Acts 17
1 Then, passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they went to Thessalonica. Here there was a synagogue of the Jews.
And they passed through the cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia, and came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 Paul--following his usual custom--betook himself to it, and for three successive Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
And Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and during three sabbaths he discoursed with them from the scriptures;
3 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."
expounding and showing, that the Messiah was to suffer, and to arise from the dead, and that this Jesus whom I announce to you is the Messiah.
4 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.
And some of them believed, and adhered to Paul and Silas; and of those Greeks who feared God, a great many; and also of noted women, not a few.
5 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.
But the Jews were indignant, and gathered to themselves evil men from the marketplace of the city, and formed a great mob; and they alarmed the city, and came and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to draw them from it, and to deliver them up to the mob.
6 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.
And when they found them not there, they drew Jason and the brethren who were there, and brought them before the chiefs of the city, crying out: These are they who have terrified all the country; and lo, they have come hither also:
7 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."
and this Jason is their entertainer: and they all resist the commands of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 Great was the excitement among the crowd, and among the magistrates of the city, when they heard these charges.
And the chiefs of the city and all the people, were alarmed when they heard these things.
9 They required Jason and the rest to find substantial bail, and after that they let them go.
And they took sureties from Jason, and also from the brethren, and then released them.
10 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.
And the brethren immediately, on the same night, sent away Paul and Silas to the city of Berea. And when they came there, they entered into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 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.
For the Jews there were more liberal than the Jews of Thessalonica; and they gladly heard the word from them daily, and searched from the scriptures whether these things were so.
12 As the result many of them became believers, and so did not a few of the Greeks--gentlewomen of good position, and men.
And many of them believed; and so likewise of the Greeks, many men, and women of note.
13 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.
And when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached by Paul in the city of Berea, they came thither also, and they ceased not to excite and alarm the people.
14 Then the brethren promptly sent Paul down to the sea-coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind.
And the brethren sent away Paul, that he might go down to the sea. But Silas and Timothy abode in that city.
15 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.
And they who conducted Paul, went with him to the city of Athens. And when they departed from him, they received an epistle from him to Silas and Timothy, that they should come to him speedily.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he noticed that the city was full of idols.
And while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, he was pained in his spirit; because he saw that the whole city was full of idols.
17 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.
And in the synagogue he spoke with the Jews, and with those that feared God, and in the market-place with them who daily assembled there.
18 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.
And also philosophers of the sect of Epicureans, and others who were called Stoics, disputed with him. And one and another of them said: What doth this word-monger mean? Others said: He announceth foreign deities; because he preached to them Jesus and his resurrection.
19 Then they took him and brought him up to the Areopagus, asking him, "May we be told what this new teaching of yours is?
And they took him and brought him to the place of judgments called Areopagus, and said to him: May we know what this new doctrine which thou preachest is?
20 For the things you are saying sound strange to us. We should therefore like to be told exactly what they mean."
For thou scatterest in our ears strange words; and we wish to know what they are.
21 (For all the Athenians and their foreign visitors used to devote their whole leisure to telling or hearing about something new.)
For all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there, cared for nothing else but to tell or to hear something new.
22 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.
And as Paul stood in the Areopagus, he said: Men, Athenians, I perceive that in all things ye are excessive in the worship of demons.
23 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.
For, as I was rambling about, and viewing the temples of your worship, I met with an altar, on which was inscribed, TO THE HIDDEN GOD. Him, therefore, whom ye worship while ye know him not, the very same I announce to you.
24 GOD who made the universe and everything in it--He, being Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries built by men.
For the God who made the world and all that is in it, and who is Lord of heaven and of earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.
25 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.
Nor is he ministered to by human hands, neither hath he any wants; for he it is giveth life and breath to every man.
26 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;
And of one blood hath he made the whole world of men, that they might dwell on the face of all the earth: and he hath separated the seasons by his ordinance; and hath set bounds to the residence of men:
27 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.
that they might inquire and search after God, and, by means of his creations, might find him; because he is not afar off from each one of us:
28 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.'
for in him it is we live, and move, and exist: as one of your own wise men hath said: From him is our descent.
29 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.
Therefore we, whose descent is from God, ought not to suppose that the Deity hath the likeness of gold, or silver, or stone, sculptured by the art and skill of men
30 Those times of ignorance God viewed with indulgence. But now He commands all men everywhere to repent,
And the times of this error God hath made to pass away; and at the present time, he commandeth all men, that each individual, in every place, should repent.
31 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."
Because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge all the earth, with righteousness, by the man whom he hath designated: and he turneth every man to faith in him, in that he raised him from the dead.
32 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."
And when they heard of the resurrection from the dead, some of them ridiculed, and others of them said: At another time, we will hear thee on this matter.
33 So Paul went away from them.
And so Paul departed from among them.
34 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.
And some of them adhered to him, and believed; one of these was Dionysius from among the judges of Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
