New King James Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

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 traveled 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 according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths 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 giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming 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, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number 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, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.

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.

6When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world 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 welcomed them, and they all act contrary to 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.

8They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.

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

9And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.

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

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 were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

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

12Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and 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 of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, 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 immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and 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.

15Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.

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 being provoked within him as he was observing the city 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 was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.

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.

18And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-- 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 which you are proclaiming?

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

20"For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know 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.

21(Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than 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 stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

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:

23"For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, 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.

24"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;

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 people life and breath and all things;

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 their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,

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 would seek God, if perhaps they might grope 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 also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

28for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'

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.

29"Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.

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

30"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should 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 in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men 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 began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this."

33So Paul departed from among them.

33So Paul went out of 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.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org