New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul.
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Now there were at Antioch, in the church there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon who was named Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, a relation of Herod the king, and Saul.
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
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And while they were doing the Lord's work, and going without food, the Holy Spirit said, Let Barnabas and Saul be given to me for the special work for which they have been marked out by me.
3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
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Then, after prayer and going without food they put their hands on them, and sent them away.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
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So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they went by ship to Cyprus.
5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also to assist them.
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And at Salamis they were preaching the word of God in the Synagogues of the Jews: and John was with them, helping them.
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus.
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And when they had gone through all the island to Paphos, they came across a certain wonder-worker and false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus;
7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.
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Who was with the ruler, Sergius Paulus, an able man. This man sent for Barnabas and Saul, desiring to have knowledge of the word of God.
8 But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
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But Elymas, the wonder-worker (for that is the sense of his name), put himself against them, with the purpose of turning the ruler from the faith.
9 But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
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But Saul, whose other name is Paul, being full of the Holy Spirit, looking hard at him, said,
10 and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
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O you, who are full of false tricks and evil ways, a son of the Evil One, hating all righteousness, will you for ever be turning people from the right ways of the Lord?
11 And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand.
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And now, see, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind and not able to see the sun for a time. And straight away a dark mist came down on him; and he went about looking for a guide.
12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
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Then the ruler, when he saw what was done, had faith, being full of wonder at the teaching of the Lord.
13 Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem;
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Then Paul and those who were with him went by ship from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia: and there John went away from them and came back to Jerusalem.
14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
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But they, going through from Perga, came to Antioch in Pisidia; and they went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath and were seated.
15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it."
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And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the Synagogue sent to them, saying, Brothers, if you have a word of comfort for the people, say on.
16 So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: "You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen.
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And Paul, getting up and making a sign with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and you who have the fear of God, give ear.
17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.
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The God of this people Israel made selection of our fathers, lifting the people up from their low condition when they were living in the land of Egypt, and with a strong arm took them out of it.
18 For about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
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And for about forty years he put up with their ways in the waste land.
19 After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance
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And having put to destruction seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them the land for their heritage for about four hundred and fifty years.
20 for about four hundred fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.
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And after these things he gave them judges, till the time of Samuel the prophet.
21 Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.
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Then at their request for a king, God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the family of Benjamin, who was their king for forty years.
22 When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, "I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.'
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And having put him on one side, he made David their king, to whom he gave witness, saying, I have taken David, the son of Jesse, a man dear to my heart, who will do all my pleasure.
23 Of this man's posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised;
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From this man's seed has God given to Israel a Saviour, even Jesus, as he gave his word;
24 before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
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For whose coming John made ready the way by preaching to all the people of Israel the baptism which goes with a change of heart.
25 And as John was finishing his work, he said, "What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.'
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And when John was completing his work, he said, What do I seem to you to be? I am not he; but one is coming after me, whose shoes I am not good enough to undo.
26 "My brothers, you descendants of Abraham's family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.
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My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those among you who have the fear of God, to us the word of this salvation is sent.
27 Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him.
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For the men of Jerusalem and their rulers, having no knowledge of him, or of the sayings of the prophets which come to their ears every Sabbath day, gave effect to them by judging him.
28 Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed.
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And though no cause of death was seen in him, they made a request to Pilate that he might be put to death.
29 When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
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And when they had done all the things said in the Writings about him, they took him down from the tree, and put him in the place of the dead.
30 But God raised him from the dead;
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But God gave him back from the dead:
31 and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people.
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And for a number of days he was seen by those who came with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses before the people.
32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors
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And we are giving you the good news of the undertaking made to the fathers,
33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.'
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Which God has now put into effect for our children, by sending Jesus; as it says in the second Psalm, You are my Son; this day I have given you being.
34 As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, "I will give you the holy promises made to David.'
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And about his coming back from the dead, never again to go to destruction, he has said these words, I will give you the holy and certain mercies of David.
35 Therefore he has also said in another psalm, "You will not let your Holy One experience corruption.'
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Because he says in another Psalm, You will not let your Holy One see destruction.
36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died, was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption;
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Now David, having done God's work for his generation, went to sleep, and was put with his fathers, and his body came to destruction:
37 but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption.
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But he, who was lifted up by God, did not see destruction.
38 Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;
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And so, let it be clear to you, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is offered to you:
39 by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
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And through him everyone who has faith is made free from all those things, from which the law of Moses was not able to make you free.
40 Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:
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So take care that these words of the prophets do not come true for you;
41 "Look, you scoffers! Be amazed and perish, for in your days I am doing a work, a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.' "
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See, you doubters, have wonder and come to your end; for I will do a thing in your days to which you will not give belief, even if it is made clear to you.
42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next sabbath.
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And when they went out, they made a request that these words might be said to them again on the Sabbath after.
43 When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
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Now when the meeting was ended, a number of the Jews and of the God-fearing Gentiles who had become Jews, went after Paul and Barnabas: who put before them how important it was to keep on in the grace of God.
44 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
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And on the Sabbath after, almost all the town came together to give hearing to the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul.
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But when the Jews saw such a great number of people, they were full of envy and said evil words against Paul's preaching.
46 Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles.
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Then Paul and Barnabas without fear said, It was necessary for the word of God to be given to you first; but because you will have nothing to do with it, and have no desire for eternal life, it will now be offered to the Gentiles.
47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, "I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' "
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For so the Lord has given us orders, saying, I have given you for a light to the Gentiles so that you may be for salvation to the ends of the earth.
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers.
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And the Gentiles, hearing this, were glad and gave glory to the word of God: and those marked out by God for eternal life had faith.
49 Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region.
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And the word of the Lord went through all the country.
50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region.
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But the Jews, working up the feelings of the God-fearing women of high position and of the chief men of the town, got an attack started against Paul and Barnabas, driving them out of those parts.
51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium.
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But they, shaking off the dust of that place from their feet, came to Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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And the disciples were full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.