Saul and Barnabas are sent forth by the Holy Ghost. They preach in
Cyprus and in Antioch of Pisidia.
13:1. Now there were in the church which was at Antioch prophets and
doctors, among whom was Barnabas and Simon who was called Niger, and
Lucius of Cyrene and Manahen who was the foster brother of Herod the
tetrarch, and Saul.
13:2. And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy
Ghost said to them: Separate me Saul and Barnabas, for the work
whereunto I have taken them.
13:3. Then they fasting and praying and imposing their hands upon them,
sent them away.
13:4. So they, being sent by the Holy Ghost, went to Seleucia: and from
thence they sailed to Cyprus.
13:5. And when they were come to Salamina, they preached the word of God
in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also in the ministry.
13:6. And when they had gone through the whole island, as far as Paphos,
they found a certain man, a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name
was Bar-Jesu:
13:7. Who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He,
sending for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God.
13:8. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is interpreted) withstood
them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.
13:9. Then Saul, otherwise Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, looking
upon him,
13:10. Said: O full of all guile and of all deceit, child of the devil,
enemy of all justice, thou ceases not to pervert the right ways of the
Lord.
13:11. And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee: and thou shalt
be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell a
mist and darkness upon him: and going about, he sought some one to lead
him by the hand.
13:12. Then the proconsul, when he had seen what was done, believed,
admiring at the doctrine of the Lord.
13:13. Now when Paul and they that were with him had sailed from Paphos,
they came to Perge in Pamphylia. And John departing from them, returned
to Jerusalem.
13:14. But they, passing through Perge, came to Antioch in Pisidia: and,
entering into the Synagogue on the sabbath day, they sat down.
13:15. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of
the synagogue sent to them, saying: Ye men, brethren, if you have any
word of exhortation to make to the people, speak.
13:16. Then Paul rising up and with his hand bespeaking silence, said:
Ye men of Israel and you that fear God, give ear.
13:17. The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the
people when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt: And with an high
arm brought them out from thence:
13:18. And for the space of forty years endured their manners in the
desert:
13:19. And, destroying seven nations in the land of Chaanan, divided
their land among them by lot.
13:20. As it were, after four hundred and fifty years. And after these
things, he gave unto them judges, until Samuel the prophet.
13:21. And after that they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the
son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years.
13:22. And when he had removed him, he raised them up David to be king:
to whom giving testimony, he said: I have found David, the son of Jesse,
a man according to my own heart, who shall do all my wills.
13:23. Of this man's seed, God, according to his promise, hath raised up
to Israel a Saviour Jesus:
13:24. John first preaching, before his coming, the baptism of penance
to all the people of Israel.
13:25. And when John was fulfilling his course, he said: I am not he
whom you think me to be. But behold, there cometh one after me, whose
shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
13:26. Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever
among you fear God: to you the word of this salvation is sent.
13:27. For they that inhabited Jerusalem and the rulers thereof, not
knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every
sabbath, judging him, have fulfilled them.
13:28. And finding no cause of death in him, they desired of Pilate that
they might kill him.
13:29. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him,
taking him down from the tree, they laid him in a sepulchre.
13:30. But God raised him up from the dead the third day.
13:31. Who was seen for many days by them who came up with him from
Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present are his witnesses to the
people.
13:32. And we declare unto you that the promise which was made to our
fathers,
13:33. This same God hath fulfilled to our children, raising up Jesus,
as in the second psalm also is written: Thou art my Son: this day have I
begotten thee.
13:34. And to shew that he raised him up from the dead, not to return
now any more to corruption, he said thus: I will give you the holy
things of David, faithful.
I will give you the holy, etc... These are the words of the prophet
Isaias, 55. 3. According to the Septuagint, the sense is: I will
faithfully fulfil the promises I made to David.
13:35. And therefore, in another place also, he saith: Thou shalt not
suffer thy holy one to see corruption.
13:36. For David, when he had served in his generation, according to the
will of God, slept: and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption.
13:37. But he whom God hath raised from the dead saw no corruption.
13:38. Be it known therefore to you, men, brethren, that through him
forgiveness of sins is preached to you: and from all the things from
which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
13:39. In him every one that believeth is justified.
13:40. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the
prophets:
13:41. Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish: for I work a work in
your days, a work which you will not believe, if any man shall tell it
you.
13:42. And as they went out, they desired them that on the next sabbath
they would speak unto them these words.
13:43. And when the synagogue was broken up, many of the Jews and of the
strangers who served God followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to
them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
13:44. But the next sabbath day, the whole city almost came together, to
hear the word of God.
13:45. And the Jews, seeing the multitudes, were filled with envy and
contradicted those things which were said by Paul, blaspheming.
13:46. Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: To you it behoved us first to
speak the word of God: but because you reject it and judge yourselves
unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.
13:47. For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the
light of the Gentiles: that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost
part of the earth.
13:48. And the Gentiles hearing it were glad and glorified the word of
the Lord: and as many as were ordained to life everlasting believed.
13:49. And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole
country.
13:50. But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women and the
chief men of the city: and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas:
and cast them out of their coasts.
13:51. But they, shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came
to Iconium.
13:52. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.