New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.

1Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

2But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him.

2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying,

3“You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.

3“You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

4Then Peter told them exactly what had happened.

4But Peter began and explained it to them in order:

5“I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me.

5“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me.

6When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds.

6Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.

7And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’

7And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’

8“‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean. ’

8But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

9“But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’

9But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’

10This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

10This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.

11“Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying.

11And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea.

12The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us.

12And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.

13He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.

13And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter;

14He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’

14he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

15“As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.

15As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.

16Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

17And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

17If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”

18When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.” The Church in Antioch of Syria

18When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

19Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.

19Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

20However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.

20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

22When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

22The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

23When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.

23When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,

24Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

25Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul.

25So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

26When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)

26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

27During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch.

27Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)

28And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

29So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could.

29So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

30This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.

30And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.