Acts:13

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* Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers : Barnabas , Simeon who was called Niger , Lucius of Cyrene , Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch , and Saul . * As they ministered to the Lord and fasted , the Holy Spirit said , "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them ." * Then , having fasted and prayed , and laid hands on them , they sent them away . * So , being sent out by the Holy Spirit , they went down to Seleucia , and from there they sailed to Cyprus . * And when they arrived in Salamis , they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews . They also had John as their assistant . * Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos , they found a certain sorcerer , a false prophet , a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus , * who was with the proconsul , Sergius Paulus , an intelligent man . This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God . * But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated ) withstood them , seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith . * Then Saul , who also is called Paul , filled with the Holy Spirit , looked intently at him * and said , "O full of all deceit and all fraud , you son of the devil , you enemy of all righteousness , will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord ? * And now , indeed , the hand of the Lord is upon you , and you shall be blind , not seeing the sun for a time ." And immediately a dark mist fell on him , and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand . * Then the proconsul believed , when he saw what had been done , being astonished at the teaching of the Lord . * Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos , they came to Perga in Pamphylia ; and John , departing from them , returned to Jerusalem . * But when they departed from Perga , they came to Antioch in Pisidia , and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down . * And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets , the rulers of the synagogue sent to them , saying , "Men and brethren , if you have any word of exhortation for the people , say on ." * Then Paul stood up , and motioning with his hand said , "Men of Israel , and you who fear God , listen : * The God of this people Israel chose our fathers , and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt , and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it . * Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness . * And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan , He distributed their land to them by allotment . * "After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years , until Samuel the prophet . * And afterward they asked for a king ; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish , a man of the tribe of Benjamin , for forty years . * And when He had removed him , He raised up for them David as king , to whom also He gave testimony and said , "I have found David the son of Jesse , a man after My own heart , who will do all My will .' * From this man 's seed , according to the promise , God raised up for Israel a Savior--Jesus -- * after John had first preached , before His coming , the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel . * And as John was finishing his course , he said , "Who do you think I am ? I am not He . But behold , there comes One after me , the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose .' * "Men and brethren , sons of the family of Abraham , and those among you who fear God , to you the word of this salvation has been sent . * For those who dwell in Jerusalem , and their rulers , because they did not know Him , nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath , have fulfilled them in condemning Him . * And though they found no cause for death in Him , they asked Pilate that He should be put to death . * Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him , they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb . * But God raised Him from the dead . * He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem , who are His witnesses to the people . * And we declare to you glad tidings--that promise which was made to the fathers . * God has fulfilled this for us their children , in that He has raised up Jesus . As it is also written in the second Psalm : "You are My Son , Today I have begotten You .' * And that He raised Him from the dead , no more to return to corruption , He has spoken thus : "I will give you the sure mercies of David .' * Therefore He also says in another Psalm : "You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption .' * "For David , after he had served his own generation by the will of God , fell asleep , was buried with his fathers , and saw corruption ; * but He whom God raised up saw no corruption . * Therefore let it be known to you , brethren , that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins ; * and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses . * Beware therefore , lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you : * "Behold , you despisers , Marvel and perish ! For I work a work in your days , A work which you will by no means believe , Though one were to declare it to you ."' * So when the Jews went out of the synagogue , the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath . * Now when the congregation had broken up , many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas , who , speaking to them , persuaded them to continue in the grace of God . * On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God . * But when the Jews saw the multitudes , they were filled with envy ; and contradicting and blaspheming , they opposed the things spoken by Paul . * Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said , "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first ; but since you reject it , and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life , behold , we turn to the Gentiles . * For so the Lord has commanded us : "I have set you as a light to the Gentiles , That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth ."' * Now when the Gentiles heard this , they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord . And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed . * And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region . * But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city , raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas , and expelled them from their region . * But they shook off the dust from their feet against them , and came to Iconium . * And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit .

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