Acts 17

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)

1 Ref Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

2 Ref and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 Ref opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, `said he,' I proclaim unto you, is the Christ.

4 Ref And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5 Ref But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people.

6 Ref And when they found them not, 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;

7 Ref whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, `one' Jesus.

8 Ref And they troubled the multitude and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9 Ref And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10 Ref And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 Ref Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

12 Ref Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few.

13 Ref But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed of Paul at Beroea also, they came thither likewise, stirring up and troubling the multitudes.

14 Ref And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea: and Silas and Timothy abode there still.

15 Ref But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.

16 Ref Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols.

17 Ref So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.

18 Ref And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

19 Ref And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?

20 Ref For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 Ref (Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)

22 Ref And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious.

23 Ref For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.

24 Ref The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Ref neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 Ref and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined `their' appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 Ref that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us:

28 Ref for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Ref Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.

30 Ref The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:

31 Ref inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32 Ref Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again.

33 Thus Paul went out from among them.

34 Ref But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

World English Bible (WEB)

1 Ref Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

2 Ref Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 Ref explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."

4 Ref Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.

5 Ref But the unpersuaded Jews took along{TR reads "And the Jews who were unpersuaded, becoming envious and taking along" instead of "But the unpersuaded Jews took along"} some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.

6 Ref When they didn't find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers{The word for "brothers" here and where the context allows may be also correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."} before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7 Ref whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!"

8 Ref The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.

9 Ref When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10 Ref The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

11 Ref Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

12 Ref Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.

13 Ref But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes.

14 Ref Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.

15 Ref But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.

16 Ref Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

17 Ref So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

18 Ref Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also{TR omits "also"} were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

19 Ref They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?

20 Ref For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean."

21 Ref Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

22 Ref Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

23 Ref For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.

24 Ref The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn't dwell in temples made with hands,

25 Ref neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.

26 Ref He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,

27 Ref that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

28 Ref 'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'

29 Ref Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.

30 Ref The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

31 Ref because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead."

32 Ref Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you again concerning this."

33 Thus Paul went out from among them.

34 Ref But certain men joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

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