1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, [saying], Except you{+} are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you{+} can't be saved.
2 And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, [the brothers] appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
3 They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy to all the brothers.
4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them.
5 But there rose up some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter.
7 And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said to them, Men, brothers, you{+} know that a good while ago God chose among you{+}, that by my mouth the Gentiles were to hear the word of the good news, and to believe.
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us;
9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why do you{+} make trial of 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 will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.
12 And all the multitude kept silent; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men, brothers, listen to me:
14 Symeon has rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which has fallen; And I will build again its ruins, And I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, on whom my name is called, says the Lord, [who is] doing these things
18 [as they were] known from of old.
19 Therefore my judgment is, that we not trouble those who from among the Gentiles turn to God;
20 but that we write to them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and 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 church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; [namely], Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers:
23 and they wrote [thus] by them, The apostles and the elders, brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings:
24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you{+} with words, subverting your{+} souls; 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 delivered up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also will tell you{+} the same things by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay on you{+} no greater burden than these necessary things:
29 that you{+} abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if you{+} keep yourselves, you{+} will do reasonably well. Take care.
30 So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.
31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
32 And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brothers with many words, and confirmed them.
33 And after they had been [there] for some time, they were dismissed in peace from the brothers to those who had sent them forth.
34 []
35 But Paul and Barnabas spent time in Antioch, teaching and preaching [the good news of] the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [and see] how they fare.
37 And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark.
38 But Paul thought it not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and didn't go with them to the work.
39 And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated apart one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus;
40 but Paul choose Silas, and went forth, being delivered to [the care of] the grace of the Lord by the brothers.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.