Acts 17
1 And having journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews.
When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2 And according to Paul's custom he went in among them, and on three sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures,
As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 opening and laying down that the Christ must have suffered and risen up from among the dead, and that this is the Christ, Jesus whom I announce to you.
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.
4 And some of them believed, and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, and of the Greeks who worshipped, a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
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.
5 But the Jews having been stirred up to jealousy, and taken to [themselves] certain wicked men of the lowest rabble, and having got a crowd together, set the city in confusion; and having beset the house of Jason sought to bring them out to the people;
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.
6 and not having found them, dragged Jason and certain brethren before the politarchs, crying out, These [men] that have set the world in tumult, are come here also,
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,
7 whom Jason has received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, that there is another king, Jesus.
and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”
8 And they troubled the crowd and the politarchs when they heard these things.
On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed.
9 And having taken security of Jason and the rest, they let them go.
And they collected bond from Jason and the others, and then released them.
10 But the brethren immediately sent away, in the night, Paul and Silas to Berea; who, being arrived, went away into the synagogue of the Jews.
As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11 And these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, receiving the word with all readiness of mind, daily searching the scriptures if these things were so.
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.
12 Therefore many from among them believed, and of Grecian women of the upper classes and men not a few.
As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that the word of God was announced in Berea also by Paul, they came there also, stirring up the crowds.
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.
14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as to the sea; but Silas and Timotheus abode there.
The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
15 But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and, having received a commandment to Silas and Timotheus, that they should come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
16 But in Athens, while Paul was waiting for them, his spirit was painfully excited in him seeing the city given up to idolatry.
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.
17 He reasoned therefore in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped, and in the market-place every day with those he met with.
So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.
18 But some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him. And some said, What would this chatterer say? and some, He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons, because he announced the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection [to them].
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.
19 And having taken hold on him they brought [him] to Areopagus, saying, Might we know what this new doctrine which is spoken by thee [is]?
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?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We wish therefore to know what these things may mean.
For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
21 Now all [the] Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else than to tell and to hear the news.
Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.
22 And Paul standing in the midst of Areopagus said, Athenians, in every way I see you given up to demon worship;
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.
23 for, passing through and beholding your shrines, I found also an altar on which was inscribed, To the unknown God. Whom therefore ye reverence, not knowing [him], him I announce to you.
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.
24 The God who has made the world and all things which are in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,
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.
25 nor is served by men's hands as needing something, himself giving to all life and breath and all things;
Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
26 and has made of one blood every nation of men to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, having determined ordained times and the boundaries of their dwelling,
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.
27 that they may seek God; if indeed they might feel after him and find him, although he is not far from each one of us:
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.
28 for in him we live and move and exist; as also some of the poets amongst you have said, For we are also his offspring.
‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
29 Being therefore [the] offspring of God, we ought not to think that which is divine to be like gold or silver or stone, [the] graven form of man's art and imagination.
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.
30 God therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now enjoins men that they shall all everywhere repent,
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
31 because he has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by [the] man whom he has appointed, giving the proof [of it] to all [in] having raised him from among [the] dead.
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.”
32 And when they heard [of the] resurrection of the dead, some mocked, and some said, We will hear thee again also concerning this.
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.”
33 Thus Paul went out of their midst.
At that, Paul left the Areopagus.
34 But some men joining themselves to him believed; among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman by name Damaris, and others with them.
But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.
