1
Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
3
Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
4
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5
And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
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Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,
7
who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
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But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9
Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
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and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
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And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
13
Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
14
But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
15
And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."
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Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
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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 an uplifted arm He brought them out of it.
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Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.
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And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.
20
After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
21
And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.