The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders.

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

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren.

Long time therefore they tarried [there] speaking boldly in the Lord, who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

But the multitude of the city was divided; and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

And when there was made an onset both of the Gentiles and of the Jews with their rulers, to treat them shamefully and to stone them,

they became aware of it, and fled unto the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the region round about:

and there they preached the gospel.

And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.

The same heard Paul speaking: who, fastening his eyes upon him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,

said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked.

And when the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.

And the priest of Jupiter whose [temple] was before the city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the multitudes.

But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rent their garments, and sprang forth among the multitude, crying out

and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:

who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways.

And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.

And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them.

But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe.

And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch,

confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.

And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

And they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.

And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia;

and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles.

And they tarried no little time with the disciples.

And certain men came down from Judæa and taught the brethren, [saying], Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, [the brethren] appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them.

But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.

And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter.

And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us;

and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.

And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them.

And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me:

Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up:

That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,

Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.

Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the Gentiles turn to God;

but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.

For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; [namely], Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

and they wrote [thus] by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:

Forasmuch as we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment;

it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well.

So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.

And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.

And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

And after they had spent some time [there], they were dismissed in peace from the brethren unto those that had sent them forth.

And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [and see] how they fare.

And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark.

But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto Cyprus:

but Paul chose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess that believed; but his father was a Greek.

The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts: for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem.

So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;

and when they were come over against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not;

and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel unto them.

Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a [Roman] colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days.

And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spake unto the women that were come together.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide [there]. And she constrained us.

And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.

The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation.

And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.

But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers,

and when they had brought them unto the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened; and every one’s bands were loosed.

And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas,