1 N ow after had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

And having passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews,

2 A nd Paul entered, as he usually did, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned and argued with them from the Scriptures,

and according to the custom of Paul, he went in unto them, and for three sabbaths he was reasoning with them from the Writings,

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).

opening and alleging, `That the Christ it behoved to suffer, and to rise again out of the dead, and that this is the Christ -- Jesus whom I proclaim to you.'

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 certain of them did believe, and attached themselves to Paul and to Silas, also of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude, of the principal women also 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.

And the unbelieving Jews, having been moved with envy, and having taken to them of the loungers certain evil men, and having made a crowd, were setting the city in an uproar; having assailed also the house of Jason, they were seeking them to bring to the populace,

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 not having found them, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the city rulers, calling aloud -- `These, having put the world in commotion, are also here present,

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 hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying another to be king -- Jesus.'

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

And they troubled the multitude and the city rulers, hearing these things,

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

and having taking security from Jason and the rest, 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, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went to 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.

and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all readiness of mind, every day examining the Writings 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.

many, indeed, therefore, of them did believe, and of the honourable Greek women and 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.

And when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that also in Berea was the word of God declared by Paul, they came thither also, agitating the multitudes;

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 forth Paul, to go on as it were to the sea, but both Silas and Timothy were remaining there.

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 conducting Paul, brought him unto Athens, and having received a command unto Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come unto him, 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.

and Paul waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, beholding the city wholly given 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, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshipping persons, and in the market-place every day with those who met with him.

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.

And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, `What would this seed picker wish to say?' and others, `Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;' because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news,

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?

having also taken him, unto the Areopagus they brought, saying, `Are we able to know what this new teaching that is spoken by thee,

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 certain strange things thou dost bring to our ears? we wish, then, to know what these things would wish to be;'

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—

and all Athenians, and the strangers sojourning, for nothing else were at leisure but to say something, and to hear some newer 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.

And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;

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 passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I found also an erection on which had been inscribed: To God -- unknown; whom, therefore -- not knowing -- ye do worship, this One I announce to 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.

`God, who did make the world, and all things in it, this One, of heaven and of earth being Lord, in temples made with hands doth not dwell,

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 by the hands of men is He served -- needing anything, He giving 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),

He made also of one blood every nation of men, to dwell upon all the face of the earth -- having ordained times before appointed, and the bounds of their dwellings --

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.

to seek the Lord, if perhaps they did feel after Him and find, -- though, indeed, 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 are; as also certain of your poets have said: For of Him also we are offspring.

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, offspring of God, we ought not to think the Godhead to be like to gold, or silver, or stone, graving of art and device of man;

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),

the times, indeed, therefore, of the ignorance God having overlooked, doth now command all men everywhere to reform,

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 did set a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom He did ordain, having given assurance to all, having raised him out of 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 having heard of a rising again of the dead, some, indeed, were mocking, but others said, `We will hear thee again concerning this;'

33 S o Paul went out from among them.

and so Paul went forth from the midst of 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.

and certain men having cleaved to him, did believe, among whom also Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman, by name Damaris, and others with them.