15 *And acertain men which came down from Judaea taught bthe brethren, and said, cExcept ye be circumcised dafter the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 *When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and edisputation with them, they determined that fPaul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should ggo up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and helders about this question. 3 And ibeing brought on their way by the church, they passed through kPhenice and lSamaria, mdeclaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all bthe brethren. 4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were nreceived of the church, and of the apostles and helders, and they odeclared all things that God had done with them. 5 But there ||rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, cThat it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and helders came together for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much edisputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that pa good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, qwhich knoweth the hearts, rbare them witness, sgiving them the Holy Ghost, teven as he did unto us; 9 And uput no difference between us and them, xpurifying their hearts yby faith. 10 Now therefore why ztempt ye God, ato put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that bthrough the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. 12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, cdeclaring what dmiracles and wonders eGod had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

13 And after they had held their peace, fJames answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 gSimeon hhath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of ithe prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and kwill build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are all his works lfrom the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore mmy sentence is, that we ntrouble not them, which from among the Gentiles oare turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from ppollutions of idols, and from qfornication, and from rthings strangled, and from rblood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, sbeing read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

22 Then pleased it the apostles and telders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to uAntioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed xBarsabas, and ySilas, zchief men among athe brethren: 23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and telders and abrethren bsend greeting unto the abrethren which are of the Gentiles in uAntioch and cSyria and cdCilicia: 24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that ecertain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 25 fIt seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 Men gthat have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore hJudas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by †mouth. 28 For fiit seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from kmeats offered to idols, and from lblood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. mFare ye well.

30 So when they were dismissed, they came to nAntioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: 31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the ||consolation. 32 And hJudas and Silas, being oprophets also themselves, pexhorted the brethren with many words, and qconfirmed them. 33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go rin peace from the brethren unto the apostles. 34 Notwithstanding it pleased sSilas to abide there still. 35 tPaul also and Barnabas continued in nAntioch, teaching and upreaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

36 *And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren xin every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. 37 And Barnabas determined to take with them yJohn, whose surname was Mark. 38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, zwho departed from them from aPamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so bBarnabas took yMark, and sailed unto cCyprus; 40 And Paul chose dSilas, and departed, being erecommended by the brethren unto fthe grace of God. 41 And he went through gSyria and Cilicia, hconfirming the churches.