1 N ow after had passed 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 the synagogue of the Jews was.

2 A nd Paul entered, as he usually did, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned and argued 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 E xplaining and setting forth and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, This Jesus, Whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ (the Messiah).

declaring openly and proposing that it behooved the Christ to have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is the Christ.

4 A nd some of them were induced to believe and associated themselves with Paul and Silas, as did a great number of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the noble women not a few.

5 B ut the unbelieving Jews were aroused to jealousy, and, getting hold of some wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the marketplace, they gathered together a mob, set the town in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring out to the people.

But the disobedient Jews, 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 B ut when they failed to find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

And when they did not find them, they brought Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7 A nd Jason has received them to his house and privately protected them! And they are all ignoring and acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, asserting that there is another king, one Jesus!

whom Jason has received, and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

8 A nd both the crowd and the city authorities, on hearing this, were irritated (stirred up and troubled).

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

9 A nd when they had taken security from Jason and the others, they let them go.

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

10 N ow the brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and when they arrived, they entered the synagogue of the Jews.

¶ And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night unto Berea, who when they got there went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 N ow these were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message '> concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all diligence and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

12 M any of them therefore became believers, together with not a few prominent Greeks, women as well as men.

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

13 B ut when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the Word of God '> concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] was also preached by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, disturbing and inciting the masses.

But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the people.

14 A t once the brethren sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained behind.

And then immediately the brethren sent Paul to go away towards the sea, but Silas and Timothy abode there still.

15 T hose who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

And those that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens; and receiving an order from him unto Silas and Timothy to come unto him as soon as possible, they departed.

16 N ow while Paul was awaiting them at Athens, his spirit was grieved and roused to anger as 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 completely given over to idolatry.

17 S o he reasoned and argued in the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshiped there, and in the marketplace day after day with any who chanced to be there.

Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and in the market daily with those that he met with.

18 A nd some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him and began to engage in discussion. And some said, What is this babbler with his scrap-heap learning trying to say? Others said, He seems to be an announcer of foreign deities—because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? others, He seems to be a setter forth of new gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.

19 A nd they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this novel (unheard of and unprecedented) teaching is which you are openly declaring?

And they took him and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine is, of which thou speakest?

20 F or you set forth some startling things, foreign and strange to our ears; we wish to know therefore just what these things mean—

For thou bringest certain new things to our ears; we desire, therefore, to know what these things mean.

21 F or the Athenians, all of them, and the foreign residents and visitors among them spent all their leisure time in nothing except telling or hearing something newer than the last—

(For all the Athenians and strangers who were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)

22 S o Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus, said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way that you are most religious or very reverent to demons.

¶ Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 F or as I passed along and carefully observed your objects of worship, I came also upon an altar with this inscription, To the unknown god. Now what you are already worshiping as unknown, this I set forth to you.

For as I passed by and beheld your sanctuaries, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him I declare unto you.

24 T he God Who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade shrines.

The God that made the world and all the things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;

25 N either is He served by human hands, as though He lacked anything, for it is He Himself Who gives life and breath and all things to all.

neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he gives to all life and breath and all things

26 A nd He made from one all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes),

and has made of one blood all the lineage of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined the seasons (which he has limited) and the bounds of their habitation;

27 S o that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us.

that they should seek the Lord, if in any manner they might reach out to touch him and find him though he is not far from each one of us;

28 F or in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your poets have said, For we are also 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 of his lineage.

29 S ince then we are God’s offspring, we ought not to suppose that Deity (the Godhead) is like gold or silver or stone, a representation by human art and imagination, or anything constructed or invented.

Being therefore of the lineage of God, we ought not to think that which is Divine is like unto gold or silver or stone, bearing the mark of art and man’s imagination.

30 S uch ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent ( to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins),

For the times of this ignorance God overlooked, but he now commands all men everywhere to repent

31 B ecause He has fixed a day when He will judge the world righteously (justly) by a Man Whom He has destined and appointed for that task, and He has made this credible and given conviction and assurance and evidence to everyone by raising Him from the dead.

because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of whom he has given assurance unto all men in that he has raised him from the dead.

32 N ow when they had heard a resurrection from the dead, some scoffed; but others said, We will hear you again about this matter.

¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33 S o Paul went out from among them.

So Paul departed from among them.

34 B ut some men were on his side and joined him and believed (became Christians); among them were Dionysius, a judge of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, and some others with them.

But certain men believed and joined themselves with him, among whom was Dionysius of the Areopagus and a woman named Damaris and others with them.