Acts 14 (New American Standard)

Acceptance and Opposition

1 In ¹Iconium ²they entered the synagogue of the Jews together , and spoke in such a manner ³that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of ⁴Greeks. 2 But ⁵the Jews who ^a6disbelieved stirred up the ^bminds of the Gentiles and embittered them against ⁷the brethren. 3 Therefore they spent a long time there ⁸speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that ^c9signs and wonders be done by their hands. 4 ¹⁰But the ^dpeople of the city were divided ; and some ^esided with ¹¹the Jews, and some with ¹²the apostles. 5 And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and ¹³the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to ¹⁴stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of ¹⁵Lycaonia, ¹⁶Lystra and ¹⁷Derbe, and the surrounding region ; 7 and there they continued to ¹⁸preach the gospel. 8 At ¹⁹Lystra ²⁰a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, ²¹when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had ²²faith to be ^fmade well, 10 said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." ²³And he leaped up and began to walk. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the ²⁴Lycaonian language, "²⁵The gods have become like men and have come down to us." 12 And they began calling Barnabas, ^gZeus, and Paul, ^hHermes, because he was ⁱthe chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was ^jjust outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and ²⁶wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when ²⁷the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they ²⁸tore their ^krobes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things ? We are also ²⁹men of the same nature as you, and ³⁰preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these ^l31vain things to a ³²living God, ³³WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. 16 "^mIn the generations gone by He ³⁴permitted all the ⁿnations to ³⁵go their own ways ; 17 and yet ³⁶He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and ³⁷gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, ^osatisfying your hearts with food and gladness." 18 Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. 19 But ³⁸Jews came from ³⁹Antioch and ⁴⁰Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they ⁴¹stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 But while ⁴²the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to ⁴³Derbe. 21 After they had ⁴⁴preached the gospel to that city and had ⁴⁵made many disciples, they returned to ⁴⁶Lystra and to ⁴⁷Iconium and to ⁴⁸Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of ⁴⁹the disciples, encouraging them to continue in ⁵⁰the faith, and saying, "⁵¹Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." 23 When ⁵²they had appointed ⁵³elders for them in every church, having ⁵⁴prayed with fasting, they ⁵⁵commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 They passed through ⁵⁶Pisidia and came into ⁵⁷Pamphylia. 25 When they had spoken the word in ⁵⁸Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to ⁵⁹Antioch, from ⁶⁰which they had been ⁶¹commended to the grace of God for the work that they had ^paccomplished. 27 When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to ⁶²report all things that God had done with them and ^qhow He had opened a ⁶³door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent ^ra long time with ⁶⁴the disciples.