Acts 17
1 After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a synagogue;
And, travelling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews;
2 and, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the scriptures.
and, according to Paul’s custom, he went in unto them, and, for three sabbaths, reasoned with them from the Scriptures, —
3 He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and “It is this man,” he declared, “who is the Christ – this Jesus about whom I am telling you.”
opening up, and setting forth, that it was needful for, the Christ, to suffer, and to arise from among the dead; and [saying], This, is the Christ, —Jesus, whom, I, am declaring unto you.
4 Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of leading women.
And, some from among them, were persuaded, and cast in their lot with Paul and Silas; also, of the devout Greeks, a great throng, and, of the chief women, not a few.
5 But the Jewish leaders, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;
But the Jews, being, jealous, and taking unto themselves certain wicked men, of the rabble, and making a riot, were setting the city in an uproar; and, besieging the house of Jason, were seeking to lead them forth unto the populace, —
6 and, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Lord’s followers before the city magistrates, shouting out, “These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,
and, not finding them, they began dragging Jason and certain brethren unto the city-rulers, shouting—They who have thrown the inhabited earth into confusion, the same, hither also, are come, —
7 and have been harbored by Jason! They are all defying the decrees of the Emperor. They say that someone else is king – a man called Jesus!”
unto whom Jason hath given welcome; and, these all, contrary to the decrees of Caesar, are acting, —saying that there is another king, Jesus.
8 On hearing this, the people and the city magistrates were much concerned;
And they troubled the multitude and the city-rulers, when they heard these things;
9 and, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.
and, taking security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 That very night the followers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
But, the brethren, straightway, during the night, sent away both Paul and Silas unto Beroea, who, indeed, arriving, unto the synagogue of the Jews, went off;
11 These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with great readiness, and daily examined the scriptures to see if what was said was true.
and, these, were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they welcomed the word with all readiness of mind, daily, searching the Scriptures, —whether these things could be so.
12 As a consequence, many of them became believers in Christ, besides a considerable number of Greek women of position, and of men also.
Many, therefore, from among them, believed, and, of the Grecian women of the higher class, and of men, not a few.
13 But, when the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica found out that God’s message had been delivered by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, exciting and disturbing the minds of the people.
But, when the Jews from Thessalonica came to know that, in Beroea also, had the word of God been declared by Paul, they came thither also, stirring up and troubling the multitudes.
14 The followers immediately arranged for Paul to go away to the coast, but both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Beroea.
Howbeit, then, immediately, the brethren sent away, Paul, to be journeying as far as unto the sea; and both Silas and Timothy stayed behind, there.
15 The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.
But, they who were conducting Paul, brought him as far as Athens, and, receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy, that with, all possible speed, they would come unto him, they departed.
16 While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his heart was stirred at seeing the whole city full of idols.
But, while, in Athens, Paul was expecting them, his spirit within him was being urged on, seeing how the city was given to idols.
17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who joined in their worship, as well as daily in the public Square with those who happened to be there.
So then, he began reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with them who worshipped; and, in the market-place, every day, with them who happened to be at hand.
18 Among others, some Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers joined issue with him. Some asked “What is this prater wanting to make out?”, while others said “He seems to be a preacher of foreign Deities.” (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection).
But, certain both of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were encountering him; and some were saying—What might this picker-up-of-scraps wish to be saying? And, others—Of foreign demons, he seemeth to be a declarer: because, of Jesus and the Resurrection, he was announcing the joyful tidings.
19 So they laid hold of him and took him to the Court of Areopagus. “May we hear,” they asked, “what new teaching this is which you are giving?
And so, laying hold of him, they brought him up, to the Hill of Mars, saying—Can we get to know what this new teaching is, which, by thee, is being spoken.
20 For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean.”
For, certain foreign things, art thou bringing into our hearing: We are minded to get to know, therefore, what these things please to be!
21 (All Athenians and the foreigners staying in the city found no time for anything else but telling, or listening to, the last new thing.)
Now, all Athenians and the sojourning foreigners, unto nothing else, were devoting their leisure, than to be telling or hearing, something newer.
22 So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said – “People of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout.
And Paul taking his stand in the midst of the Hill of Mars, said—Ye men of Athens! In every way, how unusually reverent of the demons ye are, I perceive.
23 For as I was going about, looking at your sacred shrines, I came upon an altar with this inscription – ‘To an Unknown God.’ What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, that I am now proclaiming to you.
For, passing through, and carefully observing your objects of devotion, I found an altar also, in which was inscribed—Unto an Unknown God. What, therefore, not knowing, ye reverence, the same, do, I, declare unto you.
24 The God who made the world and all things that are in it – he, Lord as he is of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands,
The God that made the world and all things that are therein, the same, being, Lord, of heaven and earth, not in hand-made shrines, doth dwell,
25 neither do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things.
nor, by human hands, is waited upon, as though in want of anything, himself, giving unto all life and breath and all things;
26 He made all races of the earth’s surface – fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements –
he made also, of one, every nation of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth, —marking out fitting opportunities, and the bounds of their dwelling place,
27 That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;
that they might be seeking God—if, after all, indeed, they might feel after him and find him, —although, in truth, he is already not far from any one of us.
28 for in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets – ‘His offspring, too, are we.’
For, in him, we live and move and are: as, even some of your own poets, have said—For, his offspring also, we are.
29 Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone – a work of human art and imagination.
Being, then, offspring, of God, we ought not to be supposing that, unto gold or silver or stone, graven by art and device of man, the Divine, is like.
30 True, God looked with indulgence on the days of people’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to everyone everywhere the need for repentance,
The times of ignorance, therefore, overlooking, God, as things now are, is charging all men everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fixed a day on which he intends to judge the world with justice, by a man whom he has appointed – and of this he has given all people a pledge by raising this man from the dead.”
inasmuch as he hath appointed a day, in which he is about to be judging the habitable earth in righteousness, by a man whom he hath pointed out, —offering faith unto all, by raising him from among the dead?
32 On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they wanted to hear what he had to say about that another time.
Now, when they heard of raising the dead, some, indeed, began to mock, while, others, said—We will hear thee, concerning this, even again.
33 And so Paul left the Court.
Thus, Paul, came forth out of their midst.
34 There were, however, some people who joined him, and became believers in Christ. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others.
But, certain persons, joining themselves unto him, believed; among whom were even Dionysius the Mars-hill judge, and a woman by name Damaris, and others with them.
