15

Conflict over Circumcision

¹And ⚓certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ⚓“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ²Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that ⚓Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
³So, ⚓being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, ⚓describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. ⁴And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. ⁵But 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.”

The Jerusalem Council

⁶Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. ⁷And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ⚓“Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸So God, ⚓who knows the heart, acknowledged them by ⚓giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, ⁹⚓and made no distinction between us and them, ⚓purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now therefore, why do you test God ⚓by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹But ⚓we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
¹²Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had ⚓worked through them among the Gentiles. ¹³And after they had become silent, ⚓James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: ¹⁴⚓Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. ¹⁵And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
¹⁶‘After⚓ this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
¹⁷So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD,
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the Lord who does all these things.’
¹⁸“Known to God from eternity are all His works. ¹⁹Therefore ⚓I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who ⚓are turning to God, ²⁰but that we ⚓write to them to abstain ⚓from things polluted by idols, ⚓from sexual immorality, ⚓from things strangled, and from blood. ²¹For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, ⚓being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

The Jerusalem Decree

²²Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named ⚓Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
²³They wrote this letter by them:
The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
Greetings.
²⁴Since 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 such commandment— ²⁵it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶⚓men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ²⁹⚓that you abstain from things offered to idols, ⚓from blood, from things strangled, and from ⚓sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.

Continuing Ministry in Syria

³⁰So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. ³¹When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. ³²Now Judas and Silas, themselves being ⚓prophets also, ⚓exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. ³³And after they had stayed there for a time, they were ⚓sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles.
³⁴However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there. ³⁵⚓Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Division over John Mark

³⁶Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” ³⁷Now Barnabas was determined to take with them ⚓John called Mark. ³⁸But Paul insisted that they should not take with them ⚓the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to ⚓Cyprus; ⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas and departed, ⚓being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. ⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, ⚓strengthening the churches.

15

Sablaaj huv Yeluxalee

¹Muaj qee leej tuaj huv lub xeev Yutia tuaj qhuab qha cov kwvtij has tas, “Yog tsw ua kevcai txav lawv le Mauxe kevcai, mej kuj tsw dim.” ²Thaus Povlauj hab Npananpa nrug puab cov sws caam heev lawd, cov ntseeg txawm tsaa Povlauj hab Npananpa hab lwm tug kuas moog sablaaj rua cov tubkhai hab cov saib cov ntseeg huv lub nroog Yeluxalee txug zaaj kws sws caam hov. ³Pawg ntseeg txhad xaa puab moog. Thaus puab taug kev hlaa huv lub xeev Finikia hab lub xeev Xamali moog, puab pav txug qhov kws lwm haiv tuabneeg ntxeev dua sab tshab mas ua rua cov kwvtij suavdawg zoo sab heev kawg. ⁴Thaus tuaj txug Yeluxalee, pawg ntseeg hab cov tubkhai hab cov saib cov ntseeg kuj tog txais puab, mas puab pav txhua yaam kws Vaajtswv swv puab ua rua cov ntawd noog. ⁵Tassws cov Falixai kws ntseeg qee leej sawv tseeg has tas, “Yuav tsum muab puab ua kevcai txav, hab nkaw lug kuas puab coj lawv le Mauxe txuj kevcai.”
⁶Cov tubkhai hab cov kws saib pawg ntseeg txhad sau zog ua ke sablaaj txug zaaj nuav. ⁷Thaus sws caam ntev lawm, Petu txawm sawv tseeg has tas, “Cov kwvtij, mej yeej paub tas thaus chiv thawj Vaajtswv xaiv kuv huv mej lug ua tug kws pav txuj xuv zoo rua lwm haiv tuabneeg nov hab ntseeg. ⁸Vaajtswv, tug kws paub tuabneeg lub sab, tub qhwv puab hab pub Vaaj Ntsuj Plig kws dawb huv rua puab ib yaam le kws pub rua peb. ⁹Nwg tsw cais peb hab puab, hab vem puab ntseeg nwg ntxuav puab lub sab kuas dawb huv. ¹⁰Yog le ntawd nwgnuav ua caag mej tseed swm Vaajtswv es muab tug quab tso rua sau cov thwjtim caaj qwb yog yaam kws peb tej laug hab peb rws tsw taug lawm? ¹¹Tassws peb ntseeg has tas peb yuav dim vem muaj tug Tswv Yexu txujkev hlub, mas puab yuav dim le hov hab.”
¹²Ib tsoom suavdawg nyob tuabywv hab noog Npananpa hab Povlauj pav txug tej txujci tseem ceeb hab txujci phemfwj kws Vaajtswv swv ob tug ua rua huv plawv lwm haiv tuabneeg. ¹³Thaus pav taag lawd, Yakaunpau txhad has tas, “Cov kwvtij, ca le noog kuv has. ¹⁴Ximoo tub pav tas Vaajtswv lug saib lwm haiv tuabneeg thawj zag le caag hab xaiv ib pawg tawm huv puab ua nwg le tuabneeg. ¹⁵Tej lug kws cov xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug tau has tseg kuj hum zaaj nuav, lawv le kws sau ca has tas,
¹⁶“ ‘Tom qaab ntawd kuv yuav rov lug
tswm Tavi lub tsev kws pob taag dua tshab.
Kuv yuav khu tej kws pob taag
hab tsaa dua tshab,
¹⁷sub ib tsoom tuabneeg hab lwm haiv tuabneeg
suavdawg kws hu lawv le kuv lub npe
txhad lug nrhav tug Tswv.
Tug Tswv has le nuav ntaag,
¹⁸nwg tub qha kuas paub
thau u lug lawm.’⚓
¹⁹Vem le nuav lawv le kuv pum zoo mas peb tsw xob ua ceblaaj rua lwm haiv tuabneeg kws tig lug cuag Vaajtswv, ²⁰tassws ca peb sau ntawv moog has kuas puab tseg tsw xob noj yaam kws qas tsw huv kws muab xyeem rua txoov daab, tsw xob ua nkauj ua nraug, tsw xob noj tej tsaj kws zawm cej daab tuag hab tsw xob noj ntshaav. ²¹Tsua qhov txwj thau u lug txhua lub moos yeej muaj tuabneeg tshaaj tawm txug Mauxe hab muab nwg tej lug nyeem rua txhua nub Xanpatau huv tej tsev sablaaj.”

