Acts 13:15-25

15 After the reading from the Law of Moses and from the writings of the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message: "Friends, we want you to speak to the people if you have a message of encouragement for them."
16 Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: "Fellow Israelites and all Gentiles here who worship God: hear me!
17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people a great nation during the time they lived as foreigners in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt by his great power, 1
18 and for forty years he endured them in the desert. 2
19 He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and made his people the owners of the land. 3
20 All of this took about 450 years. 4 "After this he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.
21 And when they asked for a king, God gave them Saul son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, to be their king for forty years. 5
22 After removing him, God made David their king. This is what God said about him: "I have found that David son of Jesse is the kind of man I like, a man who will do all I want him to do.' 6
23 It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Savior of the people of Israel, as he had promised.
24 Before Jesus began his work, John preached to all the people of Israel that they should turn from their sins and be baptized. 7
25 And as John was about to finish his mission, he said to the people, "Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. But listen! He is coming after me, and I am not good enough to take his sandals off his feet.' 8

Cross References 8

  • 1. 13.17 aExodus 1.7; bExodus 12.51.
  • 2. 13.18Numbers 14.34;Deuteronomy 1.31.
  • 3. 13.19 aDeuteronomy 7.1; bJoshua 14.1.
  • 4. 13.20 aJudges 2.16; b 1 S 3.20.
  • 5. 13.21 a 1 Samuel 8.5; b 1 Samuel 10.21.
  • 6. 13.22 a 1 S 13.14; b 1 S 16.12;Psalms 89.20.
  • 7. 13.24Mark 1.4;Luke 3.3.
  • 8. 13.25 aJohn 1.20; bMatthew 3.11;Mark 1.7;Luke 3.16;John 1.27.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. he endured; [some manuscripts have] he took care of.
  • [b]. All of this took about 450 years. After this; [or] Some 450 years later.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.