Acts of the Apostles 17

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Passing through Amphipolis and Apol onia, they eventual y reached Thessalonica, where there was aJewish synagogue.	1 When they took the road through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they reached Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 Paul as usual went in and for three consecutive Sabbaths developed the arguments from scripture forthem,	2 Following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three sabbaths he entered into discussions with them from the scriptures,
3 explaining and proving how it was ordained that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead. 'Andthe Christ', he said, 'is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.'	3 expounding and demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, and that "This is the Messiah, Jesus, whom I proclaim to you."
4 Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, and so did a great many godfearing peopleand Greeks, as wel as a number of the leading women.	4 Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas; so, too, a great number of Greeks who were worshipers, and not a few of the prominent women.
5 The Jews, ful of resentment, enlisted the help of a gang from the market place, stirred up a crowd, andsoon had the whole city in an uproar. They made for Jason's house, hoping to bring them before the People'sAssembly;	5 But the Jews became jealous and recruited some worthless men loitering in the public square, formed a mob, and set the city in turmoil. They marched on the house of Jason, intending to bring them before the people's assembly.
6 however, they found only Jason and some of the brothers, and these they dragged before the citycouncil, shouting, 'The people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now;	6 When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city magistrates, shouting, "These people who have been creating a disturbance all over the world have now come here,
7 they have been staying at Jason's. They have broken Caesar's edicts by claiming that there is anotherking, Jesus.'	7 and Jason has welcomed them. They all act in opposition to the decrees of Caesar and claim instead that there is another king, Jesus."
8 Hearing this, the citizens and the city council ors were alarmed,	8 They stirred up the crowd and the city magistrates who, upon hearing these charges,
9 and they made Jason and the rest give security before setting them free.	9 took a surety payment from Jason and the others before releasing them.
10 When it was dark the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Beroea, where they went tothe Jewish synagogue as soon as they arrived.	10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas to Beroea during the night. Upon arrival they went to the synagogue of the Jews.
11 Here the Jews were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they welcomed the wordvery readily; every day they studied the scriptures to check whether it was true.	11 These Jews were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all willingness and examined the scriptures daily to determine whether these things were so.
12 Many of them became believers, and so did many Greek women of high standing and a number ofthe men.	12 Many of them became believers, as did not a few of the influential Greek women and men.
13 When the Jews of Thessalonica came to learn that the word of God was being preached by Paul inBeroea as wel , they went there to make trouble and stir up the people.	13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had now been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea also, they came there too to cause a commotion and stir up the crowds.
14 So the brothers arranged for Paul to go immediately as far as the coast, leaving Silas and Timothybehind.	14 So the brothers at once sent Paul on his way to the seacoast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.
15 Paul's escort took him as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy torejoin Paul as soon as they could.	15 After Paul's escorts had taken him to Athens, they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
16 Paul waited for them in Athens and there his whole soul was revolted at the sight of a city given overto idolatry.	16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he grew exasperated at the sight of the city full of idols.
17 In the synagogue he debated with the Jews and the godfearing, and in the market place he debatedevery day with anyone whom he met.	17 So he debated in the synagogue with the Jews and with the worshipers, and daily in the public square with whoever happened to be there.
18 Even a few Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, 'What can this parrotmean?' And, because he was preaching about Jesus and Resurrection, others said, 'He seems to be apropagandist for some outlandish gods.'	18 Even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers engaged him in discussion. Some asked, "What is this scavenger trying to say?" Others said, "He sounds like a promoter of foreign deities," because he was preaching about 'Jesus' and 'Resurrection.'
19 They got him to accompany them to the Areopagus, where they said to him, 'Can we know what thisnew doctrine is that you are teaching?	19 They took him and led him to the Areopagus and said, "May we learn what this new teaching is that you speak of?
20 Some of the things you say seemed startling to us and we would like to find out what they mean.'	20 For you bring some strange notions to our ears; we should like to know what these things mean."
21 The one amusement the Athenians and the foreigners living there seem to have is to discuss andlisten to the latest ideas.	21 Now all the Athenians as well as the foreigners residing there used their time for nothing else but telling or hearing something new.
22 So Paul stood before the whole council of the Areopagus and made this speech: 'Men of Athens, Ihave seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters,	22 Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: "You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious.
23 because, as I strol ed round looking at your sacred monuments, I noticed among other things an altarinscribed: To An Unknown God. In fact, the unknown God you revere is the one I proclaim to you.	23 For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, 'To an Unknown God.' What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
24 'Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he doesnot make his home in shrines made by human hands.	24 The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
25 Nor is he in need of anything, that he should be served by human hands; on the contrary, it is he whogives everything -- including life and breath -- to everyone.	25 nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
26 From one single principle he not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy theentire earth, but he decreed the times and limits of their habitation.	26 He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
27 And he did this so that they might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed infinding him; and indeed he is not far from any of us,	27 so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
28 since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, as indeed some of your own writers have said: Weare al his children.	28 For 'In him we live and move and have our being,' as even some of your poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.'
29 'Since we are the children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything ingold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man.	29 Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
30 'But now, overlooking the times of ignorance, God is tel ing everyone everywhere that they mustrepent,	30 God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
31 because he has fixed a day when the whole world will be judged in uprightness by a man he hasappointed. And God has publicly proved this by raising him from the dead.'	31 because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world with justice' through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead."
32 At this mention of rising from the dead, some of them burst out laughing; others said, 'We would liketo hear you talk about this another time.'	32 When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, "We should like to hear you on this some other time."
33 After that Paul left them,	33 And so Paul left them.
34 but there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysiusthe Aeropagite and a woman cal ed Damaris, and others besides.	34 But some did join him, and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.