New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

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

1After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

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

2As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days 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 Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah."

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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,

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. They are all acting contrary to Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king--Jesus."

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

8The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset.

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

9After taking a security bond 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

12Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women 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 found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting the crowds.

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

14Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed on 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 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.

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.

16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when 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 with those who worshiped God, as well as 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 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.

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

19They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, "May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting?

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

20Because what you say sounds strange to us, and 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.

21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but 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;

22Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect.

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 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.

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--he is Lord of heaven and earth--does not live in shrines made by hands.

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

25Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone 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,

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.

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;

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.

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 also 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.

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.

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

30"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now 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 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."

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

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."

33So Paul departed from among them.

33So Paul left their presence.

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

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

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

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.