Over the Fence: Lessons From Ephesus

Seeing Disabilities Through God's Eyes: A 5-Day Devotional With Sandra Peoples

Go Into All the World

Spiritual Training: The Discipline of Fasting and Solitude

Winter Warm-Up

Heart-Tongues

The Joy

Acts 20 | Encouragement in Goodbyes

God's Great Story

Adventure in Evangelism

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch10" data-usfm="JOS.10">
 <div class="label">10</div><div class="s1">The Sun Stands Still</div><div class="p"> 1Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed#10:1 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 28, 35, 37, 39 and 40. it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. 2He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4&#8220;Come up and help me attack Gibeon,&#8221; he said, &#8220;because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5Then the five kings of the Amorites&#8212;the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon&#8212;joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.</div><div class="p"> 6The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: &#8220;Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8The Lord said to Joshua, &#8220;Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.</div><div class="p"> 12On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Sun, stand still over Gibeon,</div><div class="q2">and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.&#8221;</div><div class="q1"> 13So the sun stood still,</div><div class="q2">and the moon stopped,</div><div class="q2">till the nation avenged itself on#10:13 Or nation triumphed over its enemies,</div><div class="m">as it is written in the Book of Jashar.</div><div class="p">The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!</div><div class="p"> 15Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.</div><div class="s1">Five Amorite Kings Killed</div><div class="p"> 16Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, 18he said, &#8220;Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. 19But don&#8217;t stop; pursue your enemies! Attack them from the rear and don&#8217;t let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely, but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities. 21The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.</div><div class="p"> 22Joshua said, &#8220;Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.&#8221; 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave&#8212;the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, &#8220;Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.&#8221; So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.</div><div class="p"> 25Joshua said to them, &#8220;Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.&#8221; 26Then Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles, and they were left hanging on the poles until evening.</div><div class="p"> 27At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.</div><div class="s1">Southern Cities Conquered</div><div class="p"> 28That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.</div><div class="p"> 29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 30The Lord also gave that city and its king into Israel&#8217;s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.</div><div class="p"> 31Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 32The Lord gave Lachish into Israel&#8217;s hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army&#8212;until no survivors were left.</div><div class="p"> 34Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. 35They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.</div><div class="p"> 36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. 37They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.</div><div class="p"> 38Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. 39They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.</div><div class="p"> 40So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.</div><div class="p"> 43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.</div>
 </div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="JOS.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Northern Kings Defeated</div><div class="p"> 1When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Akshaph, 2and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; 3to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. 4They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots&#8212;a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 5All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel.</div><div class="p"> 6The Lord said to Joshua, &#8220;Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, 8and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. 9Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.</div><div class="p"> 10At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) 11Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed#11:11 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 12, 20 and 21. them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he burned Hazor itself.</div><div class="p"> 12Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. 13Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds&#8212;except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 14The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. 15As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.</div><div class="p"> 16So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death. 18Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. 20For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.</div><div class="p"> 21At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.</div><div class="p"> 23So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.</div>
 </div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch12" data-usfm="JOS.12">
 <div class="label">12</div><div class="s1">List of Defeated Kings</div><div class="p"> 1These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of the Arabah:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="m"> 2Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.</div><div class="mi">He ruled from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge&#8212;from the middle of the gorge&#8212;to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. This included half of Gilead. 3He also ruled over the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Galilee#12:3 Hebrew Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea), to Beth Jeshimoth, and then southward below the slopes of Pisgah.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="m"> 4And the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei.</div><div class="mi"> 5He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salekah, all of Bashan to the border of the people of Geshur and Maakah, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 6Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites conquered them. And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 7Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions. 8The lands included the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the wilderness and the Negev. These were the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. These were the kings:</div><div class="b"></div><table class="table">
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">9the king of Jericho</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Ai (near Bethel)</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">10the king of Jerusalem</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Hebron</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">11the king of Jarmuth</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Lachish</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">12the king of Eglon</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Gezer</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">13the king of Debir</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Geder</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">14the king of Hormah</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Arad</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">15the king of Libnah</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Adullam</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">16the king of Makkedah</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Bethel</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">17the king of Tappuah</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Hepher</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">18the king of Aphek</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Lasharon</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">19the king of Madon</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Hazor</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">20the king of Shimron Meron</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Akshaph</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">21the king of Taanach</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Megiddo</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">22the king of Kedesh</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Jokneam in Carmel</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">23the king of Dor (in Naphoth Dor)</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">the king of Goyim in Gilgal</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell">24the king of Tirzah</td>
 <td class="cell">one</td>
</tr>
 <tr class="row">
 <td class="cell"></td>
 <td class="cell">thirty-one kings in all.</td>
</tr>
</table>
 </div>
 </div>
</div>

