Acts 28 Cross References - MSB

¹ Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. ² The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold. ³ Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand. ⁴ When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. ⁶ The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. ⁷ Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. ⁸ The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man. ⁹ After this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured as well. ¹⁰ The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail. ¹¹ After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothers as a figurehead. ¹² Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. ¹³ From there we sailed around and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God. ¹⁶ When we arrived in Rome, the centurion delivered up the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him. ¹⁷ After three days, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸ They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me. ¹⁹ But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I have no charge to bring against my nation. ²⁰ So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” ²¹ The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you. ²² But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.” ²³ So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. ²⁴ Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe. ²⁵ They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to our fathers through Isaiah the prophet: ²⁶ ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” ²⁷ For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ ²⁸ Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” ²⁹ And when he had said these things, the Jews went away, disputing sharply among themselves. ³⁰ Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him. ³¹ Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

²⁶ However, we must run aground on some island.”

³⁹ When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

⁴⁴ The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.

¹⁸ Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

³⁴ You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

⁹ So within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem, and on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling regarding this matter and because of the heavy rain.

¹¹ Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. ¹² If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

³⁰ Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³³ But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, he looked at him and had compassion. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day when he departed he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” ³⁷ “The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

¹⁸ Because it was cold, the servants and officers were standing around a charcoal fire they had made to keep warm. And Peter was standing with them, warming himself.

³ The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.

⁴ When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.

¹⁴ Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them

²⁷ The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

¹¹ If, then, I do not know the meaning of someone’s language, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.

²⁷ in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.

¹¹ Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

¹⁶ He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.

⁶ This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.

²⁴ Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

⁵ They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.

¹⁹ It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.

⁷ But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

³³ You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

⁹ as unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed;

²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in worse beatings, in more imprisonments, in frequent danger of death.

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”

⁸ Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. ¹¹ Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

⁵ And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: ⁶ Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

²¹ Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” ²² And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

³¹ You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death. ³² Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. ³³ Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴ Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”

¹⁷ A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit; let no one support him.

²¹ But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. ²² Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

²¹ For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.

²⁰ The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.

¹⁵ This carefree city that dwells securely, that thinks to herself: “I am it, and there is none besides me,” what a ruin she has become, a resting place for beasts. Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.

³⁵ And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

² To this Jesus replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?

⁴ Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem?

²⁴ Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”

¹ Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, ² and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

² The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.

⁵ But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

⁸ But to the cowardly and unbelieving and sinful and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

⁶ So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died. ⁷ Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people. ⁸ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

¹³ You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.

¹⁸ they will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

¹⁹ Behold, I am giving you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.

¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life.

²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

³ And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

⁹ The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

²² “What then should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!”

²² And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”

¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices in the Lycaonian language: “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ¹² Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside their city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.

⁴⁰ He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. ⁴¹ Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.

⁶ So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully. ⁷ And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!” ⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.

⁷ an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat.

²⁴ Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”

²⁰ Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?” ²¹ Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!” ²² And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.

¹⁸ While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.”

¹ And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

³⁰ Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and they promptly told Jesus about her. ³¹ So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. Immediately the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

²³ and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”

⁵ So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them.

³² Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.

⁴⁰ At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.

¹ Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases. ² And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³ “Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staffs, no bag, no bread, no money, no second tunic.

⁸ If you enter a town and they welcome you, eat whatever is set before you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’

¹³ Then He placed His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God.

¹⁷ So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized,

⁴⁰ Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were brought to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.

⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that same Spirit,

²⁸ And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.

¹⁴ Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

²⁴ News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed—and He healed them.

⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus ⁵⁵ and ran through that whole surrounding region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.

¹⁵ As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

⁹ So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

²⁷ Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,

³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about the things of itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. ⁹ Do not carry any gold or silver or copper in your belts. ¹⁰ Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staffs; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.

⁵ But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ ⁶ then he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition.

² In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord, ⁴ they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. ⁵ And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God. ⁶ So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the bountiful gift that was announced. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly. ⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each one should give what he decides in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” ¹⁰ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, so that through us your giving will produce thanksgiving to God.

¹¹ I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. ¹² I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need.

¹⁹ And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

⁶ Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.

³ Honor the widows who are truly widows. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

¹⁷ Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”

²⁰ Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.

⁵ The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

¹⁶ Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.

⁹ But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They began to argue with Stephen,

⁶ There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.

⁴ So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

¹³ When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.

⁴ For seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.”

¹⁰ Noah waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. ¹¹ And behold, the dove returned to him in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. ¹² And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.

⁶³ I am a friend to all who fear You, and to those who keep Your precepts.

¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on.

²³ Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. However, Jesus did not say that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you?”

⁴² This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

¹ While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples

⁶ And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.

⁴ We sought out disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

⁷ When we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, Paul and his companions went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.

¹⁴ Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them. ⁷ Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.

⁹ Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

⁶ And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

¹⁴ Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!

¹³ They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, crying out: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”

²⁵ As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him.

⁵ But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us.

²⁴ I hope to come to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

⁵ For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more.

¹⁴ And although my illness was a trial to me, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.

⁷ For this reason, brothers, in all our persecution and distress, we have been reassured about you, because of your faith.

³ Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.

⁶ They have testified to the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. ⁷ For they went out on behalf of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸ Therefore we ought to receive such men, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

²¹ the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. ²² And the warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care, so that he was responsible for all that was done in the prison. ²³ The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

⁸ On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.

