Acts 14:8-18

New King James Version

Idolatry at Lystra

^8 (A)And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man heard Paul speaking. ^[a]Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, ^(B)“Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. ¹¹ Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, ^(C)“The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” ¹² And Barnabas they called ^[b]Zeus, and Paul, ^[c]Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, ^(D)intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, ^(E)they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, ^(F)why are you doing these things? ^(G)We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from ^(H)these useless things ^(I)to the living God, ^(J)who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, ^16 (K)who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. ^17 (L)Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, ^(M)gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with ^(N)food and gladness.” ¹⁸ And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.