Acts 17:11-21

11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, ¹examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

12 ²Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek ³women of high standing as well as men.

13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, ⁴agitating and stirring up the crowds.

14 Then the brothers ⁵immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and ⁶Timothy remained there.

15 ⁷Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as ⁸Athens, and after receiving a command ⁹for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Paul in Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was ¹⁰provoked within him as he saw that the city was ¹¹full of idols.

17 So ¹²he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, ¹³"What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"--because ¹⁴he was preaching ¹⁵Jesus and the resurrection.

19 And they took him and brought him to ¹⁶the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this ¹⁷new teaching is that you are presenting?

20 For you bring some ¹⁸strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean."

21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.