14 In Iconium the same thing happened — they went into the synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large number of both Jews and Greeks came to trust. ² But the Jews who would not be persuaded stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³ Therefore, Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba remained for a long time, speaking boldly about the Lord, who bore witness to the message about his love and kindness by enabling them to perform signs and miracles. ⁴ However, the people of the city were divided — some sided with the unbelieving Jews, others with the emissaries.

⁵ Eventually the unbelievers, both Jews and Gentiles, together with their leaders, made a move to mistreat the emissaries, even to stone them; ⁶ but they learned of it and escaped to Lystra and Derbe, towns in Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, ⁷ where they continued proclaiming the Good News.

⁸ There was a man living in Lystra who could not use his feet — crippled from birth, he had never walked. ⁹ This man listened to Sha’ul speaking. Sha’ul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” He jumped up and began to walk. ¹¹ When the crowds saw what Sha’ul had done, they began to shout in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the form of men!” ¹² They began calling Bar-Nabba “Zeus” and Sha’ul “Hermes,” since he did most of the talking; ¹³ and the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, intending to offer a sacrifice to them with the people.

¹⁴ When the emissaries Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul heard of it, they tore their clothes and ran into the crowd, shouting, ¹⁵ “Men! Why are you doing this? We’re just men, human like you! We are announcing Good News to you — turn from these worthless things to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them!^{[a] 16} In times past, he allowed all peoples to walk in their own ways; ¹⁷ yet he did not leave himself without evidence of his nature; because he does good things, giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons, filling you with food and your hearts with happiness!” ¹⁸ Even saying this barely kept the crowds from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then some unbelieving Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. They won over the crowds, stoned Sha’ul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ But as the talmidim gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day, he left with Bar-Nabba for Derbe.

²¹ After proclaiming the Good News in that city and making many people into talmidim, they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ²² strengthening the talmidim, encouraging them to remain true to the faith, and reminding them that it is through many hardships that we must enter the Kingdom of God. ²³ After appointing elders for them in every congregation, Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust.

²⁴ Passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ After speaking the message in Perga, they came down to Attalia; and from there, they sailed back to Antioch, ²⁶ the place where they had been handed over to the care of God for the work which they had now completed.

²⁷ When they arrived, they gathered the Messianic community together and reported what God had done through them, that he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed for some time there with the talmidim.