But the Jewsincitedthe devoutwomenof prominenceand the leading menof the city,and instigateda persecutionagainstPauland Barnabas,and drovethem out of their district.
Surelythere was noone like Ahabwhosoldhimself to doevilin the sightof the LORD,becauseJezebelhis wifeincitedhim.
Hearthe wordof the LORD,you whotrembleat His word:"Your brotherswho hateyou, who excludeyou for My name'ssake,Have said,'Let the LORDbe glorified,that we may seeyour joy.'But they will be putto shame.
Then Amaziahsaidto Amos,"Go,you seer,fleeaway to the landof Judahand thereeatbreadand theredo your prophesying!
"But wheneverthey persecuteyou in onecity,fleeto the next;for trulyI sayto you, you will not finish[going through] the citiesof Israeluntilthe Sonof Mancomes.
Josephof Arimatheacame,a prominentmember of the Council,whohimselfwas waitingfor the kingdomof God;and he gathered up courageand wentin beforePilate,and askedfor the bodyof Jesus.
And they beganto imploreHim to leavetheir region.
Nowwhen [the meeting of] the synagoguehad brokenup, manyof the Jewsand of the God-fearingproselytesfollowedPauland Barnabas,who,speakingto them, were urgingthem to continuein the graceof God.
But when the Jewssawthe crowds,they were filledwith jealousyand [began] contradictingthe things spokenby Paul,and were blaspheming.
But Jewscamefrom Antiochand Iconium,and having won overthe crowds,they stonedPauland draggedhim out of the city,supposinghim to be dead.
But the Jewswho disbelievedstirredup the mindsof the Gentilesand embitteredthem againstthe brethren.
But the peopleof the citywere divided;and somesidedwith the Jews,and somewith the apostles.
And whenan attemptwas madeby boththe Gentilesand the Jewswith their rulers,to mistreatand to stonethem,
A womannamedLydia,from the cityof Thyatira,a seller of purple fabrics,a worshiperof God,was listening;and the Lordopenedher heartto respondto the things spokenby Paul.
Thereforemanyof them believed,alongwith a numberof prominentGreekwomenand men.
But whenthe Jewsof Thessalonicafoundout that the wordof Godhad been proclaimedby Paulin Bereaalso,they camethere as well,agitatingand stirringup the crowds.
Sohe was reasoningin the synagoguewith the Jewsand the God-fearing[Gentiles], and in the market placeeverydaywith thosewho happened to be present.
And someof them were persuadedand joinedPauland Silas,alongwith a largenumberof the God-fearingGreeksand a numberof the leadingwomen.
Thenhe leftthereand wentto the houseof a mannamedTitiusJustus,a worshiperof God,whosehousewas nextto the synagogue.
Nowthere were Jewslivingin Jerusalem,devoutmenfrom everynationunderheaven.
Whenthe sevendayswere almostover,the Jewsfrom Asia,upon seeinghim in the temple,[began] to stirup allthe crowdand laidhandson him,
AfterthreedaysPaul called togetherthosewho were the leading menof the Jews,and when they came together,he [began] sayingto them, "Brethren,though I had donenothingagainstour peopleorthe customsof our fathers,yet I was deliveredas a prisonerfrom Jerusaleminto the handsof the Romans.
And they stirredup the people,the eldersand the scribes,and they cameup to him and dragged him awayand broughthim beforethe Council.
Saulwas in hearty agreementwith putting him to death.And on that daya greatpersecutionbeganagainstthe churchin Jerusalem,and they were allscatteredthroughoutthe regionsof Judeaand Samaria,exceptthe apostles.
For I testifyabout them that they havea zealfor God,but not in accordancewith knowledge.
[I have been] on frequentjourneys,in dangersfrom rivers,dangersfrom robbers,dangersfrom [my] countrymen,dangersfrom the Gentiles,dangersin the city,dangersin the wilderness,dangerson the sea,dangersamongfalse brethren;
For you, brethren,becameimitatorsof the churchesof Godin ChristJesusthat are in Judea,for you alsoenduredthe samesufferingsat the handsof your owncountrymen,evenas they [did] from the Jews,
persecutions,[and] sufferings,suchas happenedto me at Antioch,at Iconium[and] at Lystra;whatpersecutionsI endured,and out of them allthe Lordrescuedme!
