1 N ow when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

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 P aul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from 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 e xplaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to 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 S ome of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.

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 unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they 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 W hen they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who 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. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, 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 T he multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.

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

9 W hen they had taken security from Jason and the rest, 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 T he brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

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 N ow these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these 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 M any of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.

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 proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes.

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 T hen the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.

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 B ut those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, 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 N ow while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

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

17 S o he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

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 S ome of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached 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 T hey took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?

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

20 F or you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore 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 N ow all the Athenians and the strangers living 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 P aul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

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 along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to 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 who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t 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 he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself 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 H e made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,

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 perhaps they might reach out for 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 ‘ For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’

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 then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.

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 T he times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should 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 the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to 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 N ow when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”

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 T hus Paul went out from among them.

So Paul went away from the people.

34 B ut certain men joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, 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.