1 Havia na igreja de Antioquia profetas e doutores, Barnabé, Simão que tinha por sobrenome Niger, Lúcio de Cirene, Manaém, colaço de Herodes o tetrarca, e Saulo.2 Enquanto eles ministravam perante o Senhor e jejuavam, disse-lhes o Espírito Santo: Separai-me a Barnabé e a Saulo para a obra a que os tenho chamado.3 Então depois que jejuaram, oraram e lhes impuseram as mãos, os despediram.4 Eles, pois, enviados pelo Espírito Santo, desceram a Selêucia, e dali navegaram para Chipre5 e, chegados a Salamina, anunciavam a palavra de Deus nas sinagogas dos judeus; e também tinham João como ajudante.6 Havendo atravessado toda a ilha até Pafos, acharam um judeu chamado Barjesus, mago, falso profeta,7 que estava com o procônsul Sérgio Paulo, varão sensato. Este, tendo chamado a Barnabé e a Saulo, mostrou desejo de ouvir a palavra de Deus.8 Mas Elimas, o mago (porque assim se interpreta o seu nome), opunha-se-lhes, procurando desviar da fé o procônsul.9 Mas Saulo, também chamado Paulo, cheio do Espírito de Deus, fixando nele os olhos,10 disse: Ó filho do Diabo, cheio de todo o engano e de toda a malícia, inimigo de toda a justiça, não cessarás tu de perverter os caminhos retos do Senhor?11 Agora eis a mão do Senhor sobre ti, e ficarás cego, não vendo o sol por algum tempo. No mesmo instante caiu sobre ele uma névoa e trevas e, andando à roda, procurava quem o guiasse pela mão.12 Então o procônsul, vendo o que havia acontecido, creu, maravilhando-se da doutrina do Senhor.13 Tendo Paulo e seus companheiros navegado de Pafos, foram a Perge na Panfília; João, porém, apartando-se deles, voltou a Jerusalém.14 Mas eles, passando de Perge, foram a Antioquia da Pisídia e, entrando na sinagoga no dia de sábado, sentaram-se.15 Depois da leitura da lei e dos profetas, os chefes da sinagoga mandaram-lhes dizer: Irmãos, se tendes alguma palavra de exortação ao povo, dizei-a.16 Paulo, levantando-se e acenando com a mão, disse: Israelitas, e vós que temeis a Deus, ouvi:17 O Deus deste povo de Israel escolheu nossos pais, e exaltou a este povo no tempo em que habitou a terra do Egito, donde os tirou com braço excelso,18 e suportou-lhes os maus costumes no deserto por espaço de quase quarenta anos;19 e havendo destruído sete nações na terra de Canaã, deu-lhes esta terra por herança durante cerca de quatrocentos e cinqüenta anos.20 Depois disto deu-lhes juízes até o profeta Samuel.21 Em seguida eles pediram rei, e Deus por quarenta anos lhes deu a Saul, filho de Cis, da tribo de Benjamim;22 e tendo deposto a este, elevou-lhes Davi como rei, ao qual também dando testemunho, disse: Achei a Davi, filho de Jessé, homem segundo o meu coração, e ele fará todas as minhas vontades.23 Da descendência deste, conforme a promessa, trouxe Deus a Israel um Salvador que é Jesus;24 havendo João primeiro pregado, antes da vinda dele, o batismo de arrependimento a todo o povo de Israel.25 Quando João completava a sua carreira, dizia: Eu não sou o que vós supondes; mas após mim vem aquele de cujos pés não sou digno de desatar as sandálias.26 Irmãos, descendência de Abraão, e os que entre vós temem a Deus, a nós foi enviada a palavra desta salvação.27 Pois os que habitavam em Jerusalém, e os seus magistrados, não conhecendo a Jesus nem os ensinos dos profetas que se lêem cada sábado, condenando-o, cumpriram as profecias;28 e se bem que não achassem causa alguma de morte, pediram a Pilatos que o fizesse morrer.29 Quando tinham cumprido tudo o que dele estava escrito, tirando-o do madeiro, puseram-no em um túmulo.30 Mas Deus o ressuscitou dentre os mortos;31 e ele foi visto muitos dias por aqueles que com ele subiram da Galiléia a Jerusalém, os quais agora são as suas testemunhas para com o povo.32 Nós vos anunciamos as boas novas da promessa feita a nossos pais,33 como Deus a cumpriu plenamente a nossos filhos, suscitando a Jesus, como também está escrito no salmo segundo: Tu és meu filho, eu hoje te gerei.34 Que o ressuscitou dentre os mortos para nunca mais tornar à corrupção, ele o disse desta maneira: Dar-vos-ei as santas e firmes coisas prometidas a Davi.35 Por isso também diz em outro salmo: Não permitirás que o teu santo experimente corrupção.36 Na verdade, tendo Davi no seu tempo servido ao conselho de Deus, adormeceu e foi reunido a seus pais e experimentou corrupção;37 porém aquele que Deus ressuscitou dentre os mortos, não experimentou corrupção.38 Seja-vos, pois, notório, irmãos, que por este se vos anuncia remissão de pecados;39 e de tudo aquilo de que não pudestes ser justificados pela Lei de Moisés, por este é justificado todo o que crê.40 Guardai-vos, pois, de que não venha sobre vós o que foi dito nos profetas:41 Vede, ó desprezadores, maravilhai-vos e desaparecei, Porque eu faço uma obra nos vossos dias, Obra que de modo algum crereis, ainda que alguém vo-la refira.42 Ao saírem eles, rogaram-lhes que no próximo sábado se lhes repetissem estas palavras.43 Despedida a sinagoga, muitos judeus e prosélitos devotos seguiram a Paulo e Barnabé, e estes, falando-lhes, persuadiram-nos a perseverar na graça de Deus.44 No sábado seguinte reuniu-se quase a cidade toda para ouvir a palavra de Deus.45 Mas os judeus, vendo a multidão, encheram-se de inveja e, blasfemando, contradiziam o que Paulo falava.46 Paulo e Barnabé, falando ousadamente, disseram: Era a vós que se devia falar primeiramente a palavra de Deus; mas visto que a rejeitais e vos julgais indignos da vida eterna, eis que nos viramos para os gentios.47 Pois assim no-lo ordenou o Senhor: Eu te tenho posto para luz dos gentios, A fim de que sejas para salvação até os confins da terra.48 Os gentios, ouvindo isto, regozijavam-se e glorificavam a palavra do Senhor, e creram todos os que estavam destinados para a vida eterna.49 E divulgava-se a palavra do Senhor por toda aquela região.50 Mas os judeus instigaram as mulheres devotas de alta posição e os principais da cidade, e excitaram uma perseguição contra Paulo e Barnabé, e expulsaram-nos do seu território.51 Mas havendo estes sacudido contra aqueles o pó de seus pés, foram a Icônio,52 e os discípulos estavam cheios de gozo e do Espírito Santo.

