Self-interpreting Bible

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Acts 13

1Barnabas and Saul, being set apart with fasting and prayer, are sent forth by the Holy Ghost to the work of their calling. 6At Paphos Elymas the sorcerer opposing the gospel is smitten with blindness, and the deputy Sergius Paulus converted to the faith. 13Paul and his company come to Antioch in Pisidia: Paul preacheth Christ, and the necessity of faith in him unto justification. 42The Gentiles desire to hear the word again: many are converted. 44The envious Jews gainsay and blaspheme: the apostles profess to turn to the Gentiles, of whom many believe. 50The Jews raise a persecution, and expel Paul and Barnabas, who go to Iconium.


1 NOW athere were in the church that was at Antioch certain bprophets and teachers; as cBarnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, 1which had been brought up with dHerod the *tetrarch, and Saul.

2 As they eministered to the Lord, and ffasted, the Holy *Ghost said, gSeparate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

3 And hwhen they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 ¶So they, ibeing sent forth by the Holy *Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to jCyprus.

5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God kin the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also lJohn to their minister.

6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain msorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:

7 Which was with the ndeputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) owithstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) pfilled with the Holy *Ghost, set his eyes on him,

10 And said, qO full of all *subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease rto pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11 And now, behold, sthe hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun tfor a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the deputy, uwhen he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from vPaphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and wJohn departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

14 ¶But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and xwent into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

15 And after the yreading of the law and the prophets the zrulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, aYe men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

16 Then Paul stood up, and bbeckoning with his hand said, cMen of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

17 dThe God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people ewhen they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, fand with an high arm brought he them out of it.

18 gAnd about the time of forty years 2suffered he their *manners in the wilderness.

19 And hwhen he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, ihe divided their land to them by lot.

20 And after that jhe gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

21 kAnd afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

22 lAnd when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, ma man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

23 nOf this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel oa Saviour, Jesus:

24 pWhen John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And as John qfulfilled his course, he said, rWhom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

26 sMen and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because tthey knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which uare read every sabbath day, they have vfulfilled them in condemning him.

28 wAnd though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

29 And when xthey had fulfilled all that was written of him, ythey took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

30 zBut God raised him from the dead:

31 aAnd he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his bwitnesses unto the people.

32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the cpromise which was made unto the fathers,

33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, dThou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, eI will give you the sure 3mercies of David.

35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, fThou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

36 For David, 4after he had gserved his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

37 But he, whom hGod raised again, saw no corruption.

38 ¶iBe it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

39 And by him jall that believe are justified from all things, from which kye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the lprophets;

41 mBehold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, nthe Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them 5the next sabbath.

  • n: Ac. 13:16
  • 5: Gr. in the week between, or, in the sabbath between.

43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious *proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them oto continue in the grace of God.

44 ¶And the next sabbath day pcame almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, qthey were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas rwaxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should sfirst have been spoken to you: but seeing tye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, uwe turn to the Gentiles.

47 For vso hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they wwere glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: xand as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

49 yAnd the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

50 But the Jews zstirred up the devout and ahonourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

51 bBut they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

52 And the cdisciples were filled with joy, and with dthe Holy *Ghost.