New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.

1Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

2But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him.

2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him,

3“You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.

3saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them."

4Then Peter told them exactly what had happened.

4But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying,

5“I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me.

5"I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me,

6When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds.

6and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air.

7And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’

7"I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.'

8“‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean. ’

8"But I said, 'By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

9“But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’

9"But a voice from heaven answered a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.'

10This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

10"This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.

11“Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying.

11"And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea.

12The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us.

12"The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house.

13He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.

13"And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here;

14He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’

14and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'

15“As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.

15"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.

16Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

16"And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

17And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

17"Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"

18When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.” The Church in Antioch of Syria

18When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."

19Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.

19So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.

20However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.

20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

22When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

22The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.

23When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.

23Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;

24Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

24for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

25Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul.

25And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

26When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)

26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

27During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch.

27Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)

28One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius.

29So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could.

29And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.

30This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.

30And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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