Acts, 17

1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

1. Paul and Silas took the road through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

2. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

2. As Paul used to do, he went to the synagogue and on three sabbaths he held discussions with them about the Scriptures.

3. 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.

3. He explained and proved to them that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, and he said, "Such a Messiah is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you."

4. 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.

4. Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas. So too did a great number of Greeks sympathetic to Judaism and many prominent women.

5. 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.

5. This only made the Jews jealous, so they gathered some of the good-for-nothing street loafers and formed a mob to start a riot in the town. They came to the house of Jason, in an attempt to bring Paul and Silas before the people's assembly.

6. 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;

6. Not finding them there, they dragged off Jason and some believers to the city authorities shouting, "These people who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7. Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, [one] Jesus.

7. and Jason has given them hospitality. They all disregard the decrees of the Emperor and claim that there is another king, Jesus."

8. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

8. In this way they upset the crowd and the city officials who heard them.

9. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

9. The officials released Jason and the others on bail.

10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews.

10. As soon as night fell, the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea. On their arrival they went to the Jewish synagogue.

11. 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.

11. Its members were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica and welcomed the message with great enthusiasm. Each day they examined the Scriptures to see if these things were so.

12. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

12. Many of them came to believe, as did numerous influential Greek women, and many men as well.

13. 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.

13. But when the Jews of Thessalonica came to know that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea also, they hurried there to cause a commotion and stir up the crowds.

14. And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

14. At once, the believers sent Paul away to the coast; but both Silas and Timothy stayed in Beroea.

15. 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.

15. Paul was taken as far as Athens by his escort, who then returned to Beroea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible.

16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

16. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he felt very uneasy at the sight of a city full of idols.

17. 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.

17. He held discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing people, as well as daily debates in the public square with ordinary passersby.

18. 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.

18. Epicureans and Stoic philosophers debated with him, some of them asking, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others commented, "He sounds like a promoter of foreign gods," because he was heard to speak of Jesus and 'the Resurrection.'

19. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, [is]?

19. So they took Paul and led him off to the Areopagus hall, and said, "We would like to know what this new teaching is that you are talking about.

20. For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

20. Some of the things we hear you say sound strange to us, and we would like to know what they mean."

21. (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.)

21. Indeed, all Athenian citizens, as well as the foreigners who live there, have as their favorite occupation talking about or listening to the latest news.

22. 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.

22. Then Paul stood up in the Areopagus hall and said, "Athenian citizens, I note that in every way you are very religious.

23. 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.

23. As I walked around looking at your shrines, I even discovered an altar with this inscription: To an unknown God. Now, what you worship as unknown, I intend to make known to you.

24. 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;

24. God, who made the world and all that is in it, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, being as he is Lord of heaven and earth.

25. Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

25. Nor does his worship depend on anything made by human hands, as if he were in need. Rather it is he who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.

26. 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;

26. From one stock he created the whole human race to live throughout all the earth, and he fixed the time and the boundaries of each nation.

27. 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:

27. He wanted them to seek him by themselves, even if it were only by groping for him, and eventually to find him. Yet he is not far from any one of us.

28. 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.

28. For in him we live and move and have our being, as some of your poets have said: for we too are his offspring.

29. 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.

29. If we are indeed God's offspring, we ought not to think of divinity as something like a statue of gold or silver or stone, a product of human art and imagination.

30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

30. But now God prefers to overlook this time of ignorance and he calls on all people to change their ways.

31. 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.

31. He has already set a day on which he will judge the world with justice through a man he has appointed. And, so that all may believe it, he has just given a sign by raising this man from the dead."

32. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this [matter].

32. When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection from death, some made fun of him, while others said, "We must hear you on this topic some other time."

33. So Paul departed from among them.

33. At that point Paul left.

34. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which [was] Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

34. But a few did join him, and believed. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus court, a woman named Damaris, and some others.