1 Now Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch.2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work for which I called them."3 Then they fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and let them go.4 Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.5 Arriving in Salamis, they began to preach God's word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John to help them.6 They went through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish occult practitioner and false prophet named Bar-Jesus.7 He was associated with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.8 But Elymas the occult practitioner (that is the meaning of his name) continued to oppose them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.9 But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked him straight in the eye10 and said, "You are full of every form of deception and trickery, you son of the devil, you enemy of all that is right! You will never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord, will you?11 The hand of the Lord is against you now, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a while!" At that moment a dark mist came over him, and he went around looking for someone to lead him by the hand.12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the Lord's teaching.13 Then Paul and his men set sail from Paphos and arrived in Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and went back to Jerusalem.14 They left Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders asked them, "Brothers, if you have any message of encouragement for the people, you may speak."16 Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen!17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made them a great people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm he led them out of it.18 After he had put up with them for forty years in the wilderness,19 he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan. Then he gave them their land as an inheritance20 for about 450 years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.21 "Then they demanded a king, and for forty years God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin.22 But he removed Saul and made David their king, about whom he testified, ‘I have found that David, the son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’23 It was from this man's descendants that God, as he promised, brought to Israel a Savior, who is Jesus.24 Before his coming, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel.25 When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. No, but he is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’26 "My brothers, descendants of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the message of this salvation has been sent.27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who he was, condemned him and fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.28 Although they found no reason to sentence him to death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.29 When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.30 But God raised him from the dead,31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These are now his witnesses to the people.32 We are telling you the good news: What God promised our ancestors33 he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’34 He raised him from the dead, never to experience decay. As he said, ‘I will give you the holy promises made to David.’35 In another Psalm he says, ‘You will not let your Holy One experience decay.’36 For David, after he had served God's purpose in his own generation, died and was laid to rest with his ancestors, and so he experienced decay.37 However, the man whom God raised did not experience decay.38 "Therefore, brothers, you must understand that through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,39 and that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the law of Moses.40 So be careful that what the prophets said does not happen to you:41 ‘Look, you mockers!Be amazed and die! For I am doing a work in your days, a work that you would not believeeven if someone told you!’"42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept urging them to tell them the same things the next Sabbath.43 When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who kept talking to them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.44 The next Sabbath almost the whole town gathered to hear the word of the Lord.45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to object to the statements made by Paul and even to abuse him.46 Then Paul and Barnabas boldly declared, "We had to speak God's word to you first, but since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now going to turn to the Gentiles.47 For that is what the Lord ordered us to do: ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles to be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.’"48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. Meanwhile, all who had been destined to eternal life believed,49 and the word of the Lord began to spread throughout the whole region.50 But the Jews stirred up devout women of high social standing and the officials in the city, started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their territory.51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.52 Meanwhile, the disciples continued to be full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.