Barnabas and Saul Are Chosen and Sent
1 In the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (called the Black), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (who had been brought up with Governor Herod ), and Saul. 2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, to do the work to which I have called them.”
3 They fasted and prayed, placed their hands on them, and sent them off.
In Cyprus
4 Having been sent by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went to Seleucia and sailed from there to the island of Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues. They had John Mark with them to help in the work.
6 They went all the way across the island to Paphos, where they met a certain magician named Bar-Jesus, a Jew who claimed to be a prophet. 7 He was a friend of the governor of the island, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor called Barnabas and Saul before him because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But they were opposed by the magician Elymas (that is his name in Greek), who tried to turn the governor away from the faith. 9 Then Saul—also known as Paul—was filled with the Holy Spirit; he looked straight at the magician 10 and said, “You son of the Devil! You are the enemy of everything that is good. You are full of all kinds of evil tricks, and you always keep trying to turn the Lord's truths into lies! 11 The Lord's hand will come down on you now; you will be blind and will not see the light of day for a time.”
At once Elymas felt a dark mist cover his eyes, and he walked around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he believed; for he was greatly amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
In Antioch in Pisidia
13 Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos and came to Perga, a city in Pamphylia, where John Mark left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 They went on from Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia, and on the Sabbath they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law of Moses and from the writings of the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message: “Friends, we want you to speak to the people if you have a message of encouragement for them.” 16 Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak:
“Fellow Israelites and all Gentiles here who worship God: hear me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people a great nation during the time they lived as foreigners in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt by his great power, 18 and for forty years he endured them in the desert. 19 He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and made his people the owners of the land. 20 All of this took about 450 years.
“After this he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. 21 And when they asked for a king, God gave them Saul son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, to be their king for forty years. 22 After removing him, God made David their king. This is what God said about him: ‘I have found that David son of Jesse is the kind of man I like, a man who will do all I want him to do.’ 23 It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Savior of the people of Israel, as he had promised. 24 Before Jesus began his work, John preached to all the people of Israel that they should turn from their sins and be baptized. 25 And as John was about to finish his mission, he said to the people, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. But listen! He is coming after me, and I am not good enough to take his sandals off his feet.’
26 “My fellow Israelites, descendants of Abraham, and all Gentiles here who worship God: it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent! 27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did not know that he is the Savior, nor did they understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Yet they made the prophets' words come true by condemning Jesus. 28 And even though they could find no reason to pass the death sentence on him, they asked Pilate to have him put to death. 29 And after they had done everything that the Scriptures say about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from death, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now witnesses for him to the people of Israel. 32-33 And we are here to bring the Good News to you: what God promised our ancestors he would do, he has now done for us, who are their descendants, by raising Jesus to life. As it is written in the second Psalm,
‘You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.’
34 And this is what God said about raising him from death, never to rot away in the grave:
‘I will give you the sacred and sure blessings
that I promised to David.’
35 As indeed he says in another passage,
‘You will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave.’
36 For David served God's purposes in his own time, and then he died, was buried with his ancestors, and his body rotted in the grave. 37 But this did not happen to the one whom God raised from death. 38-39 All of you, my fellow Israelites, are to know for sure that it is through Jesus that the message about forgiveness of sins is preached to you; you are to know that everyone who believes in him is set free from all the sins from which the Law of Moses could not set you free. 40 Take care, then, so that what the prophets said may not happen to you:
41 ‘Look, you scoffers! Be astonished and die!
For what I am doing today
is something that you will not believe,
even when someone explains it to you!’”
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to come back the next Sabbath and tell them more about these things. 43 After the people had left the meeting, Paul and Barnabas were followed by many Jews and by many Gentiles who had been converted to Judaism. The apostles spoke to them and encouraged them to keep on living in the grace of God.
44 The next Sabbath nearly everyone in the town came to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; they disputed what Paul was saying and insulted him. 46 But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles. 47 For this is the commandment that the Lord has given us:
‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
so that all the world may be saved.’”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the Lord's message; and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers.
49 The word of the Lord spread everywhere in that region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the leading men of the city and the Gentile women of high social standing who worshiped God. They started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their region. 51 The apostles shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went on to Iconium. 52 The believers in Antioch were full of joy and the Holy Spirit.
