Acts 17 (New American Standard Bible)

Acts 17

Paul at Thessalonica

 ¹Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to ^(A)Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

 ²And ^(B)according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three ^(C)Sabbaths reasoned with them from ^(D)the Scriptures,

 ³explaining and giving evidence that the Christ ^(E)had to suffer and ^(F)rise again from the dead, and saying, "^(G)This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."

 ^4(H)And some of them were persuaded and joined ^(I)Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the ^(J)God-fearing ^(K)Greeks and a number of the ^(L)leading women.

 ⁵But ^(M)the 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 ^(N)Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.

 ⁶When they did not find them, they began ^(O)dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset ^[a](P)the world have come here also;

 ⁷and Jason ^(Q)has welcomed them, and they all act ^(R)contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

 ⁸They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.

 ⁹And when they had received a pledge from ^(S)Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul at Berea

 ^10(T)The brethren immediately sent ^(U)Paul and Silas away by night to ^(V)Berea, and when they arrived, they went into ^(W)the synagogue of the Jews.

 ¹¹Now these were more noble-minded than those in ^(X)Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

 ¹²Therefore ^(Y)many of them believed, along with a number of ^(Z)prominent Greek ^(AA)women and men.

 ¹³But when the Jews of ^(AB)Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in ^(AC)Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

 ¹⁴Then immediately ^(AD)the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and ^(AE)Silas and ^(AF)Timothy remained there.

 ¹⁵Now ^(AG)those who escorted Paul brought him as far as ^(AH)Athens; and receiving a command for ^(AI)Silas and Timothy to ^(AJ)come to him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul at Athens

 ¹⁶Now while Paul was waiting for them at ^(AK)Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.

 ¹⁷So he was reasoning ^(AL)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(AM)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.

 ¹⁸And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would ^(AN)this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"--because he was preaching ^(AO)Jesus and the resurrection.

 ¹⁹And they ^(AP)took him and brought him to the ^(AQ)Areopagus, saying, "May we know what ^(AR)this new teaching is which 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 ^(AS)visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

 ²²So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of ^(AT)Athens, I observe that you are very ^(AU)religious in all respects.

 ²³"For while I was passing through and examining the ^(AV)objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD ' Therefore what ^(AW)you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

 ²⁴"^(AX)The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is ^(AY)Lord of heaven and earth, does not ^(AZ)dwell in temples made with hands;

 ²⁵nor is He served by human hands, ^(BA)as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;

 ²⁶and ^(BB)He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having ^(BC)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,

 ²⁷that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, ^(BD)though He is not far from each one of us;

 ²⁸for ^(BE)in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'

 ²⁹"Being then the children of God, we ^(BF)ought 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 ^(BG)overlooked ^(BH)the times of ignorance, God is ^(BI)now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,

 ³¹because He has fixed ^(BJ)a day in which ^(BK)He will judge ^(BL)the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has ^(BM)appointed, having furnished proof to all men by ^(BN)raising Him from the dead."

 ³²Now when they heard of ^(BO)the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this."

 ³³So Paul went out of their midst.

 ³⁴But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ^(BP)Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.