Acts 17
1 When Paul and his companions had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
NOW when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 As was his custom, Paul went in to them, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 explaining and presenting evidence that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of the devout Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5 But the Jews who refused to believe rounded up some evil men from the marketplace and formed a mob, setting the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason's house, seeking to bring Paul and Silas out to the public assembly.
But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers to the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
7 and Jason has welcomed them. They all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 And they stirred up the crowd and the city officials who heard these things.
And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 But when the city officials had received a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.
And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
10 As soon as it was night the brothers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the synagogue of the Jews.
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, and they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 As a result, many of them believed, as did quite a few of the Greek women of high standing and the men.
Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that Paul was proclaiming the word of God in Berea also, they went there as well, agitating the crowds.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away, as though he were going by sea, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after they had received an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was full of idols.
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout Greeks, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. Some said, “What is this babbler trying to say?” But others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign deities.” (They said this because he was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that yoʋ are presenting?
And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For yoʋ are bringing some strange things to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who dwelt there would spend their time in nothing else but talking about and listening to whatever the newest idea might be.)
(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Paul then stood before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see just how religious you are in every way.
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I was going around and closely observing yoʋr objects of worship, I even found an altar that had been inscribed: ‘To an unknown god.’ I proclaim to you therefore the one whom you worship in ignorance.
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands,
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 neither is he served by the hands of men, as though he needed anything. Rather, he himself continually gives life and breath to all mankind.
Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 From one bloodline he created every nation of mankind to dwell on the entire face of the earth. He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they would dwell,
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 so that they might seek the Lord and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said: ‘For we also are his offspring.’
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone, an image formed by the skill and imagination of man.
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
30 Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent,
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by a man he has appointed. He has provided assurance of this to everyone by raising this man from the dead.”
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 Now when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We wish to hear about this from yoʋ again.”
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed from them,
So Paul departed from among them.
34 but some of the people joined him and believed, among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
