« | Acts 14 | » |
1 In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks came to believe,
2 although the disbelieving Jews stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers.
3 So they stayed for a considerable period, speaking out boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the word about his grace by granting signs and wonders to occur through their hands.
4 The people of the city were divided: some were with the Jews; others, with the apostles.
5 When there was an attempt by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone them,
6 they realized it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside,
7 where they continued to proclaim the good news.
8 At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked.
9 He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed,
10 and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet." He jumped up and began to walk about.
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in human form."
12 They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes," because he was the chief speaker.
13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
14 The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,
15 "Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, 'who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.'
16 In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
17 yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts."
18 Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
19 However, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
20 But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
21 After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
22 They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."
23 They appointed presbyters for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.
24 Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
25 After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished.
27 And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28 Then they spent no little time with the disciples.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.