Parallel Bible results for "acts 17"

Acts 17

Hebrew Names Version HNV

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

2 Sha'ul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Shabbat days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 explaining and demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Yeshua, whom I proclaim to you, is the Messiah."

4 Some of them were persuaded, and joined Sha'ul and Sila, of the devout Yevanim a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.

5 But the disobedient Yehudim gathered some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.

6 When they didn't find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7 whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Yeshua!"

8 The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.

9 When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10 The brothers immediately sent Sha'ul and Sila away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Yehudi synagogue.

11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the Yevanit women of honorable estate, and not a few men.

13 But when the Yehudim of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Sha'ul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes.

14 Then the brothers immediately sent out Sha'ul to go as far as to the sea, and Sila and Timothy still stayed there.

15 But those who escorted Sha'ul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a mitzvah to Sila and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.

16 Now while Sha'ul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with Yehudim and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign demons," because he preached Yeshua and the resurrection.

19 They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?

20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean."

21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

22 Sha'ul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.

24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and eretz, dwells not in temples made with hands,

25 neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.

26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the eretz, having determined appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation,

27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

28 'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'

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

30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all men everywhere should repent,

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

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you yet again concerning this."

33 Thus Sha'ul went out from among them.

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

The Message Bible MSG

1 They took the road south through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where there was a community of Jews.

2 Paul went to their meeting place, as he usually did when he came to a town, and for three Sabbaths running he preached to them from the Scriptures.

3 He opened up the texts so they understood what they'd been reading all their lives: that the Messiah absolutely had to be put to death and raised from the dead - there were no other options - and that "this Jesus I'm introducing you to is that Messiah."

4 Some of them were won over and joined ranks with Paul and Silas, among them a great many God-fearing Greeks and a considerable number of women from the aristocracy.

5 But the hard-line Jews became furious over the conversions. Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorizing the city as they hunted down Paul and Silas.

6 When they couldn't find them, they collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city fathers, yelling hysterically, "These people are out to destroy the world, and now they've shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear!

7 And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king and Caesar is nothing!"

8 The city fathers and the crowd of people were totally alarmed by what they heard.

9 They made Jason and his friends post heavy bail and let them go while they investigated the charges.

10 That night, under cover of darkness, their friends got Paul and Silas out of town as fast as they could. They sent them to Berea, where they again met with the Jewish community.

11 They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said.

12 A lot of them became believers, including many Greeks who were prominent in the community, women and men of influence.

13 But it wasn't long before reports got back to the Thessalonian hard-line Jews that Paul was at it again, preaching the Word of God, this time in Berea. They lost no time responding, and created a mob scene there, too.

14 With the help of his friends, Paul gave them the slip - caught a boat and put out to sea. Silas and Timothy stayed behind.

15 The men who helped Paul escape got him as far as Athens and left him there. Paul sent word back with them to Silas and Timothy: "Come as quickly as you can!"

16 The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got - all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols.

17 He discussed it with the Jews and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along.

18 He got to know some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: "What an airhead!" But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the resurrection, were intrigued: "That's a new slant on the gods. Tell us more."

19 These people got together and asked him to make a public presentation over at the Areopagus, where things were a little quieter. They said, "This is a new one on us. We've never heard anything quite like it. Where did you come up with this anyway?

20 Explain it so we can understand."

21 Downtown Athens was a great place for gossip. There were always people hanging around, natives and tourists alike, waiting for the latest tidbit on most anything.

22 So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously.

23 When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with.

24 "The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines

25 or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him.

26 Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living

27 so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near.

28 We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.'

29 Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?

30 "God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better - but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change.

31 He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead."

32 At the phrase "raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to hear more."

33 But that was it for the day, and Paul left.

34 There were still others, it turned out, who were convinced then and there, and stuck with Paul - among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.