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For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

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When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years.

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After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

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Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

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When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

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From this man’s seed, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise,

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before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel.

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As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

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Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.

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For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

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Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

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When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.

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But God raised him from the dead,

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and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

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We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

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that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’

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“Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

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Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’

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For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.

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But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

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Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

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and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

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Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:

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Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’”

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So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

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Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

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The next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

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But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

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Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

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For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’”

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As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

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The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.

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But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.

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But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

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The disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit.

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It happened in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

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But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.

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Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

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But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

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When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,

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they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.

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There they preached the Good News.

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At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.

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He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,

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said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked.

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When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

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They called Barnabas “Jupiter,” and Paul “Mercury,” because he was the chief speaker.

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The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.

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But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out,

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“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them;

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who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

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Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

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Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.

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But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

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But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.

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When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

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confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God.

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When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

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They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.

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When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

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From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

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When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

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They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.

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Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

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Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

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They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.

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When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.

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But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

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The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.

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When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe.

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God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us.

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He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

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Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

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But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”

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All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.

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After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me.

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Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name.

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This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,

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After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up,

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That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; All the Gentiles who are called by my name, Says the Lord, who does all these things.

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All his works are known to God from eternity.’

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“Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,

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but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

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For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

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Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.

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They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.

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Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;

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it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

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men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.

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For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

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that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”

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So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.

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When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.

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Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.

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After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles.

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But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.

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But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

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After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”

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Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.