
having chosen men from themselves, to send them to Antioch with Paul
and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men
among the brethren. (23)And they wrote by them thus:
The apostles and the elders and the brethren, to the brethren from the
Gentiles throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
(24)Forasmuch as we heard, that some who went out from us troubled you
with words, subverting your souls, saying that ye must be circumcised
and keep the law[15:24], to whom we gave no commandment; (25)it seemed
good to us, having become of one mind, to choose men and send them to
you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, (26)men who have hazarded
their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(27)We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who will themselves also
by word tell you the same things. (28)For it seemed good to the Holy
Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no further burden except these
necessary things; (29)that ye abstain from things offered to idols,
and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication; from
which if ye keep yourselves, ye will do well. Farewell.
(30)They therefore, being dismissed, came to Antioch; and assembling
the multitude they delivered the letter. (31)And having read it, they
rejoiced for the consolation. (32)And Judas and Silas, also themselves
being prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed
them.
(33)And having remained a while, they were dismissed with peace from
the brethren to the apostles. (34)But it pleased Silas to abide there
still[15:34]. (35)Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch,
teaching and publishing the glad tidings of the word of the Lord, with
many others also.
(36)And some days after, Paul said to Barnabas: Let us return now, and
visit the brethren in every city where we preached the word of the
Lord, and see how they do. (37)And Barnabas determined to take with
them John, who was surnamed Mark. (38)But Paul thought it proper not
to take with them him who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went
not with them to the work. (39)And there arose a sharp contention, so
that they parted one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark, and
sailed to Cyprus. (40)And Paul, having chosen Silas, went forth, being
commended by the brethren to the grace of God. (41)And he went through
Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
XVI.
AND he came down to Derbe and Lystra. And, behold, a certain disciple
was there, named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but
whose father was a Greek; (2)who was well reported of by the brethren
in Lystra and Iconium. (3)Him Paul wished to go forth with him, and
took and circumcised him on account of the Jews who were in those
places; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
(4)And as they journeyed through the cities, they delivered to them
the decrees to keep, that were ordained by the apostles and elders who
were in Jerusalem. (5)The churches, therefore, were established in the
faith, and increased in number daily.
(6)And having gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, and
being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia, (7)they
came to Mysia, and attempted to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit of
Jesus did not permit them. (8)And passing by Mysia, they came down to
Troas.
(9)And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man, a
Macedonian, beseeching him, and saying: Come over into Macedonia and
help us. (10)And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to
go into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to publish
the good news to them. (11)Therefore setting sail from Troas, we ran
with a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to
Neapolis; (12)and from thence to Philippi, which is a chief city of
that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we continued in that city
certain days.
(13)And on the sabbath, we went forth out of the gate by a river side,
where was wont to be a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spoke to
the women who came together.
(14)And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city
of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening; whose heart the Lord
opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul. (15)And when she was
immersed and her household, she besought us, saying: If ye have judged
me to be a believer in the Lord, come into my house, and abide. And
she constrained us.
(16)And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, a
certain bondmaid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her
masters much gain by soothsaying. (17)She, having followed Paul and
us, cried, saying: These men are the servants of the most high God,
who announce to us the way of salvation.
(18)And this she did many days. But Paul, being indignant[16:18],
turned and said to the spirit: I command thee in the name of Jesus
Christ to come out from her. And he came out the same hour.
(19)And her masters, seeing that the hope of their gain departed, laid
hold of Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market-place before the
rulers. (20)And having brought them to the magistrates, they said:
These men, being Jews, greatly disturb our city; (21)and teach
customs, which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe,
being Romans.
(22)And the multitude rose up together against them; and the
magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them with
rods. (23)And having laid many stripes on them, they cast them into
prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely; (24)who, having
received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made
their feet fast in the stocks.
(25)And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God;
and the prisoners listened to them. (26)And suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and
immediately all the doors were opened, and the chains of all were
loosed. (27)And the jailer, awaking out of sleep, and seeing the
prison doors open, drew his sword, and was about to kill himself,
supposing that the prisoners had fled. (28)But Paul cried with a loud
voice, saying: Do thyself no harm; for we are all here. (29)And
calling for lights, he sprang in, and trembling fell down before Paul
and Silas; (30)and having brought them out, he said: Sirs, what must I
do to be saved? (31)And they said: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (32)And they spoke to him the
word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
(33)And taking them along, the same hour of the night, he washed their
stripes; and was immersed, himself and all his, immediately. (34)And
having brought them up into his house, he set food before them, and
rejoiced, with all his house, believing in God.
(35)And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying:
Let those men go. (36)And the keeper of the prison reported these
words to Paul: The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore
depart, and go in peace.
(37)But Paul said to them: They beat us openly, uncondemned, being
Romans, and cast us into prison; and now do they send us forth
secretly? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.
(38)And the sergeants reported these words to the magistrates; and
they were afraid, when they heard that they were Romans. (39)And they
came and besought them, and bringing them out, entreated them to
depart out of the city.
(40)And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of
Lydia; and seeing the brethren they exhorted them, and departed.
XVII.
AND passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to
Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews. (2)And Paul, as his
custom was, went in to them, and for three sabbaths reasoned with them
from the Scriptures, (3)opening them, and setting forth that the
Christ must suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this is the
Christ, Jesus whom I preach to you. (4)And some of them believed, and
joined themselves to[17:4] Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a
great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
(5)But the Jews, moved with envy[17:5], having taken to them, of the
idlers in the market-place, certain vicious men, and having gathered a
crowd, set the city in an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason,
they sought to bring them unto the people. (6)And not finding them,
they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city,
crying: These that have turned the world upside down are come hither
also. (7)Whom Jason has received; and all these are acting contrary to
the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.
(8)And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they
heard these things. (9)And having taken security of Jason, and of the
others, they let them go.
(10)And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to
Beroea; who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
(11)These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures
daily whether these things were so.
(12)Many of them therefore believed; and of honorable Grecian women
and men, not a few. (13)But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that
also at Beroea the word of God was preached by Paul, they came,
stirring up the people there also. (14)And then immediately the
brethren sent away Paul to journey as upon the sea; but Silas and
Timothy abode there still. (15)And they who conducted Paul brought him
to Athens; and having received a command to Silas and Timothy to come
to him as soon as possible, they departed.