Tsaab ntawv kws xaa moog rua lwm haiv tuabneeg

²²Thaus ntawd cov tubkhai hab cov kws saib pawg ntseeg hab pawg ntseeg suavdawg pum zoo yuav xaiv qee leej huv puab nrug Npananpa hab Povlauj moog rua lub moos Aathi‑au. Puab xaiv Yutas kws muaj dua ib lub npe hu ua Npaxanpa hab Xila, ob tug yog cov kws ua thawj huv cov kwvtij. ²³Puab sau tsaab ntawv rua ob tug xaa moog has tas,
“Peb cov kwvtij, kws yog tubkhai hab cov kws saib pawg ntseeg, muaj lug zoo sab tuaj rua cov kwvtij kws yog lwm haiv tuabneeg huv lub moos Aathi‑au hab huv lub xeev Xilia hab lub xeev Khilikia. ²⁴Vem yog peb nov tas peb cov qee leej kws tsw yog peb khaiv tuaj los kuj tau tuaj has ua rua mej ntxhuv sab hab tsw pum qaab xaav lawm, ²⁵peb txhad pum zoo ua ib lub sab xaiv qee leej khaiv nrug Npananpa hab Povlauj kws peb hlub tuaj cuag mej, ²⁶yog ob tug kws sev nyog txujsa vem saib rua peb tug Tswv Yexu Kheto lub npe. ²⁷Vem le nuav peb txhad xaa Yutas hab Xila tuaj, mas ob tug yuav xuas qhov ncauj pav tuab zaaj nuav rua mej noog. ²⁸Tsua qhov Vaaj Ntsuj Plig kws dawb huv hab peb pum zoo tsw xob muab lub nraa nyaav rua mej rws tsuas yog tej yaam kws cheem tsum xwb, ²⁹yog tseg tsw xob noj tej kws xyeem rua txoov daab, tsw xob noj ntshaav, tsw xob noj tej tsaj kws zawm cej daab tuag hab tsw xob ua nkauj ua nraug. Yog mej tseg tau tej nuav kuj yog mej ua zoo lawm. Thov kuas noj qaab nyob zoo.”
³⁰Thaus sws xob taag lawm, puab txawm moog rua lub moos Aathi‑au. Thaus hu suavdawg tuaj txoos ua ke, tes txawm muab tsaab ntawv cob rua puab. ³¹Thaus muab nyeem lawm puab kuj zoo sab xyiv faab rua tej lug txhawb sab ntawd. ³²Yutas hab Xila kws yog xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug txawm has lug txhawb cov kwvtij lub sab ntau yaam hab paab puab muaj zug. ³³Thaus ob tug nrug puab nyob ib ntus lawm, cov kwvtij txawm xob ob tug moog zoo rov lug rua huv pawg ntseeg kws xaa ob tug tuaj.⚓
³⁵Povlauj hab Npananpa tseed nyob huv lub moos Aathi‑au nrug lwm tug qhuab qha hab pav tug Tswv txuj xuv zoo.

Povlauj hab Npananpa sws ncaim

³⁶Ob peb nub tom qaab Povlauj txawm has rua Npananpa tas, “Ca ib ob leeg rov moog saib cov kwvtij huv txhua lub moos kws ib tau pav tug Tswv txuj xuv zoo lawm saib puab zoo le caag.” ³⁷Npananpa xaav coj Yauhaa kws muaj dua ib lub npe hu ua Malakau moog hab. ³⁸Tassws Povlauj pum tas tsw tswm nyog coj moog tsua qhov nwg tub tso ob tug tseg ntawm Pafilia tsw nrug ob tug ua ke moog ua num. ³⁹Tes ob tug txawm sws caam heev txhad sws ncaim. Npananpa coj Malakau nrug nwg nce nkoj moog rua Xaipla, ⁴⁰tassws Povlauj xaiv Xila nrug nwg mas thaus cov kwvtij muab ob tug cob rua tug Tswv txujkev hlub lawm tes ob tug txawm moog. ⁴¹Nwg moog thoob plawg lub xeev Xilia hab lub xeev Khilikia txhawb cov pawg ntseeg tug zug.