1 N ow the apostles (special messengers) and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles (heathen) also had received and accepted and welcomed the Word of God.

And the apostles and the brethren who are in Judea heard that also the nations did receive the word of God,

2 S o when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party found fault with him,

and when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision were contending with him,

3 S aying, Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?

saying -- `Unto men uncircumcised thou didst go in, and didst eat with them!'

4 B ut Peter began and narrated and explained to them step by step. He said:

And Peter having begun, did expound to them in order saying,

5 I was in the town of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something coming down from heaven, like a huge sheet lowered by the four corners; and it descended until it came to me.

`I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw in a trance a vision, a certain vessel coming down, as a great sheet by four corners being let down out of the heaven, and it came unto me;

6 G azing intently and closely at it, I observed in it four-footed animals and wild beasts and reptiles of the earth and birds of the air,

at which having looked stedfastly, I was considering, and I saw the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the fowls of heaven;

7 A nd I heard a voice saying to me, Get up, Peter; kill and eat.

and I heard a voice saying to me, Having risen, Peter, slay and eat;

8 B ut I said, No, by no means, Lord; for nothing common or unhallowed or unclean has ever entered my mouth.

and I said, Not so, Lord; because anything common or unclean hath at no time entered into my mouth;

9 B ut the voice answered a second time from heaven, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding or calling it common or unhallowed or unclean.

and a voice did answer me a second time out of the heaven, What God did cleanse, thou -- declare not thou common.

10 T his occurred three times, and then all was drawn up again into heaven.

`And this happened thrice, and again was all drawn up to the heaven,

11 A nd right then the three men sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house in which we were.

and, lo, immediately, three men stood at the house in which I was, having been sent from Cesarea unto me,

12 A nd the Spirit instructed me to accompany them without hesitation or misgivings or discrimination. So these six brethren accompanied me also, and we went into the man’s house.

and the Spirit said to me to go with them, nothing doubting, and these six brethren also went with me, and we did enter into the house of the man,

13 A nd he related to us how he had seen the angel in his house which stood and said to him, Send men to Joppa and bring Simon who is surnamed Peter;

he declared also to us how he saw the messenger in his house standing, and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter,

14 H e will give and explain to you a message by means of which you and all your household will be saved '> from eternal death].

who shall speak sayings by which thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house.

15 W hen I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as He did on us at the beginning.

`And in my beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit did fall upon them, even as also upon us in the beginning,

16 T hen I recalled the declaration of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with ( be placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.

and I remembered the saying of the Lord, how he said, John indeed did baptize with water, and ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit;

17 I f then God gave to them the same Gift as He gave to us when we believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I and what power or authority had I to interfere or hinder or forbid or withstand God?

if then the equal gift God did give to them as also to us, having believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, I -- how was I able to withstand God?'

18 W hen they heard this, they were quieted and made no further objection. And they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life.

And they, having heard these things, were silent, and were glorifying God, saying, `Then, indeed, also to the nations did God give the reformation to life.'

19 M eanwhile those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen had traveled as far away as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, without delivering the message '> the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] to anyone except Jews.

Those, indeed, therefore, having been scattered abroad, from the tribulation that came after Stephen, went through unto Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none except to Jews only;

20 B ut there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on returning to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) about the Lord Jesus.

and there were certain of them men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having entered into Antioch, were speaking unto the Hellenists, proclaiming good news -- the Lord Jesus,

21 A nd the presence of the Lord was with them with power, so that a great number to believe (to adhere to and trust in and rely on the Lord) and turned and surrendered themselves to Him.

and the hand of the Lord was with them, a great number also, having believed, did turn unto the Lord.

22 T he rumors of this came to the ears of the church (assembly) in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

And the account was heard in the ears of the assembly that in Jerusalem concerning them, and they sent forth Barnabas to go through unto Antioch,

23 W hen he arrived and saw what grace (favor) God was bestowing upon them, he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with purpose of heart.

who, having come, and having seen the grace of God, was glad, and was exhorting all with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord,

24 F or he was a good man '> good in himself and also at once for the good and the advantage of other people], full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit and full of faith (of his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation). And a large company was added to the Lord.

because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith, and a great multitude was added to the Lord.

25 w ent on to Tarsus to hunt for Saul.

And Barnabas went forth to Tarsus, to seek for Saul,

26 A nd when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they assembled together with and were guests of the church and instructed a large number of people; and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

and having found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that they a whole year did assemble together in the assembly, and taught a great multitude, the disciples also were divinely called first in Antioch Christians.

27 A nd during these days prophets (inspired teachers and interpreters of the divine will and purpose) came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

And in those days there came from Jerusalem prophets to Antioch,

28 A nd one of them named Agabus stood up and prophesied through the Spirit that a great and severe famine would come upon the whole world. And this did occur during the reign of Claudius.

and one of them, by name Agabus, having stood up, did signify through the Spirit a great dearth is about to be throughout all the world -- which also came to pass in the time of Claudius Caesar --

29 S o the disciples resolved to send relief, each according to his individual ability, to the brethren who lived in Judea.

and the disciples, according as any one was prospering, determined each of them to send for ministration to the brethren dwelling in Judea,

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

which also they did, having sent unto the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.