Paul and Barnabas Preach in Iconium
1At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue as usual. They spoke there with great power. Large numbers of Jews and Greeks became believers. 2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up some of the Gentiles who were there. They turned them against the two men and the new believers. 3So Paul and Barnabas spent a lot of time there. They spoke boldly for the Lord. He gave them the ability to do signs and wonders. In this way the Lord showed that they were telling the truth about his grace. 4The people of the city did not agree with one another. Some were on the side of the Jews. Others were on the side of the apostles. 5Jews and Gentiles alike planned to treat Paul and Barnabas badly. Their leaders agreed. They planned to kill them by throwing stones at them. 6But Paul and Barnabas found out about the plan. They escaped to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding area. 7There they continued to preach the good news.
Paul Preaches in Lystra
8In Lystra there sat a man who couldn’t walk. He hadn’t been able to use his feet since the day he was born. 9He listened as Paul spoke. Paul looked right at him. He saw that the man had faith to be healed. 10So he called out, “Stand up on your feet!” Then the man jumped up and began to walk.
11The crowd saw what Paul had done. They shouted in the Lycaonian language. “The gods have come down to us in human form!” they exclaimed. 12They called Barnabas Zeus. Paul was the main speaker. So they called him Hermes. 13Just outside the city was the temple of the god Zeus. The priest of Zeus brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates. He and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.
14But the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about this. So they tore their clothes. They rushed out into the crowd. They shouted, 15“Friends, why are you doing this? We are only human, just like you. We are bringing you good news. Turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the living God. He is the one who made the heavens and the earth and the sea. He made everything in them. 16In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17But he has given proof of what he is like. He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven. He gives you crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of food. He fills your hearts with joy.” 18Paul and Barnabas told them all these things. But they had trouble keeping the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.
19Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. They won the crowd over to their side. They threw stones at Paul. They thought he was dead, so they dragged him out of the city. 20The believers gathered around Paul. Then he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch
21Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in the city of Derbe. They won large numbers of followers. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. 22There they helped the believers gain strength. They told them to remain faithful to what they had been taught. “We must go through many hard times to enter God’s kingdom,” they said. 23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church. The elders had trusted in the Lord. Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted. They placed the elders in the Lord’s care. 24After going through Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas came into Pamphylia. 25They preached the good news in Perga. Then they went down to Attalia.
26From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch. In Antioch they had been put in God’s care to preach the good news. They had now completed the work God had given them to do. 27When they arrived at Antioch, they gathered the church together. They reported all that God had done through them. They told how he had opened a way for the Gentiles to believe. 28And they stayed there a long time with the believers.
Ku Ikoniya
1Ku Ikoniya, Paulo ndi Barnaba analowanso mʼsunagoge ya Ayuda. Kumeneko iwo anaphunzitsa momveka bwino kotero kuti anthu ambiri Achiyuda ndi anthu a mitundu ina anakhulupirira. 2Koma Ayuda amene anakana kukhulupirira anawutsa anthu a mitundu ina nawononga maganizo awo kutsutsana ndi abale. 3Ndipo Paulo ndi Barnaba anakhala kumeneko nthawi yayitali, nalalikira molimba mtima za Ambuye amene anawapatsa mphamvu yochitira zozizwitsa ndi zizindikiro zodabwitsa pochitira umboni mawu a chisomo. 4Anthu a mu mzindamo anagawikana; ena anali mbali ya Ayuda, ena mbali ya atumwi. 5Pamenepo anthu a mitundu ina ndi Ayuda, pamodzi ndi atsogoleri awo anakonza chiwembu choti azunze atumwiwo ndi kuwagenda ndi miyala. 6Koma atazindikira zimenezi, anathawira ku Lusitra ndi Derbe, mizinda ya ku Lukaoniya, ndiponso ku dziko lozungulira mizindayo, 7kumene anapitiriza kulalikira Uthenga Wabwino.
