Acts
Chapter 13: 1-12
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
1In
the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit
said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them.” 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed
their hands on them and sent them off.
On Cyprus
4The two of
them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to
Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the
word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
6They
traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish
sorcerer and false prophet named BarJesus, 7who was an
attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for
Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8But
Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the
proconsul from the faith. 9Then Saul, who was also called
Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything
that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop
perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11Now the hand of the
Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see
the light of the sun.”
Immediately mist and darkness came over
him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12When
the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about
the Lord.