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkACT">
 <div class="chapter ch10" data-usfm="ACT.10">
 <div class="label">10</div><div class="s1">Cornelius Calls for Peter</div><div class="p"> 1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, &#8220;Cornelius!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Cornelius stared at him in fear. &#8220;What is it, Lord?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">The angel answered, &#8220;Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.</div><div class="s1">Peter&#8217;s Vision</div><div class="p"> 9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13Then a voice told him, &#8220;Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14&#8220;Surely not, Lord!&#8221; Peter replied. &#8220;I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15The voice spoke to him a second time, &#8220;Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.</div><div class="p"> 17While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon&#8217;s house was and stopped at the gate. 18They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.</div><div class="p"> 19While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, &#8220;Simon, three#10:19 One early manuscript two; other manuscripts do not have the number. men are looking for you. 20So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21Peter went down and said to the men, &#8220;I&#8217;m the one you&#8217;re looking for. Why have you come?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22The men replied, &#8220;We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.&#8221; 23Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.</div><div class="s1">Peter at Cornelius&#8217;s House</div><div class="p">The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26But Peter made him get up. &#8220;Stand up,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I am only a man myself.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28He said to them: &#8220;You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30Cornelius answered: &#8220;Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, &#8216;Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.&#8217; 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34Then Peter began to speak: &#8220;I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached&#8212; 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.</div><div class="p"> 39&#8220;We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen&#8212;by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues#10:46 Or other languages and praising God.</div><div class="p">Then Peter said, 47&#8220;Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.&#8221; 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkACT">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="ACT.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Peter Explains His Actions</div><div class="p"> 1The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, &#8220;You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5&#8220;I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7Then I heard a voice telling me, &#8216;Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;I replied, &#8216;Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;The voice spoke from heaven a second time, &#8216;Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.&#8217; 10This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man&#8217;s house. 13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, &#8216;Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 15&#8220;As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: &#8216;John baptized with#11:16 Or in water, but you will be baptized with#11:16 Or in the Holy Spirit.&#8217; 17So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God&#8217;s way?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, &#8220;So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Church in Antioch</div><div class="p"> 19Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord&#8217;s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 22News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.</div><div class="p"> 27During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkACT">
 <div class="chapter ch12" data-usfm="ACT.12">
 <div class="label">12</div><div class="s1">Peter&#8217;s Miraculous Escape From Prison</div><div class="p"> 1It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.</div><div class="p"> 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.</div><div class="p"> 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. &#8220;Quick, get up!&#8221; he said, and the chains fell off Peter&#8217;s wrists.</div><div class="p"> 8Then the angel said to him, &#8220;Put on your clothes and sandals.&#8221; And Peter did so. &#8220;Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,&#8221; the angel told him. 9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.</div><div class="p"> 11Then Peter came to himself and said, &#8220;Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod&#8217;s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14When she recognized Peter&#8217;s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, &#8220;Peter is at the door!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15&#8220;You&#8217;re out of your mind,&#8221; they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, &#8220;It must be his angel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. &#8220;Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,&#8221; he said, and then he left for another place.</div><div class="p"> 18In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.</div><div class="s1">Herod&#8217;s Death</div><div class="p">Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king&#8217;s country for their food supply.</div><div class="p"> 21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, &#8220;This is the voice of a god, not of a man.&#8221; 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.</div><div class="p"> 24But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.</div><div class="s1">Barnabas and Saul Sent Off</div><div class="p"> 25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from#12:25 Some manuscripts to Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.</div>
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