1 A fter 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.

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

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

and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 H e 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.”

opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ.

4 S ome 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

And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5 T he 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.

But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people.

6 B ut 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.

And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

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

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

8 W hen the people and city leaders heard this, they were troubled.

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

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

And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10 A t 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.

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 T hese 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.

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

12 M any of them became Christians. Some of them were respected Greek women and men.

Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few.

13 T he 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.

But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed of Paul at Beroea also, they came thither likewise, stirring up and troubling the multitudes.

14 A t once the Christians sent Paul away to the sea-shore. But Silas and Timothy stayed there. Paul Preaches on Mars’ Hill in Athens

And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea: and Silas and Timothy abode there still.

15 T hose 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.

But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.

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

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols.

17 H e 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.

So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.

18 S ome 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.

And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

19 T hen they took him to Mars’ Hill and said, “We want to hear of this new teaching of yours.

And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?

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

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

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

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

22 T hen Paul stood up on Mars’ Hill and said, “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way.

And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious.

23 A s 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.

For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.

24 “ 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.

The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 N o one needs to care for Him as if He needed anything. He is the One who gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

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

and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 “ 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.

that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us:

28 I t is in Him that we live and move and keep on living. Some of your own men have written, ‘We are God’s children.’

for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 I f 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.

Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.

30 “ 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.

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:

31 H e 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.”

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

32 S ome 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.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again.

33 S o Paul went away from the people.

Thus Paul went out from among them.

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

But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.