1 Antiohijas draudzē bija pravieši un mācītāji: Barnaba un Simeons, saukts Nigrs, kirenietis Lūkijs un Manaēns, kas bija uzaudzināts ar tetrarhu Hērodu, un Sauls. 2 Kad tie kalpoja Tam Kungam un gavēja, Svētais Gars sacīja: "Nošķiriet Man Barnabu un Saulu darbam, kādam Es viņus esmu aicinājis!" 3 Tad viņi gavēja un lūdza Dievu, un, tiem rokas uzlikuši, tos atlaida. 4 Bet viņi, Svētā Gara izsūtīti, aizgāja uz Seleukiju un no šejienes pārcēlās uz Kipru. 5 Nonākuši Salamīnā, viņi sludināja Dieva vārdu jūdu sinagogās, un Jānis viņiem bija par palīgu. 6 Pārstaigājuši visu salu līdz Pafai, viņi sastapa kādu zīlnieku, viltus pravieti, jūdu, vārdā Barjēsus. 7 Tas bija viens no prokonsula Sergija Paula, gudra vīra, pavadoņiem. Ataicinājis Barnabu un Saulu, viņš ļoti vēlējās dzirdēt Dieva vārdu. 8 Bet Elima - zīlnieks, tā tiek tulkots viņa vārds, viņiem nostājās pretī, cenzdamies prokonsulu novērst no ticības. 9 Bet Sauls, saukts arī Pāvils, Svētā Gara pilns viņu uzlūkojis, 10 sacīja: "Ak tu velna bērns, visas viltības un blēdības pilns, visas taisnības ienaidnieks, vai tu nemitēsies sagrozīt Tā Kunga taisnos ceļus? 11 Redzi, Tā Kunga roka ir pret tevi, tu būsi akls un kādu laiku neredzēsi sauli." Tūdaļ krēsla un tumsa apņēma viņu, un, taustīdamies ap sevi, viņš meklēja, kas viņu vestu pie rokas. 12 Tad prokonsuls, redzēdams notikušo, kļuva ticīgs, brīnīdamies par Tā Kunga mācību. 13 Izbraukuši no Pafas, Pāvils ar pavadoņiem nonāca Pamfīlijas Pergā, bet Jānis, nošķīries no tiem, griezās atpakaļ uz Jeruzālemi. 14 No Pergas iedami tālāk, viņi nonāca Pisidijas Antiohijā un, sabatā iegājuši sinagogā, apsēdās. 15 Pēc bauslības un praviešu nolasīšanas sinagogas priekšnieki sūtīja pie viņiem, sacīdami: "Brāļi, ja jums ir kādi pamācīgi vārdi ļaudīm, tad runājiet!" 16 Pāvils piecēlās un ar roku mājis, sacīja: "Israēlieši un jūs, dievbijīgie, klausaities! 17 Israēla tautas Dievs mūsu tēvus ir izredzējis un tautu paaugstinājis svešumā Ēģiptes zemē un no turienes ar paceltu roku tos izvedis. 18 Tuksnesī Viņš tos uzturējis ap četrdesmit gadu, 19 izdeldējis septiņas tautas Kānaānas zemē un viņiem zemi devis īpašumā. 20 Ap četri simti piecdesmit gadu pēc tam Viņš deva soģus līdz pravietim Samuēlam. 21 Tad viņi lūdza ķēniņu, un Dievs viņiem deva Saulu, Kīša dēlu, vīru no Benjamīna cilts, četrdesmit gadu; 22 un, to atmetis, Viņš tiem iecēla Dāvidu par ķēniņu; tam Viņš arī liecinādams sacīja: Es esmu atradis Dāvidu, Isaja dēlu, vīru pēc Sava prāta, kas darīs visu, ko Es gribu. 23 No viņa pēcnācējiem Dievs, kā solījis, Israēlam sūtījis Pestītāju Jēzu. 24 Pirms Viņa atnākšanas Jānis visai Israēla tautai bija sludinājis grēku nožēlas kristību. 25 Savu mūža darbu pabeidzis, Jānis sacīja: es neesmu tas, par ko jūs mani turat; bet viens nāks pēc manis, kam es neesmu cienīgs kurpju siksnas atraisīt. 