Holy Calling Separated and Set Apart

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2. “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, 3. from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. 4. “This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, the most holy things. 5. When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it, 6. and shall put a covering of sealskin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles. 7. “On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it. 8. They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles. 9. “They shall take a blue cloth, and cover the lamp stand of the light, and its lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. 10. They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame. 11. “On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles. 12. “They shall take all the vessels of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, and cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame. 13. “They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it. 14. They shall put on it all its vessels, with which they minister about it, the fire pans, the meat hooks, the shovels, and the basins; all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of sealskin, and put in its poles. 15. “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it: but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting. 16. “The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the requirements of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings.” 17. Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18. “Don’t cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; 19. but thus do to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them everyone to his service and to his burden; 20. but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.” 21. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 22. “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families; 23. you shall count them from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old; all who enter in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. 24. “This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: 25. they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin that is above on it, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26. and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatever shall be done with them. They shall serve in there. 27. At the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden, and in all their service; and you shall appoint their duty to them in all their responsibilities. 28. This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting: and their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 29. “As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses; 30. you shall count them from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who enters on the service, to do the work of the Tent of Meeting. 31. This is the duty of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32. and the pillars of the court around it, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name you shall appoint the instruments of the duty of their burden. 33. This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.” 34. Moses and Aaron and the princes of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 35. from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting. 36. Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty. 37. These are those who were counted of the families of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. 38. Those who were counted of the sons of Gershon, their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 39. from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting, 40. even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty. 41. These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Yahweh. 42. Those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, 43. from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting, 44. even those who were counted of them by their families, were three thousand two hundred. 45. These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. 46. All those who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel counted, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 47. from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service, and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting, 48. even those who were counted of them, were eight thousand five hundred eighty. 49. According to the commandment of Yahweh they were counted by Moses, everyone according to his service, and according to his burden. Thus were they counted by him, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and everyone who has an issue, and whoever is unclean by the dead. 3. Both you shall put male and female outside of the camp; that they not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.” 4. The children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as Yahweh spoke to Moses, so did the children of Israel. 5. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6. “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Yahweh, and that soul is guilty; 7. then he shall confess his sin which he has done, and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty. 8. But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Yahweh shall be the priest’s; besides the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him. 9. Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his. 10. Every man’s holy things shall be his: whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’” 11. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12. “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray, and is unfaithful to him, 13. and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and this is kept concealed, and she is defiled, and there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act; 14. and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she isn’t defiled: 15. then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: one tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory. 16. The priest shall bring her near, and set her before Yahweh; 17. and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water. 18. The priest shall set the woman before Yahweh, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse. 19. The priest shall cause her to swear, and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse. 20. But if you have gone astray, being under your husband, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband:” 21. then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell; 22. and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.” 23. “‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness. 24. He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter. 25. The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal offering before Yahweh, and bring it to the altar. 26. The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27. When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people. 28. If the woman isn’t defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive offspring. 29. “‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled; 30. or when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before Yahweh, and the priest shall execute on her all this law. 31. The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.’” 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh, 3. he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. 4. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins. 5. “‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. 6. “‘All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body. 7. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head. 8. All the days of his separation he is holy to Yahweh. 9. “‘If any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day he shall shave it. 10. On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. 11. The priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day. 12. He shall separate to Yahweh the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled. 13. “‘This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, 14. and he shall offer his offering to Yahweh, one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering, and one ram without defect for peace offerings, 15. and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings. 16. The priest shall present them before Yahweh, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering. 17. He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering, and its drink offering. 18. The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. 19. The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation; 20. and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine. 21. “‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to Yahweh for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’” 22. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23. “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them, 24. ‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you. 25. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. 26. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.’ 27. “So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”

1. Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2. As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” 3. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5. When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant. 6. When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus, 7. who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. 8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, 10. and said, “Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11. Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 13. Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. 14. But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. 15. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.” 16. Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. 17. The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it. 18. For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years. 20. After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21. Afterward 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. 22. When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23. From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise, 24. before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel. 25. As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26. Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you. 27. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28. Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. 29. When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. 30. But God raised him from the dead, 31. and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32. We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33. that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’ 34. “Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35. Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’ 36. For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. 37. But he whom God raised up saw no decay. 38. Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, 39. and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40. Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets: 41. ‘Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’” 42. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43. Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44. The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. 46. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47. For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’” 48. As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49. The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region. 50. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders. 51. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52. The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. 1. In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. 2. But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers. 3. Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4. But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5. When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them, 6. they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region. 7. There they preached the Good News. 8. At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. 9. He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, 10. said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked. 11. When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12. They called Barnabas “Jupiter”, and Paul “Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker. 13. The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes. 14. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out, 15. “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; 16. who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17. Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” 18. Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them. 19. But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20. But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe. 21. When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22. confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom. 23. When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed. 24. They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. 25. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26. From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. 27. When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations. 28. They stayed there with the disciples for a long time. 1. Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” 2. Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3. They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers. 4. When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” 6. The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7. When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe. 8. God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9. He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10. Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11. But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.” 12. All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. 13. After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me. 14. Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name. 15. This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written, 16. ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up, 17. That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things. 18. All of God’s works are known to him from eternity.’ 19. “Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20. but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21. For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” 22. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers. 23. They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. 24. Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment; 25. it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26. men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: 29. that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.” 30. So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 31. When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement. 32. Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them. 33. After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles. 34. 35. But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. 36. After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37. Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also. 38. But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work. 39. Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus, 40. but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. 41. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

1. An inner sanctuary is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.” 2. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin. 3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4. He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil. 5. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 6. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like a great deep. Yahweh, you preserve man and animal. 7. How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings. 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures. 9. For with you is the spring of life. In your light shall we see light. 10. Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11. Don’t let the foot of pride come against me. Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12. There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.