Acts 14:8-28

New International Version

In Lystra and Derbe

⁸ In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth^(A) and had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed^{(B) 10} and called out, “Stand up on your feet!”^(C) At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.^(D)

¹¹ When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”^{(E) 12} Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.^{(F) 13} The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes^(G) and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ¹⁵ “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human,^(H) like you. We are bringing you good news,^(I) telling you to turn from these worthless things^(J) to the living God,^(K) who made the heavens and the earth^(L) and the sea and everything in them.^{(M) 16} In the past, he let^(N) all nations go their own way.^{(O) 17} Yet he has not left himself without testimony:^(P) He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;^(Q) he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”^{(R) 18} Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then some Jews^(S) came from Antioch and Iconium^(T) and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul^(U) and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ But after the disciples^(V) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

²¹ They preached the gospel^(W) in that city and won a large number^(X) of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium^(Y) and Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.^(Z) “We must go through many hardships^(AA) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders^[a](AB) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,^(AC) committed them to the Lord,^(AD) in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia,^{(AE) 25} and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch,^(AF) where they had been committed to the grace of God^(AG) for the work they had now completed.^{(AH) 27} On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them^(AI) and how he had opened a door^(AJ) of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.^(AK)