Acts 14:18

Even by saying ¹  these things, they scarcely persuaded ²  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

But even so, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.

Talking fast and hard like this, they prevented them from carrying out the sacrifice that would have honored them as gods--but just barely.

And even with these words, it was hard for them to keep the people from making an offering to them.

Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

Even by saying ¹  these things, they scarcely persuaded ²  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

¹ tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is regarded as indicating means.

² tn BDAG 524 s.v. καταπαύω 2.b gives both “restrain” and “dissuade someone fr. someth.,” but “they scarcely dissuaded the crowds from offering sacrifice,” while accurate, is less common in contemporary English than saying “they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice.” Paganism is portrayed as a powerful reality that is hard to reverse.