Acts 17:1 ←
Now when they had gone through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Synagogue of the Jews:
Acts 17:2 ←
And Paul, as he generally did, went in to them, and on three Sabbath days had discussions with them from the holy Writings,
Acts 17:3 ←
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.
Acts 17:4 ←
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.
Acts 17:5 ←
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.
Acts 17:6 ←
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;
Acts 17:7 ←
Whom Jason has taken into his house: and they are acting against the orders of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.
Acts 17:8 ←
And hearing these things the people and the rulers of the town were troubled.
Acts 17:9 ←
And having made Jason and the others give an undertaking to keep the peace, they let them go.
Acts 17:10 ←
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.
Acts 17:11 ←
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.
Acts 17:12 ←
And a number of them had faith, and no small number of the Greek women of high position and of the men.
Acts 17:13 ←
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.
Acts 17:14 ←
So the brothers sent Paul straight away to the sea: but Silas and Timothy kept there still.
Acts 17:15 ←
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.
Acts 17:16 ←
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.
Acts 17:17 ←
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.
Acts 17:18 ←
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.
Acts 17:19 ←
And they took him to Mars' Hill, saying, Will you make clear to us what is this new teaching of yours?
Acts 17:20 ←
For you seem to us to say strange things, and we have a desire to get the sense of them.
Acts 17:21 ←
(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.)
Acts 17:22 ←
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.
Acts 17:23 ←
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.
Acts 17:24 ←
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;
Acts 17:25 ←
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;
Acts 17:26 ←
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,
Acts 17:27 ←
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:
Acts 17:28 ←
For in him we have life and motion and existence; as certain of your verse writers have said, For we are his offspring.
Acts 17:29 ←
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.
Acts 17:30 ←
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:
Acts 17:31 ←
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.
Acts 17:32 ←
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.
Acts 17:33 ←
And so Paul went away from among them.
Acts 17:34 ←
But some men gave him their support: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
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