New King James Version

English Standard Version

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

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

2Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

2And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”

3explaining 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.”

4And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

4And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

5But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

5But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

6But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”

7and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

8And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.

8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.

9So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

9And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

11These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

11Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

12Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

12Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

13But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.

13But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

14Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there.

14Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.

15So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

15Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

16Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.

16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.

17Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

18Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

19And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?

19And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

20For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.”

20For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.”

21For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

22Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

23for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

24God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,

25Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

26And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

27so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

27that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

28for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

28for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

29Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

29Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

30Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

31because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

32And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”

32Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”

33So Paul departed from among them.

33So Paul went out from their midst.

34However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.