Acts 11:18 - Easy To Read Version When the Jewish believers heard these things, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is allowing the non-Jewish people to change their hearts and have life the same as us!” Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition When they heard this, they were quieted and made no further objection. And they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto [real] life [after resurrection]. American Standard Version (1901) And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life. Common English Bible Once the apostles and other believers heard this, they calmed down. They praised God and concluded, “So then God has enabled Gentiles to change their hearts and lives so that they might have new life.” Catholic Public Domain Version Having heard these things, they were silent. And they glorified God, saying: "So has God also given to the Gentiles repentance unto life." Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Having heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying: God then hath also to the Gentiles given repentance unto life. |
At that time, there will be a special person from Jesse’s {\cf2\super [135]} family. This person will be like a flag. This “flag” will show all the nations that they should come together around him. The nations will ask him the things they should do. And the place where he is will be filled with glory.
“All of your people will be good.\par Those people will get the earth forever.\par I made those people.\par They are the wonderful plant\par that I made with my own hands.\par
God sent me to the sad people of Zion. \{I will get them ready for the celebration.\} I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. God sent me to name those people ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’
\{God said,\} “I will also put a new spirit in you \{and change your way of thinking\}. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart.
You will divide it as a property for yourselves and for the foreigners who live among you and who have had children among you. These foreigners will be residents—they will be like natural born Israelites. You will divide some land for them among the family groups of Israel.
The people saw this and they were amazed. The people praised God for giving power like this to people.
The apostles {\cf2\super [218]} and the brothers (other believers) in Judea heard that non-Jewish people had accepted God’s teaching too.
When Paul and Barnabas arrived, they gathered the church (group of believers) together. Paul and Barnabas told them about all the things God had done with them. They said, “God opened a door so that the people of other nations (non-Jews) could also believe!”
The church helped the men leave on the trip. These men went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria. In these countries they told all about how the non-Jewish people had turned to the true God. This made all the brothers very happy.
I told all people—Jewish people and Greek (non-Jewish) people—to change their hearts and turn to God. I told them all to believe in our Lord Jesus.
When the leaders heard these things, they praised God. Then they said to Paul, “Brother, you can see that thousands of Jews have become believers. But they think it is very important to obey the law of Moses.
So you must change your hearts and lives! Come back to God and he will forgive your sins.
God has sent his special servant (Jesus). God sent him to you first. God sent Jesus to bless you. He does this by making each of you turn away from doing bad things.”
Jesus is the One that God raised to his right side. God made Jesus our Leader and Savior. God did this so that all Jews can change their hearts and lives. Then God can forgive their sins.
So what does all this mean? It means this: That the non-Jews were not trying to make themselves right with God. But they were made right with God. They became right because of their faith.
And our faces are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory. We are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings more and more glory. This glory comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Being sorry like God wants makes a person change his heart and life. This leads a person to salvation, and we cannot be sorry for that. But the kind of sorrow the world has will bring death.
Phinehas the priest and the leaders with him heard these things the people from Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh said. They were satisfied that these people were telling the truth.