Paul’s First Missionary Journey Begins (Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)
3 WBS And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. BSB BSB: And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
On Cyprus 4 WBS So they being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. BSB BSB: So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.
5 WBS And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had also John for their minister. BSB BSB: When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.
6 WBS And when they had gone through the isle to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: BSB BSB: They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
8 WBS But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. BSB BSB: But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
9 WBS Then Saul (who also is called Paul) filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him, BSB BSB: Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas
10 WBS And said, O full of all subtilty, and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? BSB BSB: and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
11 WBS And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for 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. BSB BSB: Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 WBS Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. BSB BSB: When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
In Pisidian Antioch 13 WBS Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
15 WBS And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, speak. BSB BSB: After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.”
17 WBS 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 a high arm he brought them out of it. BSB BSB: The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land.
18 WBS And about the time of forty years he suffered their manners in the wilderness. BSB BSB: He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.
19 WBS And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot. BSB BSB: And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.
20 WBS And after that he gave to them judges, about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. BSB BSB: All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
21 WBS And afterward they desired a king: and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. BSB BSB: Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.
22 WBS And when he had removed him, he raised up to them David to be their king: to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall fulfill all my will. BSB BSB: After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’
23 WBS Of this man's offspring hath God, according to his promise, raised up to Israel a Savior, Jesus: BSB BSB: From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.
24 WBS John having first preached, before his coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. BSB BSB: Before the arrival of Jesus, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 WBS And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom 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. BSB BSB: As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But there is One coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
27 WBS For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the words of the prophets which are read every sabbath, they have fulfilled them in condemning him . BSB BSB: The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
28 WBS And though they found no cause of death in him , yet they desired Pilate that he should be put to death. BSB BSB: And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.
29 WBS And when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulcher. BSB BSB: When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
30 WBS But God raised him from the dead: BSB BSB: But God raised Him from the dead,
31 WBS And he was seen many days by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. BSB BSB: and for many days He was seen by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to our people.
32 WBS And we declare to you the glad tidings, that the promise which was made to the fathers, BSB BSB: And now we proclaim to you the good news: What God promised our fathers
33 WBS God hath fulfilled the same to us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. BSB BSB: He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’
34 WBS And as concerning that he raised him from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. BSB BSB: In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
35 WBS Wherefore he saith also in another psalm , Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. BSB BSB: So also, He says in another Psalm: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’
36 WBS For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was laid to his fathers, and saw corruption: BSB BSB: For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.
37 WBS But he whom God raised again, saw no corruption. BSB BSB: But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
38 WBS Be it known to you therefore, men, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; BSB BSB: Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
39 WBS And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. BSB BSB: Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 WBS Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets; BSB BSB: Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:
41 WBS Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye will in no wise believe, though a man declare it to you. BSB BSB: ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”
A Light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:1–6)
42 WBS And when the Jews had gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. BSB BSB: As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to continue this message on the next Sabbath.
43 WBS Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. BSB BSB: After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 WBS And the next sabbath came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. BSB BSB: On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
45 WBS But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were uttered by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. BSB BSB: But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
46 WBS Then Paul and Barnabas became bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you: but seeing ye reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. BSB BSB: Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
47 WBS For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying , I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldst be for salvation to the ends of the earth. BSB BSB: For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
48 WBS And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. BSB BSB: When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
49 WBS And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. BSB BSB: And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region.
50 WBS But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their borders. BSB BSB: The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
51 WBS But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. BSB BSB: So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.
52 WBS And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. BSB BSB: And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.