Acts 17
1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
Then, passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they went to Thessalonica. Here there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Paul--following his usual custom--betook himself to it, and for three successive Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.
which he clearly explained, pointing out that it had been necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise again from the dead, and insisting, "The Jesus whom I am announcing to you is the Christ."
4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.
Some of the people were won over, and attached themselves to Paul and Silas, including many God-fearing Greeks and not a few gentlewomen of high rank.
5 The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.
But the jealousy of the Jews was aroused, and, calling to their aid some ill-conditioned and idle fellows, they got together a riotous mob and filled the city with uproar. They then attacked the house of Jason and searched for Paul and Silas, to bring them out before the assembly of people.
6 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,
But, failing to find them, they dragged Jason and some of the other brethren before the magistrates of the city, loudly accusing them. "These men," they said, "who have raised a tumult throughout the Empire, have come here also.
7 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”
Jason has received them into his house; and they all set Caesar's authority at defiance, declaring that there is another Emperor-- one called Jesus."
8 On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed.
Great was the excitement among the crowd, and among the magistrates of the city, when they heard these charges.
9 And they collected bond from Jason and the others, and then released them.
They required Jason and the rest to find substantial bail, and after that they let them go.
10 As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
The brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea, and they, on their arrival, went to the synagogue of the Jews.
11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
The Jews at Beroea were of a nobler disposition than those in Thessalonica, for they very readily received the Message, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether it was as Paul stated.
12 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
As the result many of them became believers, and so did not a few of the Greeks--gentlewomen of good position, and men.
13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they went there themselves to incite and agitate the crowds.
As soon, however, as the Jews of Thessalonica learnt that God's Message had been proclaimed by Paul at Beroea, they came there also, and incited the mob to a riot.
14 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
Then the brethren promptly sent Paul down to the sea-coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind.
15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
Those who were caring for Paul's safety went with him as far as Athens, and then left him, taking a message from him to Silas and Timothy, asking them to join him as speedily as possible.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he noticed that the city was full of idols.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.
So he had discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the other worshippers, and in the market place, day after day, with those whom he happened to meet.
18 Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.
A few of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some of them asked, "What has this beggarly babbler to say?" "His business," said others, "seems to be to cry up some foreign gods." This was because he had been telling the Good News of Jesus and the Resurrection.
19 So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
Then they took him and brought him up to the Areopagus, asking him, "May we be told what this new teaching of yours is?
20 For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
For the things you are saying sound strange to us. We should therefore like to be told exactly what they mean."
21 Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.
(For all the Athenians and their foreign visitors used to devote their whole leisure to telling or hearing about something new.)
22 Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.
So Paul, taking his stand in the centre of the Areopagus, spoke as follows: "Men of Athens, I perceive that you are in every respect remarkably religious.
23 For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.
For as I passed along and observed the things you worship, I found also an altar bearing the inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' "The Being, therefore, whom you, without knowing Him, revere, Him I now proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.
GOD who made the universe and everything in it--He, being Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries built by men.
25 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
Nor is He ministered to by human hands, as though He needed anything--but He Himself gives to all men life and breath and all things.
26 From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
He caused to spring from one forefather people of every race, for them to live on the whole surface of the earth, and marked out for them an appointed span of life and the boundaries of their homes;
27 God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.
that they might seek God, if perhaps they could grope for Him and find Him. Yes, though He is not far from any one of us.
28 ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
For it is in closest union with Him that we live and move and have our being; as in fact some of the poets in repute among yourselves have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'
29 Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.
Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to imagine that His nature resembles gold or silver or marble, or anything sculptured by the art and inventive faculty of man.
30 Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
Those times of ignorance God viewed with indulgence. But now He commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
seeing that He has appointed a day on which, before long, He will judge the world in righteousness, through the instrumentality of a man whom He has pre-destined to this work, and has made the fact certain to every one by raising Him from the dead."
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this topic.”
When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection of dead men, some began to scoff. But others said, "We will hear you again on that subject."
33 At that, Paul left the Areopagus.
So Paul went away from them.
34 But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.
A few, however, attached themselves to him and believed, among them being Dionysius a member of the Council, a gentlewoman named Damaris, and some others.