Ku Lusitra ndi ku Derbe
8Ku Lusitra kunali munthu wolumala miyendo, amene sanayendepo chibadwire chake. 9Iyeyu, amamvetsera pamene Paulo amayankhula. Paulo anamuyangʼanitsitsa ndipo anaona kuti anali ndi chikhulupiriro choti achiritsidwe nacho. 10Ndipo Paulo anamuyitana mofuwula nati, “Imirira!” Atamva zimenezi, munthuyo anayimirira, nayamba kuyenda.
11Gulu la anthu litaona zimene Paulo anachitazi, linafuwula mʼChilukaoniya kuti, “Milungu yatitsikira yooneka ngati anthu!” 12Barnaba anamutcha Zeusi ndipo Paulo anamutcha Herimesi chifukwa ndiye amatsogolera kuyankhula. 13Wansembe wa Zeusi amene nyumba yopembedzera Zeusiyo inali kunja pafupi ndi mzindawo, anabweretsa ngʼombe yayimuna yovekedwa nkhata za maluwa pa chipata cha mzindawo chifukwa iyeyo pamodzi ndi anthu ena onse aja amafuna kudzipereka nsembe kwa Paulo ndi Barnaba.
14Koma Barnaba ndi Paulo atamva zimenezi, anangʼamba zovala zawo, nathamangira pakati pa gulu la anthuwo, akufuwula kuti, 15“Anthu inu, bwanji mukuchita zimenezi? Ifenso ndife anthu monga inu nomwe. Ife takubweretserani Uthenga Wabwino, kuti musiye zinthu zachabezi ndi kutsata Mulungu wamoyo, amene analenga kumwamba ndi dziko lapansi, nyanja ndi zonse zimene zili mʼmenemo. 16Kale Iye analola anthu a mitundu ina yonse kutsata njira zawozawo. 17Komabe wakhala akudzichitira yekha umboni: Iye amaonetsa kukoma mtima kwake pogwetsa mvula kuchokera kumwamba ndi zipatso pa nyengo yake. Amakupatsani chakudya chambiri ndipo amadzaza mitima yanu ndi chimwemwe.” 18Ngakhale ndi mawu awa, anavutika kuletsa gulu la anthu kuti asapereke nsembe kwa iwo.
19Kenaka kunabwera Ayuda ena kuchokera ku Antiokeya ndi Ikoniya nakopa gulu la anthu lija. Iwo anamugenda miyala Paulo namukokera kunja kwa mzindawo, kuganiza kuti wafa. 20Koma ophunzira atamuzungulira, Pauloyo anayimirira nalowanso mu mzindawo. Mmawa mwake iye ndi Barnaba anachoka ndi kupita ku Derbe.
Paulo ndi Barnaba Abwerera ku Antiokeya wa ku Siriya
21Iwo analalikira Uthenga Wabwino mu mzindawo ndipo anthu ambiri anatembenuka mtima ndi kukhala ophunzira. Kenaka anabwerera ku Lusitra, ku Ikoniya ndi ku Antiokeya. 22Kumeneko analimbikitsa mitima ya ophunzira ndi kuwapatsa mphamvu kuti akhalebe woona mʼchikhulupiriro. Iwo anati, “Ife tiyenera kudutsa mʼmasautso ambiri kuti tikalowe mu ufumu wa Mulungu.” 23Paulo ndi Barnaba anasankha akulu ampingo pa mpingo uliwonse, ndipo atapemphera ndi kusala kudya anawapereka kwa Ambuye amene anamukhulupirira. 24Atadutsa Pisidiya, anafika ku Pamfiliya. 25Atalalikira Mawu ku Perga, anapita ku Ataliya.
26Ku Ataliyako, anakwera sitima ya pamadzi kubwerera ku Antiokeya kumene anayitanidwa mwachisomo cha Mulungu kuti agwire ntchito imene tsopano anali atayitsiriza. 27Atangofika ku Antiokeya, anasonkhanitsa pamodzi mpingo ndipo anafotokoza zonse zimene Mulungu anachita kudzera mwa iwo ndiponso mmene Iye anatsekulira a mitundu ina njira ya chikhulupiriro. 28Ndipo anakhala kumeneko ndi ophunzira nthawi yayitali.
