1 And certain persons, having come down from Judaea, taught the brethren, If ye shall not have been circumcised according to the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 A commotion therefore having taken place, and no small discussion on the part of Paul and Barnabas against them, they arranged that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others from amongst them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
3 They therefore, having been set on their way by the assembly, passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, relating the conversion of {those of} the nations. And they caused great joy to all the brethren.
4 And being arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders, and related all that God had wrought with them.
5 And some of those who were of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, rose up from among {them}, saying that they ought to circumcise them and enjoin them to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.
7 And much discussion having taken place, Peter, standing up, said to them, Brethren, *ye* know that from the earliest days God amongst you chose that the nations by my mouth should hear the word of the glad tidings and believe.
8 And the heart-knowing God bore them witness, giving {them} the Holy Spirit as to us also,
9 and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 But we believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they also.
12 And all the multitude kept silence and listened to Barnabas and Paul relating all the signs and wonders which God had wrought among the nations by them.
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, listen to me:
14 Simon has related how God first visited to take out of {the} nations a people for his name.
15 And with this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written:
16 After these things I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and will rebuild its ruins, and will set it up,
17 so that the residue of men may seek out the Lord, and all the nations on whom my name is invoked, saith {the} Lord, who does these things
18 known from eternity.
19 Wherefore *I* judge, not to trouble those who from the nations turn to God;
20 but to write to them to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses, from generations of old, has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the elders, with the whole assembly, to send chosen men from among them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch, Judas called Barsabas and Silas, leading men among the brethren,
23 having by their hand written {thus}: The apostles, and the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren who are from among {the} nations at Antioch, and {in} Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
24 Inasmuch as we have heard that some who went out from amongst us have troubled you by words, upsetting your souls, {saying that ye must be circumcised and keep the law}; to whom we gave no commandment;
25 it seemed good to us, having arrived at a common judgment, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves also will tell you by word {of mouth} the same things.
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29 to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication; keeping yourselves from which ye will do well. Farewell.
30 They therefore, being let go, came to Antioch, and having gathered the multitude delivered to {them} the epistle.
31 And having read it, they rejoiced at the consolation.
32 And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with much discourse, and strengthened them.
33 And having passed some time {there}, they were let go in peace from the brethren to those who sent them.
34
35 And Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and announcing the glad tidings, with many others also, of the word of the Lord.
36 But after certain days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city where we have announced the word of the Lord, {and see} how they are getting on.
37 And Barnabas proposed to take with {them} John also, called Mark;
38 but Paul thought it not well to take with them him who had abandoned them, {going back} from Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39 There arose therefore very warm feeling, so that they separated from one another; and Barnabas taking Mark sailed away to Cyprus;
40 but Paul having chosen Silas went forth, committed by the brethren to the grace of God.
41 And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.
1 有几个人从犹太下来， 教导弟兄们说： "你们若不照摩西的规例受割礼， 就不能得救。"
2 保罗和巴拿巴， 与他们大大地争执辩论起来。大家就派保罗、巴拿巴和他们中间的几个人， 为这个问题上耶路撒冷去见使徒和长老。
3 于是教会给他们送行， 他们就经过腓尼基、撒玛利亚， 述说外族人怎样归主的事， 使弟兄们大大喜乐。
4 到了耶路撒冷， 他们受到教会、使徒和长老的接待， 就报告 神同他们一起所行的一切。
5 然而有几个法利赛派的信徒站起来， 说： "我们必须给外族人行割礼， 吩咐他们遵守摩西的律法。"
6 使徒和长老聚集在一起， 商议这件事。
7 经过了很多的辩论， 彼得站起来对他们说： "弟兄们， 你们知道， 前些时候 神在你们中间拣选了我， 使外族人从我的口中听见福音的道， 而且信了。
8 知道人心的 神也为他们作证──赐圣灵给他们， 像给我们一样；
9 而且他待他们和我们没有分别， 因为借着信， 他洁净了他们的心。
10 现在你们为什么试探 神， 把我们祖先和我们所不能负的轭， 放在门徒的颈上呢？
11 我们相信， 我们得救是借着主耶稣的恩， 和他们也是一样。"
12 大家都静默无声， 听巴拿巴和保罗述说 神借着他们在外族人中所行的神迹奇事。
13 他们讲完了， 雅各说： "弟兄们， 请听我说！
14 刚才西门述说 神当初怎样关怀外族人， 从他们中间拣选了众人， 归在自己的名下。
15 众先知的话， 也符合这个意思， 正如经上所记：
16 ‘此后我要回来， 重建大卫倒塌了的帐幕， 重建它损坏之处， 把它重新竖立起来，
17 使余下的人， 就是所有称为我名下的外族人， 都寻求主，
18 这是自古以来就显明了这些事的主所说的。’
19 "所以我认为不可难为这些归服 神的外族人，
20 只要写信叫他们禁戒偶像的污秽、淫乱， 勒死的牲畜和血。
21 因为自古以来， 在各城里都有人宣讲摩西的书， 每逢安息日， 在各会堂里都有人诵读。"
22 当时， 使徒、长老和全教会都认为好， 就从他们中间选出人来， 差他们和保罗、巴拿巴一同到安提阿去， 所选的就是别号巴撒巴的犹大和西拉， 他们是弟兄中的领袖。
23 于是写信给他们带去， 信上说： "使徒和作长老的弟兄们， 向安提阿、叙利亚、基利家的外族众弟兄问安。
24 我们听说有人从我们这里出去， 说了一些话搅扰你们， 使你们心里不安， 其实我们并没有吩咐他们。
25 因此， 我们一致同意， 选派一些人跟我们亲爱的巴拿巴和保罗去见你们，
26 这两个人为了我们主耶稣基督的名， 曾经把性命置之度外。
27 我们派了犹大和西拉一同去， 他们也会亲口述说这些事。
28 圣灵和我们都同意， 不把别的重担加在你们身上， 然而有几件事是重要的，
29 就是禁戒祭过偶像的食物、血、勒死的牲畜和淫乱。这些事你们若能保守自己不作， 那就好了。祝你们平安！ "
30 他们受了差派， 下安提阿去， 集合了众人， 就把书信交上。
31 众人读了， 因信上的劝勉， 就感到欣慰。
32 犹大和西拉也是先知， 说了许多话劝勉弟兄， 坚固他们。
33 住了一段时间， 弟兄们就给他们送行， 祝一路平安； 他们就回到差派他们的人那里去。
34 （有些抄本在此有第34节： "但西拉认为自己应当在那里住下来， 只有犹大回到耶路撒冷。"）
35 保罗和巴拿巴却住在安提阿， 跟许多别的人一同教导， 传讲主的道。
36 过了一些时候， 保罗对巴拿巴说： "我们要回到我们传过主道的各城， 探望弟兄们， 好知道他们的情形怎么样。"
37 巴拿巴有意要带别号马可的约翰一同去，
38 但保罗认为不应带他去， 因为他从前在旁非利亚离开过他们， 不跟他们一起去作工。
39 他们各持己见， 以致彼此分手。巴拿巴带着马可， 坐船到塞浦路斯去；
40 保罗却选了西拉， 众弟兄把他交托在主的恩典中之后， 他就出发了。
41 他走遍了叙利亚、基利家， 坚固众教会。