Acts 13:1–15

Barnabas and Saul Commissioned

¹³Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a childhood friend of Herod the ruler,^f and Saul.^{* 2}While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”^{* 3}Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.^*

The Apostles Preach in Cyprus

⁴So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.^{* 5}When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And they had John also to assist them.^{* 6}When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus.^{* 7}He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.^{* 8}But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.^{* 9}But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him^{* 10}and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?^{* 11}And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he fumbled about for someone to lead him by the hand.^{* 12}When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

¹³Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem,^{* 14}but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.^{* 15}After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers,^g if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.”