Acts 15:13–41
13 After they had stopped speaking, 1aJames answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.
14 “aSimeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.
15 “With this the words of athe Prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 ‘aAfter these things bI will return,
And I will rebuild the 1tabernacle of David which has fallen,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,
17 aSo that the rest of 1mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles 2bwho are called by My name,’
18 aSays the Lord, who 1bmakes these things known from long ago.
19 “Therefore it is amy judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,
20 but that we write to them that they abstain from 1athings contaminated by idols and from bfornication and from cwhat is strangled and from blood.
21 “For aMoses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since 1he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
22 Then it seemed good to athe apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to bAntioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and cSilas, leading men among dthe brethren,
23 and they 1sent this letter by them,
“aThe apostles and the brethren who are elders, to bthe brethren in cAntioch and dSyria and eCilicia who are from the Gentiles, fgreetings.
24 “Since we have heard that asome 1of our number to whom we gave no instruction have bdisturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,
25 ait seemed good to us, having 1become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have 1arisked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 “Therefore we have sent aJudas and bSilas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.
28 “For ait seemed good to bthe Holy Spirit and to cus to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:
29 that you abstain from athings sacrificed to idols and from ablood and from athings strangled and from afornication; 1if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent away, athey went down to Antioch; and having gathered the 1congregation together, they delivered the letter.
31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its 1encouragement.
32 aJudas and bSilas, also being cprophets themselves, 1encouraged and strengthened dthe brethren with a lengthy message.
33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren ain peace to those who had bsent them out.
34 [1But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]
35 But aPaul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and bpreaching with many others also, cthe word of the Lord.
36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in aevery city in which we proclaimed bthe word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
37 Barnabas wanted to take aJohn, called Mark, along with them also.
38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had adeserted them 1in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took aMark with him and sailed away to bCyprus.
40 But Paul chose aSilas and left, being bcommitted by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.
41 And he was traveling through aSyria and bCilicia, strengthening the churches.