GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 The same thing happened in the city of Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large crowd of Jews and Greeks believed.
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Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.
2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up some people who were not Jewish and poisoned their minds against the believers.
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But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.
3 Paul and Barnabas stayed in the city of Iconium for a long time. They spoke boldly about the Lord, who confirmed their message about his good will by having them perform miracles and do amazing things.
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Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the people of Iconium were divided. Some were for the Jews, while others were for the apostles.
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But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
5 In the meantime, Paul and Barnabas found out that the non-Jewish people and the Jewish people with their rulers planned to attack them and stone them to death.
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And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them,
6 So they escaped to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding territory.
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they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.
7 They spread the Good News there.
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And they were preaching the gospel there.
8 A man who was born lame was in Lystra. He was always sitting because he had never been able to walk.
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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 He listened to what Paul was saying. Paul observed him closely and saw that the man believed he could be made well.
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This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 So Paul said in a loud voice, "Stand up." The man jumped up and began to walk.
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said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.
11 The crowds who saw what Paul had done shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come to us, and they look human."
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Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"
12 They addressed Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes because Paul did most of the talking.
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And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Zeus' temple was at the entrance to the city. The priest of the god Zeus brought bulls with flowery wreaths around their necks to the temple gates. The priest and the crowd wanted to offer a sacrifice [to Paul and Barnabas].
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Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they were very upset. They rushed into the crowd
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But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 and said, "Men, what are you doing? We're human beings like you. We're spreading the Good News to you to turn you away from these worthless gods to the living God. The living God made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them.
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and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,
16 In the past God allowed all people to live as they pleased.
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who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Yet, by doing good, he has given evidence of his existence. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and your lives with happiness."
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Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."
18 Although Paul and Barnabas said these things, they hardly kept the crowd from sacrificing to them.
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And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
19 However, Jews from the cities of Antioch and Iconium arrived in Lystra and won the people over. They tried to stone Paul to death and dragged him out of the city when they thought that he was dead.
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Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
20 But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day Paul and Barnabas left for the city of Derbe.
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However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 They spread the Good News in that city and won many disciples. Then they went back to the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (which is in Pisidia).
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And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22 They strengthened the disciples in these cities and encouraged the disciples to remain faithful. Paul and Barnabas told them, "We must suffer a lot to enter the kingdom of God."
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strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
23 They had the disciples in each church choose spiritual leaders, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed.
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So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
24 After they had gone through Pisidia, they went to Pamphylia.
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And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 They spoke the message in the city of Perga and went to the city of Attalia.
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Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From Attalia they took a boat and headed home to the city of Antioch [in Syria]. (In Antioch they had been entrusted to God's care for the work they had now finished.)
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From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.
27 When they arrived, they called the members of the church together. They reported everything God had done through them, especially that he had given people who were not Jewish the opportunity to believe.
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Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28 They stayed for a long time with these disciples.
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So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.