| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. | 1After they traveled 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, | 2Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed 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 demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, "This Jesus 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. | 4Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent 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 gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason's house, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the 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, screaming, "These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world 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 as guests! They are all acting against Caesar's decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!" |
| 8And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. | 8They caused confusion among the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. |
| 9So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. | 9After the city officials had received bail 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 brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to 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. | 11These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day 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. | 12Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few 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 from Thessalonica heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God in Berea, they came there too, inciting and disturbing the crowds. |
| 14Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. | 14Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. |
| 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 accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, and after receiving an order 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. | 16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset because he saw 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 was addressing the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue, and in the marketplace every day 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. | 18Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, "What does this foolish babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods." (They said this because he was proclaiming 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? | 19So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? |
| 20For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” | 20For you are bringing some surprising things to our ears, so we want to know what they 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(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to 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 before the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see 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: | 23For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: 'To an unknown god.' Therefore what you worship without knowing it, 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, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human 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 if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. |
| 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 made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would 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; | 27so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around 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 about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are 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. | 29So since we are God's offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination. |
| 30Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, | 30Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he 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 on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof 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.” | 32Now when they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, "We will hear you again about this." |
| 33So Paul departed from among them. | 33So Paul left the Areopagus. |
| 34However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. | 34But some people joined him and believed. Among them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. |
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