| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. | 1Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. |
| 2As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he 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 proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah," he said. | 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." |
| 4Some 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. | 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 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. | 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 other believers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, | 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; |
| 7and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." | 7and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." |
| 8When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. | 8They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. |
| 9Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. | 9And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them. |
| 10As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. | 10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. |
| 11Now 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. | 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. |
| 12As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. | 12Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. |
| 13But 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. | 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. |
| 14The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. | 14Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. |
| 15Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. | 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. |
| 16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of 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. |
| 17So 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. | 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. |
| 18A 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. | 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. |
| 19Then 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? | 19And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? |
| 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean." | 20"For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." |
| 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) | 21(Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.) |
| 22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way 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 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. | 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. |
| 24"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. | 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; |
| 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. | 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; |
| 26From 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. | 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, |
| 27God 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. | 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 some of your own poets have said, 'We are 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.' |
| 29"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. | 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. |
| 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. | 30"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, |
| 31For 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." | 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." |
| 32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." | 32Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this." |
| 33At that, Paul left the Council. | 33So Paul went out of their midst. |
| 34Some 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. | 34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | 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 |
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