Acts 13:1-23

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Barnabas and Saul Commissioned

13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a childhood friend of Herod the ruler,^[a] and Saul.^{(A) 2} While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”^{(B) 3} Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.^(C)

The Apostles Preach in Cyprus

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.^{(D) 5} When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And they had John also to assist them.^{(E) 6} When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus.^{(F) 7} He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.^{(G) 8} But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.^{(H) 9} But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him^{(I) 10} and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?^{(J) 11} And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he fumbled about for someone to lead him by the hand.^{(K) 12} When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

¹³ Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem,^{(L) 14} but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.^{(M) 15} After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers,^[b] if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.” ¹⁶ So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

“Fellow Israelites^[c] and others who fear God, listen. ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.^{(N) 18} For about forty years he put up with^[d] them in the wilderness.^{(O) 19} After he had destroyed seven peoples in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance^{(P) 20} for about four hundred fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.^{(Q) 21} Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.^{(R) 22} When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’^{(S) 23} Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised;^(T)