James Issues a Judgment
13 Now after they had stopped speaking, aJames answered, saying, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 aSimeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of athe Prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 ‘aAfter these things bI will return,
And I will rebuild the cfallen booth of David,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,
17 aSo that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles bwho are called by My name,’
18 aSays the Lord, who bmakes these things known from long ago.
19 Therefore aI judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from athings contaminated by idols and from bsexual immorality and from cwhat is strangled and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations, aMoses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”