2
While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, to do the work to which I have called them."
3
They fasted and prayed, placed their hands on them, and sent them off.
4
Having been sent by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went to Seleucia and sailed from there to the island of Cyprus.
5
When they arrived at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues. They had John Mark with them to help in the work.
6
They went all the way across the island to Paphos, where they met a certain magician named Bar-Jesus, a Jew who claimed to be a prophet.
7
He was a friend of the governor of the island, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor called Barnabas and Saul before him because he wanted to hear the word of God.
8
But they were opposed by the magician Elymas (that is his name in Greek), who tried to turn the governor away from the faith.
9
Then Saul - also known as Paul - was filled with the Holy Spirit; he looked straight at the magician
10
and said, "You son of the Devil! You are the enemy of everything that is good. You are full of all kinds of evil tricks, and you always keep trying to turn the Lord's truths into lies!
11
The Lord's hand will come down on you now; you will be blind and will not see the light of day for a time." At once Elymas felt a dark mist cover his eyes, and he walked around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.
12
When the governor saw what had happened, he believed; for he was greatly amazed at the teaching about the Lord.