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.

as for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and their senators, by their not knowing who he was, and by condemning him, they have accomplished the declarations of the prophets, which are read every sabbath-day:

and no cause of death having found, they did ask of Pilate that he should be slain,

We, therefore, unto you, bring the good news, as to the promise which, unto our fathers, was made, -

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, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

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

and through Him everyone who believes [who acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior and follows Him] is justified and declared free of guilt from all things, from which you could not be justified and freed of guilt through the Law of Moses.

And as they went out, they besought that these words might be spoken to them the next sabbath.

Speaking boldly, both Paul and Barnabas said, "It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Inasmuch as ye thrust it away from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the gentiles;

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.”

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.

But they shook off the dust from their feet as a protest against them and came to Iconium;

and as for the disciples, they were more and more filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

And it happened in Iconium, they both went together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spoke so as a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

And as a violent movement developed, both of the Gentiles and of the Jews, with their rulers, to denounce and to stone them,

This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, and Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed,

They called Barnabas 'Zeus,' and Paul, as being the principal speaker, 'Hermes.'

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about what they were trying to do [to them], they tore their clothes [i.e., as an expression of frustration] and rushed over to the crowd and shouted,

and saying, "Men, why are you doing these [things]? We also are men with the same nature as you, proclaiming the good news [that] you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things [that are] in them--

though as the bountiful Giver he did not leave himself without a witness, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, giving you food and joy to your heart's content."

Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

As they were proclaiming the good news in that city, they discipled a large number of people. Then they went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

and having come and gathered together the assembly, they declared as many things as God did with them, and that He did open to the nations a door of faith;

Some people came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers that unless they were circumcised as Moses prescribed, they could not be saved.

As a sharp dispute and controversy sprang up between them and Paul and Barnabas, it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas, along with some others of their number, should go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and presbyters at Jerusalem about this question.

So they set out, being accompanied for a short distance by some other members of the Church; and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told the whole story of the conversion of the Gentiles and inspired all the brethren with great joy.

And having come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders, they declared also as many things as God did with them;

But some from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed [in Jesus as the Messiah] stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise the Gentile converts and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Now then, why are you testing God by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to endure?

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

And all the multitude did keep silence, and were hearkening to Barnabas and Paul, declaring as many signs and wonders as God did among the nations through them;

When they finished, James responded as follows: "Brothers, listen to me.

Even as Simon has declared how God at the first visited the nations to take out of them a people for His name.

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

as it is written, "After this will I return, and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will repair its ruins, and set it up again.

Says the Lord, as he does these things, foreknown from of old.'

So I give it as my opinion, we ought not to put difficulties in the way of the heathen who turn to God,

For Moses from the earliest times has had his preachers in every town, being read, as he is, Sabbath after Sabbath, in the various synagogues."

Then the apostles, the presbyters, and the whole church thought it proper to select some out of their own body to accompany Paul and Barnabas to Antioch: such as Judas surnam'd Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

and they wrote by their hands as follows: The apostles, and the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:

Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

it has been decided by us, having met together, to select men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

they were affected with joy at the comfortable contents, as for Judas and Silas,

and as Judas and Silas were themselves prophets, they encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many a counsel.

Both Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch to teach and proclaim the word of the Lord, as did many others.

while Paul deemed it undesirable to have as their companion one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

Then there was sharp feeling, so as to separate them from each other. And taking Mark, Barnabas sailed to Cyprus.

But Paul chose Silas as his travelling companion; and set out, after being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord;

as the brethren of Lystra and Iconium gave him a good character, Paul had a mind he should accompany him.

Paul wanted Timothy to go with him [as a missionary]; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.

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

They went as far as Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them,

As soon as he had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia, because we were convinced that God had called us to tell the people there the good news.

and on the sabbath-day we went out of the city to the side of a river, where, as usual, was the house of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the slaves of the Most High God.”

But as the owners saw that the hope of their profit-making was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square, before the authorities,

and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”

On this the mob rose as one man against them, and the Magistrates stripped them of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

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

And suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so as for the foundations of the prison to shake. And immediately all the doors were opened, and the bonds of all the men were unfastened.

The jailer asked for torches and rushed inside. Trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas,

And they answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe].”

And they told the Lord's Message to him as well as to all who were in his house.

He brought Paul and Silas upstairs into his house and set food before them. He was thrilled, as was his household, to believe in God.

As they made their journey through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where was a synagogue of the Jews.

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

And some of them were persuaded to believe and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and many of the leading women.

but as they failed to find Paul and Silas they haled Jason and some of the brothers before the politarchs, yelling, "These upsetters of the whole world have come here too!

whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!"

And [after] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them.

As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

The Jews at Beroea were of a nobler disposition than those in Thessalonica, for they very readily received the Message, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether it was as Paul stated.

As a result many of them became believers, together with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

As soon, however, as the Jews of Thessalonica learnt that God's Message had been proclaimed by Paul at Beroea, they came there also, and incited the mob to a riot.

And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols.

So he began holding discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and other worshipers, as well as every day in the public square with anyone who happened to be there.

And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, 'What would this seed picker wish to say?' and others, 'Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;' because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news,

And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, 'Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

The God who made the world and all things that are in it-- he, Lord as he is of Heaven and Earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands,

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

The times of ignorance, therefore, overlooking, God, as things now are, is charging all men everywhere to repent,

inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

however, there were some who adher'd to him, as Denis the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

There he came across a Jew called Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife Priscilla, as Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul accosted them,

and because of being of the same craft, he did remain with them, and was working, for they were tent-makers as to craft;

But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself entirely to the word as he emphatically assured the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.

But as they opposed and spoke injuriously, he shook his clothes, and said to them, Your blood be upon your own head: I am pure; from henceforth I will go to the nations.

Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household [joyfully acknowledging Him as Messiah and Savior]; and many of the Corinthians who heard [Paul’s message] were believing and being baptized.

Inasmuch as, I, am with thee, and, no one, shall set upon thee to harm thee; inasmuch as I have much people in this city.

But as Paul was going to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If indeed it was some wrong or wicked criminality, O Jews, of reason I should have borne with you;

But as these are merely questions of words and persons and your own Law, you can attend to them for yourselves. I decline to adjudicate upon matters like that."

After this [incident] Paul remained [in Corinth] for some time before leaving the brothers and sailing for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. Paul shaved his head while in Cenchrea as part of a vow he had taken.

They put in at Ephesus, and there Paul left his companions behind. As for himself, he went to the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews.