Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations, they will still remember me in distant lands. They and their children will survive and return again to Israel.

我虽然播散他们在列国中，他们必在远方记念我。他们与儿女都必存活，且得归回。

我要将他们分散在列国中，他们必在远方记得我；他们与儿女都必存活，他们要归回。

我要将他们分散在列国中，他们必在远方记得我；他们与儿女都必存活，他们要归回。

虽然我把他们分散到列国，他们必在远方想起我，他们及其子女必得以幸存，并且回到故土。

虽然我把他们散播在万民中，他们仍要在远方记念我；他们与他们的子孙都要存活，并且归回。

我雖然播散他們在列國中，他們必在遠方記念我。他們與兒女都必存活，且得歸回。

我要將他們分散在列國中，他們必在遠方記得我；他們與兒女都必存活，他們要歸回。

我要將他們分散在列國中，他們必在遠方記得我；他們與兒女都必存活，他們要歸回。

雖然我把他們分散到列國，他們必在遠方想起我，他們及其子女必得以倖存，並且回到故土。

雖然我把他們散播在萬民中，他們仍要在遠方記念我；他們與他們的子孫都要存活，並且歸回。

我雖播散他們在列族之民中，他們在遠方還是要懷念着我；他們跟兒女都必活着，並且回來。

我雖然把他們播散在萬民中，他們卻要在遠方記念我；他們與他們的兒女都必存活，並要回歸。

我將播之於列邦、彼在遠方、必記憶我、偕其子女得生而還、

彼雖流離於列邦、必在遠方念我、率其子女、勢若復生、而歸斯土、

我曾散之於列邦、彼在遠方、亦必念我、彼偕子女、皆生存而歸故土、

Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return.

I have scattered them among the nations. But in lands far away they will remember me. They and their children will be kept alive. And they will return.

Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return.

Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember me in the distant lands; they and their children will live and return.

When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in distant countries, And they with their children will live and come back.

“ I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall live, together with their children, And they shall return.

And I will sow them among the peoples; and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and shall return.

Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember Me in the distant lands; they and their children will live and return.

And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

Though I scatter them among the nations, they will remember in far-off places– they and their children will sprout forth and return.

I will sow them among the peoples; and they will remember me in far countries; and they will live with their children, and will return.

Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins.

But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray,‘ We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors— toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—

At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself. I will show love to those I called‘ Not loved.’ And to those I called‘ Not my people,’ I will say,‘ Now you are my people.’ And they will reply,‘ You are our God!’”

“ The day is coming,” says the Lord,“ when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah.

In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.

But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

“ For I will give the command and will shake Israel along with the other nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, yet not one true kernel will be lost.

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up.So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.Then a herald shouted out,“ People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command!When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

“ In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions.If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today,then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you.Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you from there and bring you back again.

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.

Peter replied,“ Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away— all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

Then the remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the Lord or like rain falling on the grass, which no one can hold back and no one can restrain.

But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’

You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.

Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon( called“ the black man”), Lucius( from Cyrene), Manaen( the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul.One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“ Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar Jesus.He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God.But Elymas, the sorcerer( as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye.Then he said,“ You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services.After the usual readings from the books of Moses and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message:“ Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.”So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking.“ Men of Israel,” he said,“ and you God fearing Gentiles, listen to me.“ The God of this nation of Israel chose our ancestors and made them multiply and grow strong during their stay in Egypt. Then with a powerful arm he led them out of their slavery.He put up with them through forty years of wandering in the wilderness.Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance.All this took about 450 years.“ After that, God gave them judges to rule until the time of Samuel the prophet.Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said,‘ I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’“ And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel!Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized.As John was finishing his ministry he asked,‘ Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon— and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’“ Brothers— you sons of Abraham, and also you God fearing Gentiles— this message of salvation has been sent to us!The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath.They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.“ When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.But God raised him from the dead!And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel.“ And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors,and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus:‘ You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said,‘ I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’Another psalm explains it more fully:‘ You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed.No, it was a reference to someone else— someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.“ Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.

Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.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.For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy— just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree— some of the people of Israel— have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.

The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas.But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them.When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia— to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area.And there they preached the Good News.While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sittingand listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed.So Paul called to him in a loud voice,“ Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect,“ These men are gods in human form!”They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting,“ Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings— just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia,

I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it, and my servants will live there.

Get out, all you who have escaped the sword! Do not stand and watch— flee while you can! Remember the Lord, though you are in a far off land, and think about your home in Jerusalem.”

You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham,‘ Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed.

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.