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

After Paul and Silas had gone through the cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to the city of Thessalonica. The Jews had a place of worship there.

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

Paul went in as he always did. They gathered together each Day of Rest for three weeks and he taught them from the Holy Writings.

3 d eclaring 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.

He showed them that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead. He said, “I preach this Jesus to you. He is the Christ.”

4 A nd 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.

Some of them put their trust in Christ and followed Paul and Silas. There were many Greek people and some leading women who honored God among those who had become Christians. The Jews Make It Hard for Paul and Silas

5 B ut 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.

The Jews who did not put their trust in Christ became jealous. They took along some sinful men from the center of town where people gather and brought them out on the street. These angry men started all the people in the city to cry out with loud voices. They went to the house of Jason hoping to find Paul and Silas there and bring them out to the people.

6 A nd 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,

But they did not find them there. Then they dragged Jason and some other Christians out in front of the leaders and cried out, “These men who have been making trouble over all the world have come here also.

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

And Jason has taken them in. They say there is another King called Jesus. They are working against the laws made by Caesar.”

8 A nd they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.

When the people and city leaders heard this, they were troubled.

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

Then they made Jason and the others pay some money and let them go. Paul and Silas Go to Berea

10 ¶ 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.

At once the Christians sent Paul and Silas away at night to the city of Berea. When they got there, they went to the Jewish place of worship.

11 T hese 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.

These Jews were more willing to understand than those in the city of Thessalonica. They were very glad to hear the Word of God, and they looked into the Holy Writings to see if those things were true.

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

Many of them became Christians. Some of them were respected Greek women and men.

13 B ut 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.

The Jews of Thessalonica heard that Paul was preaching the Word of God in Berea. They went there and worked against the missionaries by talking to the people.

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

At once the Christians sent Paul away to the sea-shore. But Silas and Timothy stayed there. Paul Preaches on Mars’ Hill in Athens

15 A nd 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.

Those who took Paul brought him to the city of Athens. Paul sent word with them that Silas and Timothy should come to him as soon as they could. Then they left.

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

While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, his spirit was troubled as he saw the whole city worshiping false gods.

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

He talked to the Jews and other people who were worshiping in the Jewish place of worship. Every day he talked with people who gathered in the center of town.

18 T hen 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.

Some men from two different groups were arguing with Paul. The one group thought that men might as well get all the fun out of life that they can. The other group thought that wisdom alone makes men happy. Some of them said, “This man has lots of little things to talk about. They are not important. What is he trying to say?” Others said, “He preaches about strange gods.” It was because he preached of Jesus and of His being raised from the dead.

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

Then they took him to Mars’ Hill and said, “We want to hear of this new teaching of yours.

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

Some of the things you are telling us are strange to our ears. We want to know what these things mean.”

21 ( 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.)

The people of Athens and those visiting from far countries used all their time in talking or hearing some new thing.

22 ¶ 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.

Then Paul stood up on Mars’ Hill and said, “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way.

23 F or 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.

As I was walking around and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar where you worship with the words written on it, TO THE GOD WHO IS NOT KNOWN. You are worshiping Him without knowing Him. He is the One I will tell you about.

24 T he 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;

“The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in buildings made by hands.

25 n either is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he gives to all life and breath and all things

No one needs to care for Him as if He needed anything. He is the One who gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

26 a nd 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;

He made from one blood all nations who live on the earth. He set the times and places where they should live.

27 t hat 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;

“They were to look for God. Then they might feel after Him and find Him because He is not far from each one of us.

28 f or 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.

It is in Him that we live and move and keep on living. Some of your own men have written, ‘We are God’s children.’

29 B eing 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.

If we are God’s children, we should not think of Him as being like gold or silver or stone. Such gods made of gold or silver or stone are planned by men and are made by them.

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

“God did not remember these times when people did not know better. But now He tells all men everywhere to be sorry for their sins and to turn from them.

31 b ecause 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.

He has set a day when He will say in the right way if the people of the world are guilty. This will be done by Jesus Christ, the One He has chosen. God has proven this to all men by raising Jesus Christ 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.

Some people laughed and made fun when they heard Paul speak of Christ being raised from the dead. Others said, “We want to listen to you again about this.”

33 S o Paul departed from among them.

So Paul went away from the people.

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

Some people followed him and became Christians. One was Dionysius, a leader in the city. A woman named Damaris believed. And there were others also.