Acts 17

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

²And Paul, as his custom was, went in among them, and for three sabbaths discoursed to them out of the Scriptures,

³explaining them, and setting forth that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead, and that "this is the Christ,—Jesus whom I am making known to you."

⁴And some of them were convinced, and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the women of high rank not a few.

⁵But the unbelieving Jews, taking with them certain bad men of the idlers in the market-place, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar; and having come to the house of Jason, they endeavored to bring them out to the people;

⁶but not finding them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city magistrates, crying out, These men that have turned the world upside down have come hither also;

⁷whom Jason hath entertained; and they are all acting in opposition to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.

⁸And they alarmed the multitude and the city magistrates when they heard these things.

⁹And having taken security of Jason and of the others, they let them go.

¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea; who, having come there, went into the synagogue of the Jews.

¹¹These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

¹²Many of them therefore believed; and of the Grecian women of rank and men, not a few.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that at Beroea, too, the word of God was preached by Paul, they came hither also, and stirred up the multitudes.

¹⁴And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go to the sea; but Silas and Timothy remained there.

¹⁵And they who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and having received a commandment to Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

¹⁶Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him, when he saw the city full of idols.

¹⁷Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout [Greeks], and in the market daily with those that met him.

¹⁸And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, What doth this babbler mean to say? and others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of foreign gods; because he brought the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹And they took him and brought him to Mars’ hill, saying, May we know what this new doctrine is, of which thou speakest?

²⁰For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We would know therefore what these things mean.

²¹Now all the Athenians, and the strangers residing among them, spent their leisure for nothing else but to tell or to hear something new.

²²Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very devout.

²³For while passing along and observing your objects of worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, "To an unknown God." What therefore ye, without knowledge of it, worship, that do I make known to you.

²⁴The God who made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

²⁵nor doth he receive service at the hands of men, as though he needed anything, since it is he that giveth to all life and breath and all things.

²⁶And he made of one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having fixed appointed times, and the bounds of their habitation;

²⁷that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every 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."

²⁹Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Deity is like to gold or silver or stone, graven by the art and device of man.

³⁰The times indeed of ignorance God overlooked; but now commandeth all men every where to repent;

³¹inasmuch as he hath fixed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he hath appointed; having given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

³²And when they heard of a resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but ethers said, We will hear thee again about this matter.

³³Thus Paul departed from among them.

³⁴But certain men joined themselves to him, and believed; among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite; and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Acts 17

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

²And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

³Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

⁴And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

⁵But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

⁶And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

⁷Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

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

⁹And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

¹¹These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

¹²Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

¹⁴And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

¹⁵And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

¹⁶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

¹⁷Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

¹⁸Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

¹⁹And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

²⁰For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

²¹(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

²²Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

²³For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

²⁴God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

²⁵Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

²⁶And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

²⁷That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

²⁸For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

²⁹Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

³⁰And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

³¹Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

³²And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

³³So Paul departed from among them.

³⁴Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.