Acts 13

Now in the congregation that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ²As they worshiped the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them."

³Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. ⁴So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of Allah in the synagogues of the Jews. They had also John as their attendant. ⁶When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Ibn-Isa, ⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of Allah. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name in meaning) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. ⁹But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, ¹⁰and said, "Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of Iblis, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!"

Immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹²Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

¹³Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. ¹⁵After the reading of the Taurat and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, speak."

¹⁶Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear Allah, listen. ¹⁷The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it. ¹⁸For period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. ¹⁹When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years. ²⁰After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹Afterward they asked for a king, and Allah gave to them Talut Ibn Kish, a man of the tribe of Binyamin, for forty years. ²²When he had removed him, he raised up Dawud to be their king, to whom he also testified, 'I have found Dawud Ibn Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.' ²³From this man's seed, Allah has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise, ²⁴before his coming, when Yahya had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel. ²⁵As Yahya was fulfilling his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.' ²⁶Brothers, children of the stock of Ibrahim, and those among you who fear Allah, the word of this salvation is sent out to you. ²⁷For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn't know him, nor the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. ²⁸Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. ²⁹When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰But Allah raised him from the dead, ³¹and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. ³²We bring you the Injil of the promise made to the fathers, ³³that Allah has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up 'Isa. As it is also written in the second chapter of the Zabur,

'You are my Son.

Today I have become your father.'[1]

³⁴"Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of Dawud[2].' ³⁵Therefore he says also in another chapter of the Zabur,

'You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.'[3]

³⁶For Dawud, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of Allah, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. ³⁷But he whom Allah raised up saw no decay. ³⁸Be it known to you therefore, brothers[4], that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, ³⁹and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Taurat of Musa. ⁴⁰Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the Prophets:

⁴¹'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish;

For I am going to do something in your days,

Which you would never believe, even if someone told you.'"[5]

⁴²So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the non-Jews begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. ⁴³Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of Allah. ⁴⁴The next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of Allah. ⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

⁴⁶Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, "It was necessary that Allah's word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the non-Jews. ⁴⁷For so has the Lord commanded us, saying,

'I have made you a light for the nations,

That you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"[6]

⁴⁸As the non-Jews heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of Allah. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹The Lord's word was spread abroad throughout all the region. ⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders. ⁵¹But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. ⁵²The disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit.

[4] 13:38 The word for "brothers" here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."