So his master said,‘ Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.

主人对仆人说：‘你出去到路上和篱笆那里，勉强人进来，坐满我的屋子。

主人对仆人说：‘你出去，到大街小巷强拉人进来，坐满我的屋子。

主人对仆人说：‘你出去，到大街小巷强拉人进来，坐满我的屋子。

主人又说，‘出去到大路上、篱笆旁硬把人拉来，让我家里座无虚席。

主人就对仆人说：‘你出去到路边篱畔，勉强人进来，好把我的屋子坐满。

“主人就对奴仆说：‘出去，到大街和小巷上去，强求人进来，好坐满我的房子。

主人對僕人說：『你出去到路上和籬笆那裏，勉強人進來，坐滿我的屋子。

主人對僕人說：『你出去，到大街小巷強拉人進來，坐滿我的屋子。

主人對僕人說：『你出去，到大街小巷強拉人進來，坐滿我的屋子。

主人又說，『出去到大路上、籬笆旁硬把人拉來，讓我家裡座無虛席。

主人就對僕人說：‘你出去到路邊籬畔，勉強人進來，好把我的屋子坐滿。

主人就對那僕人說：「你出去到大路上和籬笆那裏，勉強人進來，使我的屋子都滿了人。

「主人就對奴僕說：『出去，到大街和小巷上去，強求人進來，好坐滿我的房子。

主曰、出往道路藩籬間、而強人入、俾滿我室、

曰出道路藩籬、有人強之入、俾滿我坐、

主人語僕曰、出往道途及藩籬間、遇人則強之入、俾滿我室、

主曰：「出至大路、及藩籬之間、強人來進、務使濟濟一堂。

“ Then the master told his servant,‘ Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

“ Then the master told his servant,‘ Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full.

And the master said to the servant,‘ Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

“ Then the master told the servant,‘ Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.

And the master said to the slave,‘ Go out into the roads and the hedges and press upon them to come in, so that my house will be filled.

Then the master said to the servant,‘ Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain them to come in, that my house may be filled.

“ Then the master told the slave,‘ Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel[ them] to come in, that my house may be filled.

So the master said to his slave,‘ Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled.

“ The lord said to the servant,‘ Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.

Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead,“ Come back to God!”

Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

For the Lord gave us this command when he said,‘ I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’”When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

In that day the great trumpet will sound. Many who were dying in exile in Assyria and Egypt will return to Jerusalem to worship the Lord on his holy mountain.

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called“ uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”

And now the Lord speaks— the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength.He says,“ You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.

But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said,“ Your blood is upon your own heads— I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”

He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said,“ We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

“ But the Lord said to me,‘ Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout,“ Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!”

I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.

He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:“ For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.”And in another place it is written,“ Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.”And yet again,“ Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.”And in another place Isaiah said,“ The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.”

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:“ The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.”

to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’“ And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God— and prove they have changed by the good things they do.

But the Lord said,“ Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.

Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.

When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,“ Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations— to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians( who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations.They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord.

But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“ My lords,” he said,“ come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”“ Oh no,” they replied.“ We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate.

On that day life giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord— his name alone will be worshiped.

She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests.“ If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said,“ come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.

In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth.For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say,“ Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!”

but they begged him,“ Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them.