Acts 17
1 And, travelling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews;
After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a Synagogue;
2 and, according to Paul’s custom, he went in unto them, and, for three sabbaths, reasoned with them from the Scriptures, —
and, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the Scriptures.
3 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.
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.”
4 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.
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 women belonging to the leading families.
5 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, —
But the Jews, 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;
6 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, —
and, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Brethren before the City Magistrates, shouting out: “These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,
7 unto whom Jason hath given welcome; and, these all, contrary to the decrees of Caesar, are acting, —saying that there is another king, Jesus.
and have been harboured by Jason! They say that some one else is king — a man called Jesus!”
8 And they troubled the multitude and the city-rulers, when they heard these things;
On hearing this, the people and the City Magistrates were much concerned;
9 and, taking security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
and, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.
10 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;
That very night the Brethren sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish Synagogue.
11 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.
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.
12 Many, therefore, from among them, believed, and, of the Grecian women of the higher class, and of men, not a few.
As a consequence, many of them became believers in Christ, besides a considerable number of Greek women of position, and of men also.
13 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.
But, when the Jews of 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.
14 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.
Immediately upon that, the Brethren sent Paul off on his way to the sea coast, but both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Beroea.
15 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.
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.
16 But, while, in Athens, Paul was expecting them, his spirit within him was being urged on, seeing how the city was given to idols.
While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his heart was stirred at seeing the whole city full of idols.
17 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.
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.
18 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.
Among others, some Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers joined issue with him. Some would ask “What is this prater wanting to make out?”, while others would say “He seems to be a Preacher of foreign Deities.” (This was because he was telling the Good News about Jesus and the Resurrection).
19 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.
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?
20 For, certain foreign things, art thou bringing into our hearing: We are minded to get to know, therefore, what these things please to be!
For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean.”
21 Now, all Athenians and the sojourning foreigners, unto nothing else, were devoting their leisure, than to be telling or hearing, something newer.
(All Athenians and the foreigners staying in the city found no time for anything else but telling, or listening to, the last new thing.)
22 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.
So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said — “Men of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout.
23 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.
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.
24 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,
The God who made the world and all things that are in it — he, Lord as he is of Heaven and Earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands,
25 nor, by human hands, is waited upon, as though in want of anything, himself, giving unto all life and breath and all things;
nor yet do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things.
26 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,
He made all races of the earth’s surface — fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements —
27 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.
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;
28 For, in him, we live and move and are: as, even some of your own poets, have said—For, his offspring also, we are.
for in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets — ‘His offspring, too, are we.’
29 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.
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.
30 The times of ignorance, therefore, overlooking, God, as things now are, is charging all men everywhere to repent,
True, God looked with indulgence on the days of men’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to every one everywhere the need for repentance,
31 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?
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 men a pledge by raising this man from the dead.”
32 Now, when they heard of raising the dead, some, indeed, began to mock, while, others, said—We will hear thee, concerning this, even again.
On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they would hear what he had to say about that another time.
33 Thus, Paul, came forth out of their midst.
And so Paul left the Court.
34 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.
There were, however, some men 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.
