Acts 12:20-13:12

English Standard Version

The Death of Herod

²⁰Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and ^(A)having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain,^[a] they asked for peace, because ^(B)their country depended on the king's country for food. ²¹On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. ²²And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” ²³Immediately ^(C)an angel of the Lord struck him down, because ^(D)he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

²⁴But ^(E)the word of God increased and multiplied.

²⁵^(F)And Barnabas and Saul returned from^[b] Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them ^(G)John, whose other name was Mark.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

13 Now there were in the church at Antioch ^(H)prophets and ^(I)teachers, ^(J)Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,^[c] Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of ^(K)Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, ^(L)the Holy Spirit said, ^(M)“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul ^(N)for the work to which I have called them.” ³Then after fasting and ^(O)praying they laid their hands on them and ^(P)sent them off.

Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus

⁴So, being sent out ^(Q)by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God ^(R)in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had ^(S)John to ^(T)assist them. ⁶When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain ^(U)magician, ^(V)a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷He was with ^(W)the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the ^(X)magician (for that is the meaning of his name) ^(Y)opposed them, seeking to turn ^(Z)the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹But Saul, who was also called Paul, ^(AA)filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰and said, “You ^(AB)son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and ^(AC)villainy, will you not stop ^(AD)making crooked ^(AE)the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹And now, behold, ^(AF)the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking ^(AG)people to lead him by the hand. ¹²Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at ^(AH)the teaching of the Lord.