Acts 15–16

Chapter 15

And some, coming down from Judea, taught the brethren: That, except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.

²And when Paul and Barnabas had no small contest with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of the other side should go up to the apostles and priests to Jerusalem, about this question.

³They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through Phenice and Samaria, relating the conversion of the Gentiles. And they caused great joy to all the brethren.

⁴And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and by the apostles and ancients, declaring how great things God had done with them.

⁵But there arose of the sect of the Pharisees some that believed, saying: They must be circumcised and be commanded to observe the law of Moses.

⁶And the apostles and ancients assembled to consider of this matter.

⁷And when there had been much disputing, Peter, rising up, said to them: Men, brethren, you know that in former days God made choice among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

⁸And God, who knoweth the hearts, gave testimony, giving unto them the Holy Ghost, as well as to us:

⁹And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now therefore, why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

¹¹But by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved, in like manner as they also.

¹²And all the multitude held their peace: and they heard Barnabas and Paul telling what great signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

¹³And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying: Men, brethren, hear me.

¹⁴Simon hath related how God first visited to take to the Gentiles, a people to his name.

¹⁵And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written:

¹⁶After these things I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down: and the ruins thereof I will rebuild. And I will set it up:

¹⁷That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all nations upon whom my name is invoked, saith the Lord, who doth these things.

¹⁸To the Lord was his own work known from the beginning of the world.

¹⁹For which cause, judge that they who from among the Gentiles are converted to God are not to be disquieted:

²⁰But that we write unto them, that they refrain themselves from the pollutions of idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood.

²¹For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him in the synagogues, where he is read every sabbath.

²²Then it pleased the apostles and ancients, with the whole church, to choose men of their own company and to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas, who was surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.

²³Writing by their hands: The apostles and ancients, brethren, to the brethren of the Gentiles that are at Antioch and in Syria and Cilicia, greeting.

²⁴Forasmuch as we have heard that some going out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, to whom we gave no commandment:

²⁵It hath seemed good to us, being assembled together, to choose out men and to send them unto you, with our well beloved Barnabas and Paul:

²⁶Men that have given their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also will, by word of mouth, tell you the same things.

²⁸For it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no further burden upon you than these necessary things:

²⁹That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication: from which things keeping yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well.

³⁰They therefore, being dismissed, went down to Antioch and, gathering together the multitude, delivered the epistle.

³¹Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

³²But Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, with many words comforted the brethren and confirmed them.

³³And after they had spent some time there, they were let go with peace by the brethren unto them that had sent them.

³⁴But it seemed good unto Silas to remain there: and Judas alone departed to Jerusalem.

³⁵And Paul and Barnabas continued at Antioch, teaching and preaching, with many others, the word of the Lord.

³⁶And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas: Let us return and visit our brethren in all the cities wherein we have preached the word of the Lord, to see how they do.

³⁷And Barnabas would have taken with them John also, that was surnamed Mark.

³⁸But Paul desired that he (as having departed from them out of Pamphylia and not gone with them to the work) might not be received.

³⁹And there arose a dissension so that they departed one from another. And Barnabas indeed, taking Mark, sailed to Cyprus.

⁴⁰But Paul, choosing Silas, departed, being delivered by the brethren to the grace of God.

⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches, commanding them to keep the precepts of the apostles and the ancients.

Chapter 16

And he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, there was a certain disciple there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman that believed: but his father was a Gentile.

²To this man the brethren that were in Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony.

³Him Paul would have to go along with him: and taking him, he circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places. For they all knew that his father was a Gentile.

⁴And as they passed through the cities, they delivered unto them the decrees for to keep, that were decreed by the apostles and ancients who were at Jerusalem.

⁵And the churches were confirmed in faith and increased in number daily.

⁶And when they had passed through Phrygia and the country of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.

⁷And when they were come into Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia: and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not.

⁸And when they had passed through Mysia, they went down to Troas.

⁹And a vision was shewed to Paul in the night, which was a man of Macedonia standing and beseeching him and saying: Pass over into Macedonia and help us.

¹⁰And as soon as he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia: being assured that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

¹¹And sailing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the day following to Neapolis.

¹²And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were in this city some days conferring together.

¹³And upon the Sabbath day, we went forth without the gate by a river side, where it seemed that there was prayer: and sitting down, we spoke to the women that were assembled.

¹⁴And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.

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

¹⁶And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl having a pythonical spirit met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.

¹⁷This same following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These men are the servants of the Most High God, who preach unto you the way of salvation.

¹⁸And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned and said to the spirit: I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go from her. And he went out the same hour.

¹⁹But her masters, seeing that the hope of their gain was gone, apprehending Paul and Silas, brought them into the market place to the rulers.

²⁰And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: These men disturb our city, being Jews:

²¹And preach a fashion which it is not lawful for us to receive nor observe, being Romans.

²²And the people ran together against them: and the magistrates, rending off their clothes, commanded them to be beaten with rods.

²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the gaoler to keep them diligently.

²⁴Who having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.

²⁵And at midnight, Paul and Silas, praying, praised God. And they that were in prison heard them.

²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and the bands of all were loosed.

²⁷And the keeper of the prison, awakening out of his sleep and seeing the doors of the prison open, drawing his sword, would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying: Do thyself no harm, for we all are here.

²⁹Then calling for a light, he went in: and trembling, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas.

³⁰And bringing them out, he said: Masters, what must I do, that I may be saved?

³¹But they said: believe in the Lord Jesus: and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

³²And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house.

³³And he, taking them the same hour of the night, washed their stripes: and himself was baptized, and all his house immediately.

³⁴And when he had brought them into his own house, he laid the table for them: and rejoiced with all his house, believing God.

³⁵And when the day was come, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying: Let those men go.

³⁶And the keeper of the prison told these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart. And go in peace.

³⁷But Paul said to them: They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison. And…