Parallel Bible results for "acts 17"

Acts 17

New Revised Standard NRS

1 After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures,

3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you."

4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

5 But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the marketplaces they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason's house.

6 When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, "These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also,

7 and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus."

8 The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this,

9 and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go.

10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

11 These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so.

12 Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing.

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea as well, they came there too, to stir up and incite the crowds.

14 Then the believers immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind.

15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him.

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

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

18 Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities." (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)

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

20 It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means."

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

22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way.

23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands,

25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.

26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live,

27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us.

28 For "In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his offspring.'

29 Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals.

30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, "We will hear you again about this."

33 At that point Paul left them.

34 But some of them joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

The Bible in Basic English BBE

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

2 And Paul, as he generally did, went in to them, and on three Sabbath days had discussions with them from the holy Writings,

3 Saying to them clearly and openly that Christ had to be put to death and come back to life again; and that this Jesus, whom, he said, I am preaching to you, is the Christ.

4 And some of them had faith, and were joined to Paul and Silas; and a number of the God-fearing Greeks, and some of the chief women.

5 But the Jews, being moved with envy, took with them certain low persons from among the common people, and getting together a great number of people, made an outcry in the town, attacking the house of Jason with the purpose of taking them out to the people.

6 And when they were not able to get them, they took Jason and some of the brothers by force before the rulers of the town, crying, These men, who have made trouble all over the world have now come here;

7 Whom Jason has taken into his house: and they are acting against the orders of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.

8 And hearing these things the people and the rulers of the town were troubled.

9 And having made Jason and the others give an undertaking to keep the peace, they let them go.

10 And the brothers straight away sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea: and they, when they came there, went to the Synagogue of the Jews.

11 Now these were more noble than the Jews of Thessalonica, for they gave serious attention to the word, searching in the holy Writings every day, to see if these things were so.

12 And a number of them had faith, and no small number of the Greek women of high position and of the men.

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had news that Paul was preaching the word at Beroea, they came there, troubling the people and working them up.

14 So the brothers sent Paul straight away to the sea: but Silas and Timothy kept there still.

15 But those who went with Paul took him as far as Athens, and then went away, with orders from him to Silas and Timothy to come to him quickly.

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was troubled, for he saw all the town full of images of the gods.

17 So he had discussions in the Synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and every day in the market-place with those who were there.

18 And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead.

19 And they took him to Mars' Hill, saying, Will you make clear to us what is this new teaching of yours?

20 For you seem to us to say strange things, and we have a desire to get the sense of them.

21 (Now all the Athenians and the men from other lands who come there were giving all their time to talking or hearing of anything new.)

22 And Paul got to his feet on Mars' Hill and said, O men of Athens, I see that you are overmuch given to fear of the gods.

23 For when I came by, I was looking at the things to which you give worship, and I saw an altar with this writing on it, TO THE GOD OF WHOM THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE. Now, what you, without knowledge, give worship to, I make clear to you.

24 The God who made the earth and everything in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, is not housed in buildings made with hands;

25 And he is not dependent on the work of men's hands, as if he had need of anything, for he himself gives to all life and breath and all things;

26 And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth, ordering their times and the limits of their lands,

27 So that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him, though he is not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we have life and motion and existence; as certain of your verse writers have said, For we are his offspring.

29 If then we are the offspring of God, it is not right for us to have the idea that God is like gold or silver or stone, formed by the art or design of man.

30 Those times when men had no knowledge were overlooked by God; but now he gives orders to all men in every place to undergo a change of heart:

31 Because a day has been fixed in which all the world will be judged in righteousness by the man who has been marked out by him for this work; of which he has given a sign to all men by giving him back from the dead.

32 Now on hearing about the coming back from death, some of them made sport of it, but others said, Let us go more fully into this another time.

33 And so Paul went away from among them.

34 But some men gave him their support: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.