² The captain of the guard found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God decreed this disaster on this place,

¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome,

² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them,

²¹ After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage, Paul! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to allow him some freedom and permit his friends to come and minister to his needs.

³¹ But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”

⁴³ But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

³⁰ Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him. ³¹ Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world. ⁹ God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you ¹⁰ in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

²² That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. ²³ But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you, ²⁴ I hope to come to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey. ²⁵ Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there. ²⁶ For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings. ²⁸ So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

⁹ This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

¹⁸ And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

¹⁵ For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”

¹⁴ For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

³³ The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the crowd were crying out one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. ³⁵ When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. ³⁶ For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!” ³⁷ As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I speak to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. ³⁸ “Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the ‘Assassins’ into the wilderness?” ³⁹ But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:

⁵ as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

¹ Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.” ² At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.” ⁴ But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!” ⁵ “Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’” ⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. If a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” ¹⁰ The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks. ¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage, Paul! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

³³ When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.

¹⁰ When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he began his response: “Knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my defense. ¹¹ You can verify for yourself that no more than twelve days ago I went up to worship in Jerusalem. ¹² Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city. ¹³ Nor can they prove any of their charges against me. ¹⁴ I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of the dead—of both the righteous and the wicked. ¹⁶ In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.

² where the high priest and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

¹⁰ Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

²⁴ the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him. ²⁵ But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

³⁰ The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him from the bonds and ordered the chief priests and their whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

²⁹ I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.

¹⁰ When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he began his response: “Knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my defense.

²² On hearing these things Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “When Lysias the commander comes, I will decide your case.”

⁷ When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, laying against Paul many serious charges that they could not prove. ⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

³¹ On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.” ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

¹⁰ Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” ¹² Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

²¹ But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

²⁵ But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.

³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

¹⁹ Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

²² “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” ²³ When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

²⁹ So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”

³³ So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything God has instructed you to tell us.”

³³ The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of the dead—of both the righteous and the wicked.

⁶ And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers, ⁷ the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king Agrippa, that I am accused by the Jews.

²⁹ “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”

¹⁷ After three days, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

¹ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...

¹ As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.

¹⁸ This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.

¹⁰ And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel,

⁹ for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!

¹⁰ I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in my chains.

¹³ I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

⁷ But among all the Israelites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.

¹¹ Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.

⁸ The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me!

¹⁷ No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold, this Child is appointed to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,

¹⁷ Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out

⁵ But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

²⁰ They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil ²¹ by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”

⁶ But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”

⁵ We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.

¹⁴ I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,

⁵ They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.

¹⁹ And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.

¹² Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you as evildoers may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.

¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Indeed, on their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler. ¹⁶ But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God in this matter.

²⁶ Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

⁴⁴ Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”

³⁴ Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.

³⁵ Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.

⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.

²⁸ For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

⁸ Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

⁹ And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!” ¹¹ Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.

⁶ And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,

²² But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: ²³ that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

² to Apphia our beloved, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region. ⁵⁰ The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.

⁴ The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.

⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women. ⁵ The Jews, however, brought in some troublemakers they took from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.

⁶ But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” ⁷ So Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized.

⁸ Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

³ What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

⁴ And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. But if it is by works, then it is no longer grace. Otherwise work is no longer work.

⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

⁶ Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

²¹ For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but holy men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

¹¹ But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me. ¹² So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

⁹ And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ ¹⁰ Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

¹⁰ For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.

¹⁴ Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”

¹⁹ Who is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD? ²⁰ Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch. Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”

⁴ So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

²¹ “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

⁶ not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. ⁷ But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.

² “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

¹⁴ In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. ¹⁵ For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

¹² so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven their sins.’”

¹⁷ Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you still have such hard hearts? ¹⁸ ‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember?

¹⁰ He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

²⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” ³⁹ For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says: ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

⁸ as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” ⁹ And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them. ¹⁰ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”

⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

² The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations. ³ He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁶ He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

¹⁰ The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

²⁶ It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

³² It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD—let it be known to you. Be ashamed and disgraced for your ways, O house of Israel!

⁴¹ “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? ⁴³ Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation, ³¹ which You have prepared in the sight of all people, ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”

⁶ And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words.

¹⁰ then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

¹⁸ When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

²⁶ Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent.

³⁸ Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

²⁷ When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

¹⁴ Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.

¹⁷ so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things.

⁶ But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

²¹ Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

¹⁷ I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

²⁹ Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, ³⁰ since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

¹¹ I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

⁸ Now I tell you that Christ Jesus has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, ⁹ so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.” ¹⁰ Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” ¹¹ And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.” ¹² And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.” ¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵ However, brothers, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me ¹⁶ to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

³⁴ Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

⁵¹ Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division.

⁴⁰ On hearing these words, many of the people therefore said, “This is truly the Prophet.” ⁴¹ Others declared, “This is the Christ.” But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? ⁴² Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” ⁴³ So there was division in the crowd because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him. ⁴⁵ Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?” ⁴⁶ “Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered. ⁴⁷ “Have you also been deceived?” replied the Pharisees. ⁴⁸ “Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him? ⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law, they are under a curse.” ⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus by night and who himself was one of them, asked, ⁵¹ “Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?” ⁵² “Aren’t you also from Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it, and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.” ⁵³ Then each went to his own home.

²⁵ They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to our fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

¹⁴ After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God.

¹ Soon afterward, Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

²⁹ And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,

³¹ After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

⁴² Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

¹² But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

²⁵ Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom of God will see my face again.

²³ So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

¹⁴ And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.

³ as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should.

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.