Acts 13
Contemporary English Version
Barnabas and Saul Are Chosen and Sent
13 The church at Antioch had several prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon, also called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who was Herod's[a] close friend, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and going without eating,[b] the Holy Spirit told them, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have chosen them.” 3 Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them on their way.
Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus
4 After Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus. 5 They arrived at Salamis and began to preach God's message in the synagogues. They also had John[c] as a helper.
6 Barnabas and Saul went all the way to the city of Paphos on the other end of the island, where they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus. He practiced witchcraft and was a false prophet. 7 He also worked for Sergius Paulus, who was very smart and was the governor of the island. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God's message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul. 8 But Bar-Jesus, whose other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.
9 Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? 11 The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while.”
Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia
13 Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John[d] left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 The rest of them went on from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia. Then on the Sabbath they went to the synagogue and sat down.
15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets,[e] the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, “Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it.”
16 Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said:
People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! 17 (A) The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, 18 (B) and for about 40 years he took care of[f] them in the desert. 19 (C) He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to our people. 20 (D) All this happened in about 450 years.
Then God gave our people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel, 21 (E) but the people demanded a king. So for 40 years God gave them King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. 22 (F) Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his place. God said about him, “David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does everything I want him to do.”
23 God promised that someone from David's family would come to save the people of Israel, and this one is Jesus. 24 (G) But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized. 25 (H) Then, when John's work was almost done, he said, “Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals.”
26 Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God! Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their leaders didn't realize who Jesus was. And they didn't understand the words of the prophets they read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said.
28-29 (I) They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn't find any reason to put Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross[g] and placed in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from death! 31 (J) Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him.
32 God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are here to tell you the good news 33 (K) that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus,
“You are my son because today
I have become your Father.”
34 (L) God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,
“I will make to you
the same holy promises
that I made to David.”
35 (M) And in another psalm it says, “God will never let the body of his Holy One decay.”
36 When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body decayed. 37 But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay.
38 My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. 39 But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. 40 Make sure what the prophets have said doesn't happen to you. They said,
41 (N) “Look, you people
who make fun of God!
Be amazed
and disappear.
I will do something today
that you won't believe,
even if someone
tells you about it!”
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath. 43 After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had treated them with undeserved grace.
44 The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord.[h] 45 When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said.
46 But Paul and Barnabas bravely said:
We had to tell God's message to you before we told it to anyone else. But you rejected the message! This proves that you don't deserve eternal life. Now we are going to the Gentiles. 47 (O) The Lord has given us this command,
“I have placed you here
as a light
for the Gentiles.
You are to take
the saving power of God
to people everywhere on earth.”
48 This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord.[i] Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord.
49 The message about the Lord spread all over this region. 50 But the Jewish leaders went to some of the important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of this part of the country.
51 (P) Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet[j] and went on to the city of Iconium.
52 But the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes
- 13.1 Herod's: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
- 13.2 going without eating: The Jews often went without eating as a way of showing how much they loved God. This is also called “fasting.”
- 13.5 John: Whose other name was Mark (see 12.12,25).
- 13.13 John: See the note at 13.5.
- 13.15 the Law and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
- 13.18 took care of: Some manuscripts have “put up with.”
- 13.28-29 cross: This translates a Greek word that means “wood,” “pole,” or “tree.”
- 13.44 the Lord: Some manuscripts have “God.”
- 13.48 the Lord: Some manuscripts have “God.”
- 13.51 shook the dust from that place off their feet: This was a way of showing rejection.
Acts 13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Preparing for the Mission Field
13 In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch,(A) and Saul.
2 As they were ministering to[a] the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.”(B) 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.(C)
The Mission to Cyprus
4 Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed God’s message in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant.(D) 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.(E) 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear God’s message.(F) 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (this is the meaning of his name) opposed(G) them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.(H)
9 Then Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at the sorcerer 10 and said, “You son of the Devil,(I) full of all deceit and all fraud, enemy of all righteousness! Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths(J) of the Lord? 11 Now, look! The Lord’s hand is against you.(K) You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Suddenly a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul, seeing what happened, believed and was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.(L)
Paul’s Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia
13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and went back to Jerusalem.(M) 14 They continued their journey from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.(N) 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any message of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”(O)
16 Then Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said: “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen!(P) 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, exalted the people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty[b] arm.(Q) 18 And for about 40 years He put up with them[c] in the wilderness;(R) 19 then after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan,(S) He gave their land to them as an inheritance. 20 This all took about 450 years. After this, He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.(T) 21 Then they asked for a king, so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years.(U) 22 After removing him,(V) He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man loyal to Me,(W)[d] who will carry out all My will.’
23 “From this man’s descendants, according to the promise, God brought the Savior, Jesus,[e] to Israel.(X) 24 Before He came to public attention,[f] John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.(Y) 25 Then as John was completing his life’s work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the One. But look! Someone is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on His feet.’(Z)
26 “Brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us.(AA) 27 For the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers, since they did not recognize Him or the voices of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled their words[g] by condemning Him.(AB) 28 Though they found no grounds for the death penalty, they asked Pilate to have Him killed.(AC) 29 When they had fulfilled all that had been written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and put Him in a tomb.(AD) 30 But God raised Him from the dead,(AE) 31 and He appeared for many days to those who came with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.(AF) 32 And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors.(AG) 33 God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:
34 Since He raised Him from the dead, never to return to decay, He has spoken in this way, I will grant you the faithful covenant blessings[j] made to David.(AI)[k] 35 Therefore He also says in another passage, You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay.(AJ)[l] 36 For David, after serving his own generation in God’s plan, fell asleep,(AK) was buried with his fathers, and decayed.(AL) 37 But the One God raised up did not decay. 38 Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you,(AM) 39 and everyone who believes in Him is justified from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses.(AN) 40 So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:
41 Look, you scoffers,
marvel and vanish away,
because I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will never believe,
even if someone were to explain it to you.”(AO)[m]
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch
42 As they[n] were leaving, the people[o] begged that these matters be presented to them the following Sabbath. 43 After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and persuading them to continue in the grace of God.(AP)
44 The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the message of the Lord.[p] 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to oppose what Paul was saying by insulting him.(AQ)
46 Then Paul and Barnabas boldly said: “It was necessary that God’s message be spoken to you first. But since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles!(AR) 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the message of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 So the message of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the prominent women, who worshiped God, and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district.(AT) 51 But they shook the dust off their feet(AU) against them(AV) and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.(AW)
Footnotes
- Acts 13:2 Or were worshiping
- Acts 13:17 Lit with an uplifted
- Acts 13:18 Other mss read He cared for them
- Acts 13:22 1Sm 13:14; Ps 89:20
- Acts 13:23 Other mss read brought salvation
- Acts 13:24 Lit Before the face of His entrance
- Acts 13:27 Lit fulfilled them
- Acts 13:33 Or I have begotten You
- Acts 13:33 Ps 2:7
- Acts 13:34 Lit faithful holy things
- Acts 13:34 Is 55:3
- Acts 13:35 Ps 16:10
- Acts 13:41 Hab 1:5
- Acts 13:42 Paul and Barnabas
- Acts 13:42 Other mss read they were leaving the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles
- Acts 13:44 Other mss read of God
- Acts 13:47 Lit the end
- Acts 13:47 Is 49:6
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.