Acts 10:1-15:35

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

IV. The Inauguration of the Gentile Mission

Chapter 10

The Vision of Cornelius.^{(A) 1 [a]}Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Cohort called the Italica,^{[b] 2} devout and God-fearing along with his whole household, who used to give alms generously^[c] to the Jewish people and pray to God constantly. ³ One afternoon about three o’clock,^[d] he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God come in to him and say to him, “Cornelius.” ⁴ He looked intently at him and, seized with fear, said, “What is it, sir?” He said to him, “Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send some men to Joppa and summon one Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with another Simon, a tanner, who has a house by the sea.”^{(B) 7} When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier^[e] from his staff, ⁸ explained everything to them, and sent them to Joppa.

The Vision of Peter. ^9 [f]The next day, while they were on their way and nearing the city, Peter went up to the roof terrace to pray at about noontime.^{[g] 10} He was hungry and wished to eat, and while they were making preparations he fell into a trance. ^11 (C)He saw heaven opened and something resembling a large sheet coming down, lowered to the ground by its four corners. ¹² In it were all the earth’s four-legged animals and reptiles and the birds of the sky. ¹³ A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “Certainly not, sir. For never have I eaten anything profane and unclean.”^{(D) 15} The voice spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.”^{(E) 16} This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into the sky.

^17 [h]While Peter was in doubt about the meaning of the vision he had seen, the men sent by Cornelius asked for Simon’s house and arrived at the entrance. ¹⁸ They called out inquiring whether Simon, who is called Peter, was staying there. ¹⁹ As Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said [to him], “There are three men here looking for you.^{(F) 20} So get up, go downstairs, and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” ²¹ Then Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your being here?” ²² They answered, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, respected by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to say.”^{(G) 23} So he invited them in and showed them hospitality.

The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him. ^24 [i]On the following day he entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ^25 (H)When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. ²⁶ Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.” ²⁷ While he conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered together ^28 (I)and said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with, or visit, a Gentile, but God has shown me that I should not call any person profane or unclean.^{[j] 29} And that is why I came without objection when sent for. May I ask, then, why you summoned me?”

³⁰ Cornelius replied, “Four days ago^[k] at this hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was at prayer in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling robes stood before me and said, ³¹ ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving remembered before God. ³² Send therefore to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Peter’s Speech.^{[l] 34} Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,^[m] “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.^{(J) 35} Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. ^36 [n]You know the word [that] he sent to the Israelites^[o] as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,^{(K) 37} what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached,^{(L) 38} how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth^[p] with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.^{(M) 39} We are witnesses^[q] of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and [in] Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. ⁴⁰ This man God raised [on] the third day and granted that he be visible, ⁴¹ not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.^{(N) 42} He commissioned us^(O) to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.^{[r] 43} To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The Baptism of Cornelius. ^44 (P)While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.^{[s] 45} The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, ⁴⁶ for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?”^{(Q) 48} He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. ⁴⁹ Then they invited him to stay for a few days.

Chapter 11

The Baptism of the Gentiles Explained.^{[t] 1} Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem the circumcised believers confronted him, ³ saying, “You entered^[u] the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them.” ⁴ Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying, ^5 (R)“I was at prayer in the city of Joppa when in a trance I had a vision, something resembling a large sheet coming down, lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me. ⁶ Looking intently into it, I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. ⁷ I also heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘Certainly not, sir, because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But a second time a voice from heaven answered, ‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into the sky. ¹¹ Just then three men appeared at the house where we were, who had been sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating. These six brothers^[v] also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He related to us how he had seen [the] angel standing in his house, saying, ‘Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,^{(S) 14} who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning,^{(T) 16} and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.’^{(U) 17} If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?”^{(V) 18} When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, “God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.”

The Church at Antioch.^{[w] 19} Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews.^{(W) 20} There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however, who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. ²² The news about them reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas [to go] to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, ²⁴ for he was a good man, filled with the holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. ²⁵ Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.^[x]

The Prediction of Agabus.^{[y] 27} At that time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch, ²⁸ and one of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine all over the world, and it happened under Claudius.^{(X) 29} So the disciples determined that, according to ability,^(Y) each should send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea. ^30 [z]This they did, sending it to the presbyters in care of Barnabas and Saul.

Chapter 12

Herod’s Persecution of the Christians.^{[aa] 1} About that time King Herod laid hands upon some members of the church to harm them. ² He had James, the brother of John,^[ab] killed by the sword, ^3 [ac]and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (It was [the] feast of Unleavened Bread.) ⁴ He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. ⁵ Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.^(Z)

⁶ On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. ⁷ Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. ⁸ The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” ⁹ So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. ¹¹ Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that [the] Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.” ¹² When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who is called Mark, where there were many people gathered in prayer.^{(AA) 13} When he knocked on the gateway door, a maid named Rhoda came to answer it. ¹⁴ She was so overjoyed when she recognized Peter’s voice that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. ¹⁵ They told her, “You are out of your mind,” but she insisted that it was so. But they kept saying, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶ But Peter continued to knock, and when they opened it, they saw him and were astounded. ¹⁷ He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and explained [to them] how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and said, “Report this to James^[ad] and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place. ¹⁸ At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.^{(AB) 19} Herod, after instituting a search but not finding him, ordered the guards tried and executed. Then he left Judea to spend some time in Caesarea.

Herod’s Death. ^20 [ae]He had long been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, who now came to him in a body. After winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they sued for peace because their country was supplied with food from the king’s territory. ²¹ On an appointed day, Herod, attired in royal robes, [and] seated on the rostrum, addressed them publicly. ²² The assembled crowd cried out, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” ²³ At once the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not ascribe the honor to God, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. ²⁴ But the word of God continued to spread and grow.^(AC)

Mission of Barnabas and Saul. ²⁵ After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission, they returned to Jerusalem,^[af] taking with them John, who is called Mark.^(AD)

Chapter 13

^1 [ag]Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.

