| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. | 1After they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. |
| 2As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, | 2Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures, |
| 3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah." | 3explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." |
| 4Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women. | 4Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. |
| 5But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason's house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly. | 5But the Jews became jealous, and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason's house, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly. |
| 6When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, | 6When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming, "These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too, |
| 7and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king--Jesus." | 7and Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesar's decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!" |
| 8The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset. | 8They caused confusion among the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. |
| 9After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them. | 9After the city officials had received bail from Jason and the others, they released them. |
| 10As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. | 10The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. |
| 11The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. | 11These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so. |
| 12Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. | 12Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men. |
| 13But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting the crowds. | 13But when the Jews from Thessalonica heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God in Berea, they came there too, inciting and disturbing the crowds. |
| 14Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there. | 14Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. |
| 15Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed. | 15Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. |
| 16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. | 16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset because he saw the city was full of idols. |
| 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. | 17So he was addressing the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue, and in the marketplace every day those who happened to be there. |
| 18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, "What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?" Others replied, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities"--because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. | 18Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, "What does this foolish babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods." (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) |
| 19They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, "May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting? | 19So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? |
| 20Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean." | 20For you are bringing some surprising things to our ears, so we want to know what they mean." |
| 21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new. | 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to something new.) |
| 22Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. | 22So Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. |
| 23For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: 'To an Unknown God.' Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. | 23For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: 'To an unknown god.' Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you. |
| 24The God who made the world and everything in it--he is Lord of heaven and earth--does not live in shrines made by hands. | 24The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, |
| 25Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. | 25nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. |
| 26From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. | 26From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, |
| 27He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. | 27so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. |
| 28For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.' | 28For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.' |
| 29Since we are God's offspring then, we shouldn't think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. | 29So since we are God's offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination. |
| 30"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, | 30Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, |
| 31because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." | 31because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead." |
| 32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, "We'd like to hear from you again about this." | 32Now when they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, "We will hear you again about this." |
| 33So Paul left their presence. | 33So Paul left the Areopagus. |
| 34However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. | 34But some people joined him and believed. Among them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. |
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