Paul and Barnabas at Iconium 1 UDB At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish meeting place and spoke very powerfully about the Lord Jesus. As a result, many Jews and Gentiles believed in Jesus. BSB BSB: At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
2 UDB But some of the Jews refused to believe that message. They told the Gentiles not to believe it; they turned some of the Gentiles against the believers there. BSB BSB: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3 UDB So Paul and Barnabas spent a long time there speaking boldly for the Lord, and the Lord Jesus enabled them to do many miracles. In this way he showed people the truth of the message that, even though we do not deserve it, the Lord saves us. BSB BSB: So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
4 UDB The people who lived in Iconium had two different opinions. Some agreed with the Jews. Others agreed with the apostles. BSB BSB: The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
5 UDB The Gentiles and the Jews who had opposed Paul and Barnabas talked among themselves about how they could mistreat Paul and Barnabas. Some of the important men in that city agreed to help them. Together, they decided that they would kill Paul and Barnabas by throwing stones at them. BSB BSB: But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
6 UDB But Paul and Barnabas heard about their plan, so they quickly went away to the district of Lycaonia. They went to the cities of Lystra and Derbe in that district and to the surrounding area. BSB BSB: they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,
7 UDB While they were in that area, they continually told the people the message about the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: where they continued to preach the gospel.
The Visit to Lystra and Derbe 8 UDB In Lystra, a man was sitting there who was crippled in his legs. When his mother gave birth to him, he had crippled legs, so he was never able to walk. BSB BSB: In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.
9 UDB He listened as Paul was speaking about the Lord Jesus. Paul looked directly at him and could see in the man's face that he believed that the Lord Jesus could make him well. BSB BSB: This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.
10 UDB So with a loud voice, Paul called out to him, "Stand up!" When the man heard that, he immediately jumped up and began to walk around. BSB BSB: In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.
11 UDB When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they thought that Paul and Barnabas were the gods that they worshiped. So they shouted excitedly in their own Lycaonian language, "Look! The gods have made themselves to look like people and have come down from the sky to help us!" BSB BSB: When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices in the Lycaonian language: “The gods have come down to us in human form!”
12 UDB They began to say that Barnabas was probably the chief god, whose name was Zeus. And they began to say that Paul was Hermes, the messenger for the other gods. They thought that because Paul was the one who had been speaking. BSB BSB: Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 UDB Just outside the gates of the city, there was a temple where the people worshiped Zeus. The priest who was there heard what Paul and Barnabas had done, so he came to the city gate, where many people had already gathered. He brought two bulls with wreaths of flowers around their necks. The priest and the crowd of people wanted to kill the bulls as part of a ceremony to worship Paul and Barnabas. BSB BSB: The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.
14 UDB But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about that, they were very upset, so they tore their own clothes. They rushed among the people, shouting, BSB BSB: But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
15 UDB "Men, you must not kill those bulls to worship us! We are not gods! We are just human beings with the same feelings as you! We have come to tell you some good news! We have come to tell you about the God who is all-powerful. He wants you to stop worshiping other gods, because they cannot help you. This true God made the heavens, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them. BSB BSB: “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
16 UDB In the past, all of you people worshiped whatever gods that you wanted to. God let them live as they wanted to live. BSB BSB: In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
17 UDB But he has shown us that he acts kindly toward us. He is the one who causes it to rain and causes crops to grow. He is the one who gives you plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." BSB BSB: Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
18 UDB The people heard what Paul said, but they still thought that they should sacrifice those bulls to worship Paul and Barnabas. But finally, the people decided not to do it. BSB BSB: Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19 UDB However, some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded many of the people of Lystra that the message Paul had been telling them was not true. The people who believed what those Jews said became angry with Paul. They let the Jews throw stones at him until he fell down, unconscious. They all thought that he was dead, so they dragged him outside the city and left him lying there. BSB BSB: Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead.
20 UDB But some of the believers in Lystra came and stood around Paul where he was lying on the ground. And Paul became conscious! He stood up and went back into the city with the believers. The next day, Paul and Barnabas left the city of Lystra and traveled to the city of Derbe. BSB BSB: But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. And the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Strengthening the Disciples 21 UDB They stayed there several days, and they kept telling the people the good message about Jesus. Many people became believers. After that, Paul and Barnabas started on their way back. They went again to Lystra. Then they went from there to Iconium, and then they went to the city of Antioch in the province of Pisidia. BSB BSB: They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22 UDB In each place, they urged the believers to keep on trusting in the Lord Jesus. They told the believers, "We must suffer many hardships before God will rule over us forever." BSB BSB: strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
23 UDB Paul and Barnabas chose leaders for each congregation. Before Paul and Barnabas left each place, they gathered the believers together and spent some time praying and fasting. Then Paul and Barnabas entrusted the leaders and other believers to the Lord Jesus, in whom they had believed, in order that he would care for them. BSB BSB: Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
24 UDB After Paul and Barnabas had traveled through the district of Pisidia, they went south to the district of Pamphylia. BSB BSB: After passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 UDB In that district, they arrived at the town of Perga and preached God's message about the Lord Jesus to the people there. Then they went down to the seacoast at the town of Attalia. BSB BSB: And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 UDB There they got on a ship and went back to the city of Antioch in the province of Syria. That was the place where Paul and Barnabas had been chosen to go to other places and preach, and where the believers had asked God to help Paul and Barnabas in the work that they had now completed. BSB BSB: From Attalia they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had just completed.
27 UDB When they arrived in the city of Antioch, they called the believers together. Then Paul and Barnabas told them all that God had helped them to do. Specifically, they told them how God gave many Gentiles the gift of faith to believe in Jesus. BSB BSB: When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28 UDB Then Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch with the other believers for a long time. BSB BSB: And they spent a long time there with the disciples.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.