Acts 17 Parallel Bible Translations

Acts 17
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1 Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” explaining 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.” explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.
4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. And 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. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
5 But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. But 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. But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. And 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, But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,
7 And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.” and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”
8 The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.
9 So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Now 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. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. But 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. But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.
14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.
15 Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him. Those 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. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. So 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. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.” Some 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. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”
21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.) Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. For 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. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.
25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. And 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, From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. that 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, God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ for “‘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.’ For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. Being 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. “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” because 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.” For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, So Paul went out from their midst. At that, Paul left the Council.
34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
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