Acts 17 (New American Standard)

Paul at Thessalonica

1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to ¹Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And ²according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three ³Sabbaths reasoned with them from ⁴the Scriptures, 3 ^aexplaining and ^bgiving evidence that the ^cChrist ⁵had to suffer and ⁶rise again from the dead, and saying, "⁷This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the ^dChrist." 4 ⁸And some of them were persuaded and joined ⁹Paul and Silas, ^ealong with a large number of the ¹⁰God-fearing ¹¹Greeks and ^fa number of the ¹²leading women. 5 But ¹³the 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 ¹⁴Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began ¹⁵dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset ^g16the world have come here also ; 7 ^hand Jason ¹⁷has welcomed them, and they all act ¹⁸contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received a ⁱpledge from ¹⁹Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul at Berea

10 ²⁰The brethren immediately sent ²¹Paul and Silas away by night to ²²Berea, ^jand when they arrived, they went into ²³the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in ²⁴Thessalonica, ^kfor they received the word with ^lgreat eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore ²⁵many of them believed, ^malong with a number of ²⁶prominent Greek ²⁷women and men. 13 But when the Jews of ²⁸Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in ²⁹Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then immediately ³⁰the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea ; and ³¹Silas and ³²Timothy remained there. 15 Now ³³those who escorted Paul brought him as far as ³⁴Athens ; and receiving a command for ³⁵Silas and Timothy to ³⁶come to him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul at Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at ³⁷Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning ³⁸in the synagogue with the Jews and ³⁹the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were ⁿconversing with him. Some were saying, "What would ⁴⁰this ^oidle babbler wish to say ?" Others , "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-because he was preaching ⁴¹Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they ⁴²took him and brought him ^pto the ^q43Areopagus, saying, "May we know what ⁴⁴this new teaching is ^rwhich you are proclaiming ? 20 "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears ; so we want to know what these things mean ." 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers ⁴⁵visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

22 So Paul stood in the midst of the ^sAreopagus and said, "Men of ⁴⁶Athens, I observe that you are very ⁴⁷religious in all respects. 23 "For while I was passing through and examining the ⁴⁸objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what ⁴⁹you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 "⁵⁰The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is ⁵¹Lord of heaven and earth, does not ⁵²dwell in temples made with hands ; 25 nor is He served by human hands, ⁵³as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things ; 26 and ⁵⁴He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having ⁵⁵determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, ⁵⁶though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for ⁵⁷in Him we live and move and ^texist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' 29 "Being then the children of God, we ⁵⁸ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 "Therefore having ⁵⁹overlooked ⁶⁰the times of ignorance, God is ⁶¹now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed ⁶²a day in which ⁶³He will judge ^u64the world in righteousness ^vthrough a Man whom He has ⁶⁵appointed, having furnished proof to all men ^wby ⁶⁶raising Him from the dead." 32 Now when they heard of ⁶⁷the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you ^xagain concerning this." 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ⁶⁸Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.