¹¹When the crowds saw what Paul did, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like humans and have come down to us!” ¹²Then the people began to call Barnabas “Zeus” ⁿ and Paul “Hermes,” ⁿ because he was the main speaker. ¹³The priest in the temple of Zeus, which was near the city, brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates. He and the people wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. ¹⁴But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes. They ran in among the people, shouting, ¹⁵“Friends, why are you doing these things? We are only human beings like you. We are bringing you the Good News and are telling you to turn away from these worthless things and turn to the living God. He is the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. ¹⁶In the past, God let all the nations do what they wanted. ¹⁷Yet he proved he is real by showing kindness, by giving you rain from heaven and crops at the right times, by giving you food and filling your hearts with joy.” ¹⁸Even with these words, they were barely able to keep the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.

¹⁹Then some evil people came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the people to turn against Paul. So they threw stones at him and dragged him out of town, thinking they had killed him.

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Footnotes

n“Zeus” The Greeks believed in many false gods, of whom Zeus was most important.
n“Hermes” The Greeks believed he was a messenger for the other gods.