Acts 17
1AND passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews.
2And Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3opening them, and setting forth that the Christ must suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this is the Christ, Jesus whom I preach to you.
4And some of them believed, and joined themselves to[17:4] Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5But the Jews, moved with envy[17:5], having taken to them, of the idlers in the market-place, certain vicious men, and having gathered a crowd, set the city in an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them unto the people.
6And not finding them, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying: These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.
7Whom Jason has received; and all these are acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.
8And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9And having taken security of Jason, and of the others, they let them go.
10And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Beroea; who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so.
12Many of them therefore believed; and of honorable Grecian women and men, not a few.
13But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that also at Beroea the word of God was preached by Paul, they came, stirring up the people there also.
14And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to journey as upon the sea; but Silas and Timothy abode there still.
15And they who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and having received a command to Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city full of idols.
17Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market daily with those who met with him.
18And certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, were disputing with him. And some said: What would this babbler say? and others: He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods; because he made known to them the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.
19And taking hold of him, they brought him upon Mars' Hill, saying: May we know what this new doctrine is, of which thou speakest?
20For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears; we would know therefore what these things mean.
21Now all Athenians, and the strangers residing there, spent their leisure for nothing else, but to tell or to hear something new.
22And Paul, standing in the midst of Mars' Hill, said: Men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very devout.
23For as I passed by, and observed your objects of worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore, not knowing, ye worship, him I announce to you.
24The God who made the world and all things therein, he being Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands;
25nor is ministered to by human hands, as if needing anything more, himself giving to all life, and breath, and all things.
26And he made of one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having fixed the appointed seasons and bounds of their habitation;
27that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, although he is not far from every one of us;
28for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as also some of your own poets have said: For his offspring also are we.
29Being therefore God's offspring, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like to gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now, commands all men everywhere to repent.
31Because he fixed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by the man whom he appointed, having given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
32And when they heard of a resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said: We will hear thee again of this matter.
33And thus Paul departed from among them.
34But certain ones, joining themselves to him, believed; among whom was also Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.