Acts 13 : 1 (NCV)
In the church at Antioch there were these prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (also called Niger), Lucius (from the city of Cyrene), Manaen (who had grown up with Herod, the ruler), and Saul.
Acts 13 : 2 (NCV)
They were all worshiping the Lord and giving up eating for a certain time. During this time the Holy Spirit said to them, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do a special work for which I have chosen them."
Acts 13 : 3 (NCV)
So after they gave up eating and prayed, they laid their hands onn Barnabas and Saul and sent them out.
Acts 13 : 4 (NCV)
Barnabas and Saul, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went to the city of Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus.
Acts 13 : 5 (NCV)
When they came to Salamis, they preached the Good News of God in the Jewish synagogues. John Mark was with them to help.
Acts 13 : 6 (NCV)
They went across the whole island to Paphos where they met a Jewish magician named Bar-Jesus. He was a false prophet
Acts 13 : 7 (NCV)
who always stayed close to Sergius Paulus, the governor and a smart man. He asked Barnabas and Saul to come to him, because he wanted to hear the message of God.
Acts 13 : 8 (NCV)
But Elymas, the magician, was against them. (Elymas is the name for Bar-Jesus in the Greek language.) He tried to stop the governor from believing in Jesus.
Acts 13 : 9 (NCV)
But Saul, who was also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas
Acts 13 : 10 (NCV)
and said, "You son of the devil! You are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of evil tricks and lies, always trying to change the Lord's truths into lies.
Acts 13 : 11 (NCV)
Now the Lord will touch you, and you will be blind. For a time you will not be able to see anything -- not even the light from the sun." Then everything became dark for Elymas, and he walked around, trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.
Acts 13 : 12 (NCV)
When the governor saw this, he believed because he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
Acts 13 : 13 (NCV)
Paul and those with him sailed from Paphos and came to Perga, in Pamphylia. There John Mark left them to return to Jerusalem.
Acts 13 : 14 (NCV)
They continued their trip from Perga and went to Antioch, a city in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
Acts 13 : 15 (NCV)
After the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets were read, the leaders of the synagogue sent a message to Paul and Barnabas: "Brothers, if you have any message that will encourage the people, please speak."
Acts 13 : 16 (NCV)
Paul stood up, raised his hand, and said, "You Israelites and you who worship God, please listen!
Acts 13 : 17 (NCV)
The God of the Israelites chose our ancestors. He made the people great during the time they lived in Egypt, and he brought them out of that country with great power.
Acts 13 : 18 (NCV)
And he was patient with them for forty years in the desert.
Acts 13 : 19 (NCV)
God destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave the land to his people.
Acts 13 : 20 (NCV)
All this happened in about four hundred fifty years. "After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
Acts 13 : 21 (NCV)
Then the people asked for a king, so God gave them Saul son of Kish. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin and was king for forty years.
Acts 13 : 22 (NCV)
After God took him away, God made David their king. God said about him: 'I have found in David son of Jesse the kind of man I want. He will do all I want him to do.'
Acts 13 : 23 (NCV)
So God has brought Jesus, one of David's descendants, to Israel to be its Savior, as he promised.
Acts 13 : 24 (NCV)
Before Jesus came, John preached to all the people of Israel about a baptism of changed hearts and lives.
Acts 13 : 25 (NCV)
When he was finishing his work, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not the Christ. He is coming later, and I am not worthy to untie his sandals.'
Acts 13 : 26 (NCV)
"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those of you who are not Jews who worship God, listen! The news about this salvation has been sent to us.
Acts 13 : 27 (NCV)
Those who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did not realize that Jesus was the Savior. They did not understand the words that the prophets wrote, which are read every Sabbath day. But they made them come true when they said Jesus was guilty.
Acts 13 : 28 (NCV)
They could not find any real reason for Jesus to be put to death, but they asked Pilate to have him killed.
Acts 13 : 29 (NCV)
When they had done to him all that the Scriptures had said, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb.
Acts 13 : 30 (NCV)
But God raised him up from the dead!
Acts 13 : 31 (NCV)
After this, for many days, those who had gone with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are now his witnesses to the people.
Acts 13 : 32 (NCV)
We tell you the Good News about the promise God made to our ancestors.
Acts 13 : 33 (NCV)
God has made this promise come true for us, his children, by raising Jesus from the dead. We read about this also in Psalm 'You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.'
Acts 13 : 34 (NCV)
God raised Jesus from the dead, and he will never go back to the grave and become dust. So God said: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings that I promised to David.'
Acts 13 : 35 (NCV)
But in another place God says: 'You will not let your Holy One rot.'
Acts 13 : 36 (NCV)
David did God's will during his lifetime. Then he died and was buried beside his ancestors, and his body did rot in the grave.
Acts 13 : 37 (NCV)
But the One God raised from the dead did not rot in the grave.
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