26 Brāļi, Ābrahāma cilts bērni, un jūs, kas bīstaties Dieva, mums šis pestīšanas vārds ir sūtīts. 27 Jo Jeruzālemes iedzīvotāji un to vadoņi, Viņu neatzīdami un tiesādami, piepildījuši praviešu vārdus, ko katru sabatu nolasa. 28 Un, neatraduši nekādu nāves vainu, prasījuši, lai Pilāts Viņu notiesā. 29 Kad tie visu bija padarījuši, kas par Viņu rakstīts, tad tie Viņu noņēma no staba un ielika kapā. 30 Bet Dievs Viņu uzmodinājis no mirušiem. 31 Viņš daudz dienu parādījies tiem, kas līdz ar Viņu bija nākuši no Galilejas uz Jeruzālemi un kas tagad ir Viņa liecinieki tautas priekšā. 32 Arī mēs jums sludinām, ka Dievs, Jēzu uzmodinādams, mūsu bērniem piepildījis solījumu, ko Viņš tēviem devis, 33 kā arī otrā psalmā rakstīts: Tu esi Mans Dēls, šodien Es Tevi esmu dzemdinājis.- 34 Viņš uzmodinājis to no mirušiem, jo Viņam nebija lemts atgriezties iznīcībā; to Viņš tā izteicis: Es jums došu Dāvidam solītos svētumus, kas nezudīs.- 35 Tāpēc arī citā vietā teikts: Tu Savam Svētajam neliksi redzēt iznīcību.- 36 Jo Dāvids, savai paaudzei nokalpojis, ir pēc Dieva prāta aizmidzis, guldīts pie saviem tēviem un redzējis iznīcību. 37 Bet Tas, ko Dievs uzmodinājis, nav redzējis iznīcību. 38 Tāpēc zinait, brāļi, ka caur Viņu jums tiek sludināta grēku piedošana, un visās lietās, kurās Mozus bauslība jums nespēja sagādāt taisnošanu, 39 ikviens, kas tic, caur Viņu tiek taisnots. 40 Tāpēc pielūkojiet, ka pār jums nenāk, kas sacīts praviešu rakstos: 41 raugait, pulgotāji, un brīnaities un iznīkstiet, jo Es daru darbu jūsu dienās, tādu darbu, ko jūs neticēsit, ja kāds jums to stāstītu." 42 Viņiem aizejot, viņus lūdza nākamajā sabatā tiem runāt šos vārdus. 43 Sinagogas apmeklētājiem izklīstot, daudz jūdu un dievbijīgu prosēlitu sekoja Pāvilam un Barnabam; tie viņus pamācīja un paskubināja palikt Dieva žēlastībā. 44 Nākamajā sabatā gandrīz visa pilsēta sapulcējās klausīties Dieva vārdu. 45 Bet jūdi, ļaužu pulkus redzēdami, iedegās naidā un runāja pretim Pāvila vārdiem zaimodami. 46 Bet Pāvils un Barnaba, paļāvības pilni, sacīja: "Dieva vārdu vajadzēja vispirms jums sludināt; bet, kad jūs to atmetat un sevi neturat par mūžīgās dzīvības cienīgiem, lūk, tad mēs griežamies pie pagāniem. 47 Jo tā Tas Kungs mums ir pavēlējis: Es Tevi esmu licis par gaismu pagāniem, lai Tu būtu par pestīšanu līdz pasaules galam." 48 Pagāni, to dzirdēdami, priecājās un slavēja Tā Kunga vārdu un ticēja, cik mūžīgajai dzīvībai bija izredzēti. 49 Un Tā Kunga vārds izpaudās pa visu apgabalu. 50 Bet jūdi sakūdīja augstas kārtas dievbijīgas sievas un pilsētas ievērojamākos vīrus, sacēla vajāšanu pret Pāvilu un Barnabu un izdzina tos no savām robežām. 51 Bet tie, nokratījuši pīšļus no savām kājām pret viņiem, devās uz Ikoniju. 52 Un mācekļi bija prieka un Svētā Gara pilni.
