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Acts 13
1. There was in the church of Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas and Simon
and Simon who was called Neiger, and Lucius, from the town of Cyrene, and Manael,
son of Herod, the tetrach's governess, and Saul.
2. And as they fasted and besought God, the holy Spirit told them, "Choose for
me Saul and Barnabas to do that for which I have called them."
3. And after they fasted and prayed, they consecrated over them the hand, and they
sent them off.
4. And as they were sent by the holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from
there they returned by sea all the way to Cyprus.
5. And as they entered the town of Salamis, they preached the Lord's Manifestation
in the Jewish synagogues. And John ministered to them.
6. And as they went around the entire island, all the way to the town of Paphos,
they found a Jewish man, a magician, who was a false prophet, whose name was Barsum*.
7. He had influence over a wise man who was a proconsul, and whose name was Sergius
Paulus. And the proconsul called Saul and Barnabas, and he wanted to hear from them
about the Manifestation of God.
8. He then stood up against them, this magician Barsum, whose name translates Alymus*,
because he wished to get the proconsul off the faith.
9. Saul, however, who is called Paulus*, became filled with the holy Spirit and stared
at him.
10. And he said, "O, you, whose words are all malicious and all evil, son of
the devil and the enemy of all righteousness, will you not rest from opposing the
true paths of the Lord?
11. "And even now the hand of the Lord is over you and you will be blinded and
will not see the sun until the end of the Age." And in that very hour there
fell on him gloom and darkness, and he went around and asked who might lead him by
the hand.
12. And as the proconsul saw what happened, he was amazed and believed in the teachings
of the Lord.
13. Then Paul and Barnabas returned by sea from the town of Paphos, and came to Perga,
town of Pamphylia. And John separated from them and went to Jerusalem.
14. They went out of Perga and came to Antioch, town of the Pisidians. And they entered
the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
15. And after the Law and the Prophets were read, the priests in the temple approached
them and said, "Brothers,* if you have the heartening manifestation, speak to
the people.
16. And Paul got up and indicated with his hand and said, "Men, children of
Israel, and those who fear God, listen.
17. "The God of the people here, chose our ancestors, and raised them and increased
them in the land of Egypt, and He led them out by his great arm.*
18. "And He satiated them in the desert forty years.
19. "And He subjugated seven nations in the land of Canaan, and gave their land
as inheritance.
20. "And for four hundred and fifty years, He gave them judges, until Samuel
the prophet.
21. "And they asked for a king, and He gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from
the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22. "And he consecrated him, and raised them king David, and testified concerning
him, and said,
'I have found in David son of Jesse, a man according to my heart,
and he will carry out all my wishes.'
23. "From his seed, God raised for Israel, as He had promised,
Jesus the Redeemer.
24. "And He sent John to preach before his Coming, the baptism of grace to all
the people of Israel.
25. "And as John concluded his ministry, he said,
'Who did you expect would come? It was not I, except, behold, he
who came after me, I was not worthy to untie the belts of his sandals.'
26. "Brothers,* children of the tribe of Abraham, and those,
who like you, fear God, to you was sent the Manifestation of Life.
27. "For these inhabitants of Jerusalem and their chiefs did not appreciate
him, neither the Books of the prophets that they read every week, except that everything
was to take place and all Scriptures had to be fulfilled.
28. "And while they did not find any reason to put him to death,* they asked
Pilate that they may kill him.
29. "And as everything that was written regarding him was fulfilled, they took
him down from the cross and they consecrated him in the grave.
30. "God then raised him from the grave.
31. "And he was seen many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to
Jerusalem, and they are right now a testimony to the people.
32. "And we also, behold, are preaching to you the hope [of the Kingdom,] that
he was proffered to our ancestors,
33. "Behold, God fulfilled it to us, their children, that he raised Jesus, as
it is written in the second Psalm,
'You are my Son, on this day you are born to me.'*
34. "And thus, God raised him from the grave, so that he may
not return again to see agony, as He said,
'I gave you the grace of David as token.'
35. "And again He said in another Scripture,
'I will not allow your holy One to see torment*.'
36. "For David through his generation served God's will and sought [his Mercy,]
and he exalted his ancestors, and yet he saw death*.
37. "However, he that God raised, did not see death*.
38. "Know then, brothers,* that through him, by him, we preach to you the forgiveness
of sins.
39. "And from everything that you did not find in the Law of Moses, to make
you righteous, through him whoever believes becomes righteous.
40. "Beware, therefore, that what the prophets wrote does not befall you.
41. " 'Look at the detractors,
they are in amazement and agony,
since I performed mighty deeds in your days,
but they did not believe that it was I
who [was compassionate] to you.' "
42. And as they went out from their hub, they begged that they
should speak with them these words the following week.
43. And when the synagogue ended*, many Jews followed them, and also converts who
feared God, and they spoke to them and entreated them to follow in God's grace.
44. And the following week, the whole town gathered to hear the manifestation of
God.
45. And as the Jews saw the great crowd, they were filled with bitterness, and they
rose against the words that Paul said and they cursed.
46. However, Paul and Barnabas said openly, "It was promised to you first that
the manifestation of God be told. Except, since some of you have betrayed him and
you regard yourselves unworthy of eternal life,* behold, we have been turned toward
the nations.
47. "For this has our Lord commanded us, as it is written,
'I have consecrated you as the beacon to the nations,
that you may [project the light of] eternal life to the ends* of the earth.í'"
48. And as the nations heard it, they rejoiced and preached about
God, and those who were destined for eternal life,* did believe.
49. And the manifestation of the Lord was spoken of in all that country.
50. The Jews, however, lined up the support of the town's leaders and the rich women,
who submitted to God through them, and they rose up to throw Paul and Barnabas out,
and they forced them out of their district.
51. And as they went out, they shook the dust of their feet against them, and they
came to the town of Iconium.
52. And the disciples were filled with joy and the holy Spirit.
Acts 14 ||
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