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Now there were ^(C1)prophets and ^(C2)teachers at ^(C3)Antioch, in the ^(C4)church that was there: ^(C5)Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of ^(C6)Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with ^(C7)Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

While they were ^(F1)serving the Lord and fasting, ^(C1)the Holy Spirit said, "Set ^(C2)Barnabas and Saul apart for Me for ^(C3)the work to which I have called them."

Then, when they had fasted, ^(C1)prayed, and ^(C2)laid their hands on them, ^(C3)they sent them away.

So, being ^(C1)sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to ^(C2)Cyprus.

When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in ^(C1)the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had ^(C2)John as their helper.

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a ^(C1)magician, a Jewish ^(C2)false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,

who was with the ^(C1)proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the ^(C1)magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the ^(C2)proconsul away from ^(C3)the faith.

But Saul, who was also known as Paul, ^(F1)(C1)filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him,

and said, "^(F1)You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you ^(C1)son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked ^(C2)the straight ways of the Lord?

"Now, behold, ^(C1)the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time." And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

Then the ^(C1)proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at ^(C2)the teaching of the Lord.

Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from ^(C1)Paphos and came to ^(C2)Perga in ^(C3)Pamphylia; but ^(C4)John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

But going on from Perga, they arrived at ^(C1)Pisidian ^(C2)Antioch, and on ^(C3)the Sabbath day they went into ^(C4)the synagogue and sat down.

After ^(C1)the reading of the Law and ^(C2)the Prophets, ^(C3)the synagogue officials sent word to them, saying, "^(F1)Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it."

Paul stood up, and ^(C1)motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and ^(C2)you who fear God, listen:

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"The God of this people Israel ^(C1)chose our fathers and ^(F1)(C2)made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm ^(C3)He led them out from it.

"For ^(C1)a period of about forty years ^(C2)He put up with them in the wilderness.

"^(C1)When He had destroyed ^(C2)seven nations in the land of Canaan, He ^(C3)distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took ^(C4)about 450 years.

"After these things He ^(C1)gave them judges until ^(C2)Samuel the prophet.

"Then they ^(C1)asked for a king, and God gave them ^(C2)Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

"After He had ^(C1)removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, '^(C2)I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My ^(F1)will.'

"^(C1)From the descendants of this man, ^(C2)according to promise, God has brought to Israel ^(C3)a Savior, Jesus,

after ^(C1)John had proclaimed, before ^(F1)His coming, a ^(C2)baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

"And while John ^(C1)was completing his course, ^(C2)he kept saying, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, One is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'

"^(F1)Brothers, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of ^(C1)this salvation has been sent.

"For those who live in Jerusalem, and their ^(C1)rulers, ^(C2)recognizing neither Him nor the ^(F1)declarations of ^(C3)the prophets which are ^(C4)read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.

"And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they ^(C1)asked Pilate that He be executed.

"When they had ^(C1)carried out everything that was written concerning Him, ^(C2)they took Him down from the ^(F1)(C3)cross and ^(C4)laid Him in a tomb.

"But God ^(C1)raised Him from the dead;

and for many days ^(C1)He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now ^(C2)His witnesses to the people.

"And we ^(C1)preach to you the good news of ^(C2)the promise made to the fathers,

that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by ^(C1)raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: '^(C2)YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE FATHERED YOU.'

"As for the fact that He ^(C1)raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: '^(C2)I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY AND FAITHFUL MERCIES OF DAVID.'

"Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: '^(C1)YOU WILL NOT ^(F1)ALLOW YOUR ^(F2)HOLY ONE TO ^(F3)UNDERGO DECAY.'

"For ^(C1)David, after he had ^(F1)served God's ^(C2)purpose in his own generation, ^(C3)fell asleep, and was ^(F2)buried among his fathers and ^(F3)underwent decay;

but He whom God ^(C1)raised did not ^(F1)undergo decay.

"Therefore let it be known to you, ^(F1)brothers, that ^(C1)through ^(F2)Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

and ^(F1)through Him ^(C1)everyone who believes is ^(F2)freed from all things, from which you could not be ^(F2)freed ^(F3)through the Law of Moses.

"Therefore, see that the thing spoken of ^(C1)in the Prophets does not come upon you:

'^(C1)LOOK, YOU SCOFFERS, AND BE ASTONISHED, AND ^(F1)PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'"

As ^(F1)Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these ^(F2)things spoken to them the next ^(C1)Sabbath.

Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the ^(C1)God-fearing ^(F1)(C2)proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in ^(C3)the grace of God.

The next ^(C1)Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of ^(F1)the Lord.

But when ^(C1)the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were ^(F1)blaspheming.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you ^(C1)first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, ^(C2)we are turning to the Gentiles.

"For so the Lord has commanded us, '^(C1)I HAVE APPOINTED YOU AS A ^(C2)LIGHT ^(F1)TO THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY ^(F2)BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'"

When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying ^(C1)the word of ^(F1)the Lord; and all who ^(C2)had been appointed to eternal life believed.

And ^(C1)the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

But ^(C1)the Jews incited the ^(F1)(C2)devout women ^(C3)of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their ^(F2)region.

But ^(C1)they shook off the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to ^(C2)Iconium.

And the disciples were continually ^(C1)filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.