Acts, 15

1. Then some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, 'Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.'

1. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

2. This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the question with the apostles and elders.

2. And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

3. The members of the church saw them off, and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria they told how the gentiles had been converted, and this news was received with the greatest satisfaction by all the brothers.

3. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoeni'cia and Sama'ria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren.

4. When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and by the apostles and elders, and gave an account of all that God had done through them.

4. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

5. But certain members of the Pharisees' party who had become believers objected, insisting that gentiles should be circumcised and instructed to keep the Law of Moses.

5. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses."

6. The apostles and elders met to look into the matter,

6. The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

7. and after a long discussion, Peter stood up and addressed them. 'My brothers,' he said, 'you know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the gentiles were to learn the good news from me and so become believers.

7. And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

8. And God, who can read everyone's heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us.

8. And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us;

9. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith.

9. and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.

10. Why do you put God to the test now by imposing on the disciples the very burden that neither our ancestors nor we ourselves were strong enough to support?

10. Now therefore why do you make trial of 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 are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus.'

11. But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."

12. The entire assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had worked through them among the gentiles.

12. And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13. When they had finished it was James who spoke. 'My brothers,' he said, 'listen to me.

13. After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me.

14. Simeon has described how God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the gentiles.

14. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

15. This is entirely in harmony with the words of the prophets, since the scriptures say:

15. And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,

16. After that I shall return and rebuild the fallen hut of David; I shall make good the gaps in it and restore it.

16. `After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,

17. Then the rest of humanity, and of all the nations once called mine, will look for the Lord, says the Lord who made this

17. that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,

18. known so long ago.

18. says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.'

19. 'My verdict is, then, that instead of making things more difficult for gentiles who turn to God,

19. Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,

20. we should send them a letter telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols, from illicit marriages, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

20. but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.

21. For Moses has always had his preachers in every town and is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.'

21. For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues."

22. Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose delegates from among themselves to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas, known as Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood,

22. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsab'bas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

23. and gave them this letter to take with them: 'The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of gentile birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.

23. with the following letter: "The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cili'cia, greeting.

24. We hear that some people coming from here, but acting without any authority from ourselves, have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds;

24. Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,

25. and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with our well-beloved Barnabas and Paul,

25. it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26. who have committed their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

26. men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written.

27. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.

28. It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to impose on you any burden beyond these essentials:

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. you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from illicit marriages. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.'

29. that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."

30. The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the letter.

30. So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

31. The community read it and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them.

31. And when they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation.

32. Judas and Silas, being themselves prophets, spoke for a long time, encouraging and strengthening the brothers.

32. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them.

33. These two spent some time there, and then the brothers wished them peace andwent back to those who had sent them.

33. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brethren to those who had sent them.

34.

34.

35. Paul and Barnabas, however, stayed on in Antioch, and there with many others they taught and proclaimed the good news, the word of the Lord.

35. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

36. On a later occasion Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord, so that we can see how they are doing.'

36. And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Come, let us return and visit the brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are."

37. Barnabas suggested taking John Mark,

37. And Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.

38. but Paul was not in favour of taking along the man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had refused to share in their work.

38. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphyl'ia, and had not gone with them to the work.

39. There was sharp disagreement so that they parted company, and Barnabas sailed off with Mark to Cyprus.

39. And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,

40. Before Paul left, he chose Silas to accompany him and was commended by the brothers to the grace of God.

40. but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

41. He travelled through Syria and Cilicia, consolidating the churches.

41. And he went through Syria and Cili'cia, strengthening the churches.