13. When they had finished speaking, James spoke up: “Listen to me, my brothers and sisters!
14. Simon has just explained how God first showed his care for the Gentiles by taking from among them a people to belong to him.
15. The words of the prophets agree completely with this. As the scripture says:
16. ‘After this I will return, says the Lord,and restore the kingdom of David.I will rebuild its ruinsand make it strong again.
17. And so all the rest of the human race will come to me,all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own.
18. So says the Lord, who made this known long ago.’
19. “It is my opinion,” James went on, “that we should not trouble the Gentiles who are turning to God.
20. Instead, we should write a letter telling them not to eat any food that is ritually unclean because it has been offered to idols; to keep themselves from sexual immorality; and not to eat any animal that has been strangled, or any blood.