9. and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11. For we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
12. Then all the multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what great miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13. And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
14. Simeon has declared how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16. After this I will return and will restore the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will repair its ruins, and I will set it up again,
17. that the men that are left might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who does all these things.
18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
19. Therefore my sentence is that those from among the Gentiles who are converted to God not be troubled,
20. but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood.
21. For Moses of old time has in every city those that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
22. Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, principal men among the brethren;
23. and they wrote letters by them after this manner: The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia;
24. forasmuch as we have heard that certain ones who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment,
25. it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26. men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.