1 Gr. from early days.

2 Or, who doeth these

things

them.

Brethren, ye know how that 1a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the heart, bare them wit- 8 ness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and he made no distinction between us and them, 9 cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why 10 tempt ye God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that we shall 11 be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.

And all the multitude kept silence; and they 12 hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, 13 James answered, saying,

Brethren, hearken unto me: Symeon hath rehearsed 14 how first God did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the 15 words of the prophets; as it is written,

3

After these things I will return,

And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen;

And I will build again the ruins thereof,

And I will set it up:

16

That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, 17
And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is

called,

Saith the Lord, 2 who maketh these things known 18 from the beginning of the world.

which were Wherefore my judgement is, that we trouble not them 19 known. which from among the Gentiles turn to God; but that 20 3 Or, enjoin we 3 write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. For Moses from genera- 21 tions of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, 22 with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and

1

authorities

Barnabas; namely, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, 23 chief men among the brethren: and they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elder brethren unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and 24 Syria and Cilicia, greeting: Forasmuch as we have heard that certain 1 which went out from us have trou- 1 Some bled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom ancient 25 we gave no commandment; it seemed good unto us, omit which having come to one accord, to choose out men and went out. send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and 26 Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name 27 of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you 28 the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you 29 no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well.

30

tation.

So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude together, 31 they delivered the epistle. And when they had read 32 it, they rejoiced for the 2 consolation. And Judas and 2 Or, exhorSilas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the 3 or, com33 brethren with many words, and confirmed them. And forted. after they had spent some time there, they were dismissed in peace from the brethren unto those that had 35 sent them forth. But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Some ancient Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, authorities with many others also.

36

4

insert, with variations,

it seemed

And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let ver. 34 But us return now and visit the brethren in every city good unto wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see Silas to 37 how they fare. And Barnabas was minded to take 38 with them John also, who was called Mark. But

Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not 39 with them to the work. And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away

abide there.

unto Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas, and went forth, 40 being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he went throngh Syria and Cilicia, con- 41 firming the churches.

And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra: and be- 16 hold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess which believed; but his father was a Greek. The same was well reported of by the brethren 2 that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul 3 have to go forth with him; and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts for they all knew that his father was a Greek. And as they went on their way through the cities, they 4 delivered them the decrees for to keep, which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, 5 and increased in number daily.

And they went through the region of Phrygia and 6 Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia; and when they were come 7 over against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not; and passing 8 by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision 9 appeared to Paul in the night; There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And when he had 10 seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight 11 course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis; and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of 12 Macedonia, the first in the district, a Roman colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days. And on 13 the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which were come together. And a certain woman 14 named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, to give heed unto the things which were

15 spoken by Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

16

2

servants.

And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of Gr. a spirit, a divination met us, which brought her masters much Python. 17 gain by soothsaying. The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of 2 Gr. bondthe Most High God, which proclaim unto you the 3 Or, a way. 18 way of salvation. And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.

19

4

3

out.

But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and Gr. come dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers, 20 and when they had brought them unto the 5 magis-5 Gr. trates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceed- prætors. 21 ingly trouble our city, and set forth customs which it

is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being 22 Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them and the 5 magistrates rent their garments off 23 them, and commanded to beat them with rods. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them 24 safely: who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the 25 stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were pray

ing and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners 26 were listening to them; and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prisonhouse were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened; and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the jailor being roused out of sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword, and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had 28 escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, 29 Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. And he

called for lights, and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, 30 fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out,

1 Some ancient

and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they 31 said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake the word 32 of 1the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house. authorities And he took them the same hour of the night, and 33 washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. And he brought them up into his house, 34 and set 2 meat before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God.

read God.

2 Gr. a table.

3 Or, having
believed
God.

4 Gr.

prætors.

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the 35 5 serjeants, saying, Let those men go. And the jailor 36 reported the words to Paul, saying, The magistrates 5 Gr. lictors. have sent to let you go: now therefore come forth, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They 37 have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out. And the 5 serjeants 38 reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans; and 39 they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city. And they went out of the prison, and entered 40 into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

6 Or, exhorted.

6

4

7

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis 17 and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his custom 2 7 Or, weeks. Was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the scriptures, opening and 3 alleging, that it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ. And some 4 of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews, being 5 moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people. And 6 when they found them not, they dragged Jason and