and after he had eaten, his strength came back. Saul stayed for a few days with the believers in Damascus.

All who heard him were amazed and asked, "Isn't he the one who in Jerusalem was killing those who worship that man Jesus? And didn't he come here for the very purpose of arresting those people and taking them back to the chief priests?"

When he found him, he took him to Antioch, and for a whole year the two met with the people of the church and taught a large group. It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.

One of them, named Agabus, stood up and by the power of the Spirit predicted that a severe famine was about to come over all the earth. (It came when Claudius was emperor.)

They did this, then, and sent the money to the church elders by Barnabas and Saul.

And so Saul stayed with them and went all over Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

He also talked and disputed with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to kill him.

"I went back to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the Temple, I had a vision,

in which I saw the Lord, as he said to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your witness about me.'

I will rescue you from the people of Israel and from the Gentiles to whom I will send you.

But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles.

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the Lord's message; and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers.

In the past he allowed all people to go their own way.

Even with these words the apostles could hardly keep the crowd from offering a sacrifice to them.

But when the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe.

'Go,' the Lord said to me, 'for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "

The people listened to Paul until he said this; but then they started shouting at the top of their voices, "Away with him! Kill him! He's not fit to live!"

So then, you must not despise those who were broken off like branches. How can you be proud? You are just a branch; you don't support the roots---the roots support you.

That is true. They were broken off because they did not believe, while you remain in place because you do believe. But do not be proud of it; instead, be afraid.

Peter said to them, "Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. If you do,

When they heard this, they stopped their criticism and praised God, saying, "Then God has given to the Gentiles also the opportunity to repent and live!"

God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways.

To Jews and Gentiles alike I gave solemn warning that they should turn from their sins to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.

We turned away from you, but soon we wanted to return. After you had punished us, we hung our heads in grief. We were ashamed and disgraced because we sinned when we were young.'

"Israel, you are my dearest child, the one I love best. Whenever I mention your name, I think of you with love. My heart goes out to you; I will be merciful.

"Now I, the Sovereign LORD, am telling you Israelites that I will judge each of you by what you have done. Turn away from all the evil you are doing, and don't let your sin destroy you.

I do not want anyone to die," says the Sovereign LORD. "Turn away from your sins and live."

"Turn away from your sins," he said, "because the Kingdom of heaven is near!"

From that time Jesus began to preach his message: "Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!"

Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says: 'It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.' I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts."

Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. 'Yes, sir,' he answered, but he did not go.

For John the Baptist came to you showing you the right path to take, and you would not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Even when you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins.

No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.

No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did."

In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.

In the same way, I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents."

and said to them, "This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later,

and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent.

For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation---and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death.

who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth.

And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.

Think how far you have fallen! Turn from your sins and do what you did at first. If you don't turn from your sins, I will come to you and take your lampstand from its place.

I have given her time to repent of her sins, but she does not want to turn from her immorality.

Remember, then, what you were taught and what you heard; obey it and turn from your sins. If you do not wake up, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not even know the time when I will come.

and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not turn from their evil ways.

All the people living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

"Why are you doing this? We ourselves are only human beings like you! We are here to announce the Good News, to turn you away from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven, earth, sea, and all that is in them.

"It is my opinion," James went on, "that we should not trouble the Gentiles who are turning to God.

All nations will remember the LORD. From every part of the world they will turn to him; all races will worship him.

Let us examine our ways and turn back to the LORD.

So now, descendants of Jacob, trust in your God and return to him. Be loyal and just, and wait patiently for your God to act.

Return to the LORD, and let this prayer be your offering to him: "Forgive all our sins and accept our prayer, and we will praise you as we have promised.

and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: "His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord."

All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God, to serve the true and living God

Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the LORD, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.

Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins.

Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don't start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham!

The people asked him, "What are we to do, then?"

Some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

Some soldiers also asked him, "What about us? What are we to do?" He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay."

Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much."

Jesus said to him, "Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham.

In the Lord's name, then, I warn you: do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless

They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint.

You certainly heard about him, and as his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus.

Your hearts and minds must be made completely new,

No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ.

Don't give the Devil a chance.

Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.

Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort.

Since you are God's dear children, you must try to be like him.

Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you.

You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

So have nothing at all to do with such people.

for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light.

And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed;

So be careful how you live. Don't live like ignorant people, but like wise people.

Don't be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do.

Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts.

Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ.

For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.

Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents, for this is the right thing to do.

"so that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land."

Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling; and do it with a sincere heart, as though you were serving Christ.

Do your work as slaves cheerfully, as though you served the Lord, and not merely human beings.

Masters, behave in the same way toward your slaves and stop using threats. Remember that you and your slaves belong to the same Master in heaven, who judges everyone by the same standard.

Instruct the older men to be sober, sensible, and self-controlled; to be sound in their faith, love, and endurance.

in order to train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

In the same way urge the young men to be self-controlled.

Use sound words that cannot be criticized, so that your enemies may be put to shame by not having anything bad to say about us.

or steal from them. Instead, they must show that they are always good and faithful, so as to bring credit to the teaching about God our Savior in all they do.

That grace instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this world,

Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant.

The scripture says, "Be holy because I am holy."

But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul.

From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God's will and not by human desires.

And now the heathen are surprised when you do not join them in the same wild and reckless living, and so they insult you.

For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge;

to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love.