Acts 28:24-29

28:24 Some were convinced ¹  by what he said, ²  but others refused ³  to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, ⁴  unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors ⁵  through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, ⁶  but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking, ⁷  but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, ⁸ 

and their ears are hard of hearing, ⁹ 

and they have closed their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, ¹⁰  and I would heal them.”’ ¹¹ 

28:28 “Therefore be advised ¹²  that this salvation from God ¹³  has been sent to the Gentiles; ¹⁴  they ¹⁵  will listen!”

28:29 [[EMPTY]] ¹⁶ 

¹ tn Or “persuaded.”

² tn Grk “by the things spoken.”

³ sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).

⁴ tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

⁵ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

⁷ tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).

⁸ tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).

¹⁰ tn Or “insensitive.”

¹¹ tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).

¹² sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.

¹³ sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.

¹³ tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”

¹⁴ tn Or “of God.”

¹⁵ sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).

¹⁶ tn Grk “they also.”

¹⁶ tc Some later mss include 28:29: “When he had said these things, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.” Verse 29 is lacking in Ì^74vid א A B E Ψ 048 33 81 1175 1739 2464 pc and a number of versions. They are included (with a few minor variations) in Ï it and some versions. This verse is almost certainly not a part of the original text of Acts, as it lacks the best credentials. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.