First Mission Begins in Cyprus. ^4 [ah]So they, sent forth by the holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had John^[ai] also as their assistant. ⁶ When they had traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a magician named Bar-Jesus who was a Jewish false prophet.^{[aj] 7} He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who had summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for that is what his name means) opposed them in an attempt to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, also known as Paul,^[ak] filled with the holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all that is right, full of every sort of deceit and fraud. Will you not stop twisting the straight paths of [the] Lord? ¹¹ Even now the hand of the Lord is upon you. You will be blind, and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately a dark mist fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. ¹² When the proconsul saw what had happened, he came to believe, for he was astonished by the teaching about the Lord.

Paul’s Arrival at Antioch in Pisidia. ¹³ From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.^{(AE) 14} They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered [into] the synagogue and took their seats. ¹⁵ After the reading of the law and the prophets, the synagogue officials sent word to them, “My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

Paul’s Address in the Synagogue. ^16 [al]So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing,^[am] listen. ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.^(AF) With uplifted arm he led them out of it ¹⁸ and for about forty years he put up with^[an] them in the desert.^{(AG) 19} When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance^{(AH) 20} at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.^[ao] After these things he provided judges up to Samuel [the] prophet.^{(AI) 21} Then they asked for a king. God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.^{(AJ) 22} Then he removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.’^{(AK) 23} From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.^{(AL) 24} John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel;^{(AM) 25} and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’^(AN)

²⁶ “My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent. ²⁷ The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath. ²⁸ For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him put to death,^{(AO) 29} and when they had accomplished all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.^{(AP) 30} But God raised him from the dead,^{(AQ) 31} and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.^(AR) These are [now] his witnesses before the people.^{[ap] 32} We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our ancestors ³³ he has brought to fulfillment for us, [their] children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my son; this day I have begotten you.’^{(AS) 34} And that he raised him from the dead never to return to corruption he declared in this way, ‘I shall give you the benefits assured to David.’^{(AT) 35} That is why he also says in another psalm, ‘You will not suffer your holy one to see corruption.’^{(AU) 36} Now David, after he had served the will of God in his lifetime, fell asleep, was gathered to his ancestors, and did see corruption.^{(AV) 37} But the one whom God raised up did not see corruption. ³⁸ You must know, my brothers, that through him forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you, [and] in regard to everything from which you could not be justified^[aq] under the law of Moses, ³⁹ in him every believer is justified.^{(AW) 40} Be careful, then, that what was said in the prophets not come about:

⁴² As they were leaving, they invited them to speak on these subjects the following sabbath. ⁴³ After the congregation had dispersed, many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.

Address to the Gentiles. ⁴⁴ On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. ^46 (AY)Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.^{[ar] 47} For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.’”^(AZ)

⁴⁸ The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, ⁴⁹ and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. ⁵⁰ The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. ^51 (BA)So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.^{[as] 52} The disciples were filled with joy and the holy Spirit.

Chapter 14

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium. ¹ In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks came to believe, ² although the disbelieving Jews stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. ³ So they stayed for a considerable period, speaking out boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the word about his grace by granting signs and wonders to occur through their hands.^{(BB) 4} The people of the city were divided: some were with the Jews; others, with the apostles. ⁵ When there was an attempt by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone them,^{(BC) 6} they realized it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, ⁷ where they continued to proclaim the good news.

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. ^8 [at]At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, ¹⁰ and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.” He jumped up and began to walk about. ¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in human form.”^{(BD) 12} They called Barnabas “Zeus”^[au] and Paul “Hermes,” because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.

¹⁴ The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments^[av] when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, ^15 [aw]“Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, ‘who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.’^{(BE) 16} In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;^{(BF) 17} yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”^{(BG) 18} Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

^19 (BH)However, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. ²⁰ But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

End of the First Mission. ²¹ After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. ²² They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”^{(BI) 23} They appointed presbyters^[ax] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith. ²⁴ Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. ²⁵ After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. ²⁶ From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished.^{(BJ) 27} And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

Chapter 15

Council of Jerusalem. ^1 [ay]Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,^(BK) “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,^(BL) you cannot be saved.”^{[az] 2} Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question. ³ They were sent on their journey by the church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, as well as by the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them. ⁵ But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.”

^6 [ba]The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. ^7 [bb]After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to them, “My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.^{(BM) 8} And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us.^{(BN) 9} He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.^{(BO) 10} Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?^{(BP) 11} On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,^(BQ) in the same way as they.”^{[bc] 12} The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles through them.

James on Dietary Law. ^13 [bd]After they had fallen silent, James responded, “My brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Symeon^[be] has described how God first concerned himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:

^19 (BS)It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰ but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.^{(BT) 21} For Moses, for generations now, has had those who proclaim him in every town, as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”

Letter of the Apostles. ²² Then the apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. ²³ This is the letter delivered by them: “The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. ²⁴ Since we have heard that some of our number [who went out] without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, ²⁵ we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶ who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: ^28 (BU)‘It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, ²⁹ namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”^(BV)

Delegates at Antioch. ³⁰ And so they were sent on their journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly together and delivered the letter. ³¹ When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation. ³² Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted and strengthened the brothers with many words. ³³ After they had spent some time there, they were sent off with greetings of peace from the brothers to those who had commissioned them. [³⁴ ]^{[bf] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming with many others the word of the Lord.