Modern Literal Version
[Acts 13]




     {45-48 AD. Asia Minor. Paul's first missionary journey from Antioch to Perga, Cyprus, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe and back to Antioch in Syria.}



     13:1 Now there were some prophets and teachers in the congregation* which is in Antioch: both Barnabas, and Symeon who was called Niger, and Lucius from Cyrene, and Manaen, a foster-brother of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. 13:2 Now while ministering* to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate** Barnabas and Saul for me, *for the work to which I have called them.13:3 Then having fasted and having prayed, they laid their hands on them and dismissed them.




     13:4 Therefore indeed, these men, having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and sailed from there to Cyprus. 13:5 And after they came* in Salamis, they were proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John, an attendant.



     13:6 Now having gone through the island up-to Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Son-of-Joshua; 13:7 who was together with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This one sought to hear the word of God, having called to him Barnabas and Saul. 13:8 But Elymas the magician (for* so is his name by translation) was standing against them, seeking to pervert the proconsul away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul, also called Paul, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, stared toward him, 13:10and said, O full of all treachery and all villainy, you son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and will not see the sun till the next season. Now instantly dimness and darkness fell upon him, and proceeding around, he was seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then the proconsul believed, having seen what had happened, being astounded upon the teaching of the Lord.




     13:13 Now Paul, with those around him, having set-sail from Paphos, came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John having departed from them, returned to Jerusalem.



     13:14 But having gone through from Perga, they came* to Antioch of Pisidia {Asia Minor}, and having entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down. 13:15 Now after the public-reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent for them, saying, Men, brethren, if there is a word of encouragement to the people in you*, speak*it.



     13:16 Now after Paul stood up and beckoned with the hand, he said,



     Men, Israelites, and those who fear God, listen*: 13:17 The God of this people chose our fathers and exalted the people in their foreign residency, in the land of Egypt, and he led them forth out of it with a high arm. {Exo 12:37, Deu 5:15}13:18 And he tolerated the mannerisms of them in the wildernessfor approximately the time of forty years. {Deu 1:31, 7:1-6, Num 14:33, Psa 95:10}13:19 And having demolished seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave to them their land for an inheritance. {Deu 7:1, Jos 14:2}13:20 After these things for approximately four hundred and fifty years, he gave themjudges until Samuel the prophet. {Jdg 2:16, 1Sa 3:20}13:21 And from thereon, they asked for a king. And God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. {1Sa 8:5, 10:21}13:22 And having removed him, he lifted up David to be king to them; to whom he also testified and said, I found David the son of Jesse, a man according to my own heart, who will be practicing all my various wills. {1Sa 13:14, 1Ch 10:14, 2Sa 6:21}



     13:23 God brought* salvation to Israel from the seed of this man David, according to promise, 13:24when John preached beforehand the immersion* of repentance to Israel, before his face and beforehis entrance. 13:25 Now as John was fulfilling his course, he was saying, Who do you* perceive that I am? I am not he. But behold, there is one coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to loosen the shoes from his feet. 13:26 Men, brethren, sons from the race of Abraham and those who fear God among you*, the word of this salvation was sent forth to you*. 13:27 For* those dwelling in Jerusalem and their rulers who were ignorant of this one, and they fulfilled the voices of the prophets, which are read on every Sabbath, by having judged him to death.13:28 And though no one found a crimeworthy of death in him, they still asked Pilate to assassinate him. 13:29 Now as they completed all things which have been written concerning him, they took him down from the tree and placed himin a tomb. 13:30 But God raised him up from the dead; 13:31 and he was seen on many days by those who came-up together with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 13:32And we are proclaiming to you* the good-news of the promise which came* to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this for us, their children, in that he raised* up Jesus; 13:33 as it has also been written in the second Psalm, 'You are my Son; I have fathered you today.' {Psa 2:7}13:34 Now that he raised*him up from the dead, no longer being about to return to decay, he has spoken thus, I will be giving you* the holy faithful things of David. {Isa 55:3}13:35 Hence, he also says in a different psalm, 'You will not be giving your Holy One to see decay.' {Psa 16:10}13:36 For* indeed David, having attended to the plan of God in his own generation, fell-asleep and was added to his fathers and saw decay;{1Ki 2:10}13:37 but he whom God raised up saw no decay. 13:38 Therefore men, brethren, let it be known to you* that forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you* through this one; 13:39 and everyone who believes is made righteous in this one; you* were not able to be made righteous from all the things of which were in the Law of Moses. 13:40 Therefore beware*, that what has been spoken in the prophets might not come upon you*: 13:41 'You* despisers, behold* and marvel* and disappear*, because I am working a work in your* days, a work which you* should never believe, even if someone describes it to you*.' {Hab. 1:5}



     13:42 But after the Jews went-out of the synagogue, the Gentiles were pleading with him that the declarations might be spoken to them at the ensuing Sabbath. 13:43 Now after the synagogue was dissolved, many of the Jews and the pious Jewish-converts followed Paul and Barnabas; who, whilespeaking, were persuading them to remain in the favor of God.



     13:44 And the coming Sabbath, almost all the city was gathered together to hear the word of God.13:45 But the Jews, having seen the crowds, were filled up from jealousy, and were contradicting the things being spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming him.



     13:46 But Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you*. But since you* are shoving it away from yourselves and are judging yourselves not worthy of everlasting life. Behold, how we are turned to the Gentiles. 13:47 For* so the Lord has commanded to us, saying, 'I have placed you *for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be *for salvation to the outermost parts of the earth.' {Isa 42:6}



     13:48 And while the Gentiles are hearing this, they were rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and they believed as many as were appointing themselves toward everlasting life. 13:49 Now the word of the Lord was being carried through the whole region.



     13:50 But the Jews spurred on the pious and prominent women and the foremost ones of the city, and awakened a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them away from their borders. 13:51But they shook-off the dust of their feet against them and came to Iconium. 13:52 Now the disciples were being filled from joy and the Holy Spirit.





Modern Literal Version Preface & Appendix , copyright 1987, 1999, 2013 by G. Allen Walker for the MLV New Testament Committee.
Would you like to have the Modern Literal Version the World's most accurate translation on your web site? Visit '
The Christian Library' for more info.