Acts 17
1 As they made their iorney thorow Amphipolis and Appolonia they came to Thessalonica where was a synagoge of the Iewes.
After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a Synagogue;
2 And Paul as his maner was went in vnto them and thre saboth doyes declared oute of the scripture vnto them
and, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the Scriptures.
3 openynge and allegynge that Christ must nedes have suffred and rysen agayne from deeth and that this Iesus was Christ whom (sayde he) I preache to you.
He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and “It is this man,” he declared, “who is the Christ — this Jesus about whom I am telling you.”
4 And some of them beleved and came and companyed with Paul and Sylas: also of the honourable Grekes a greate multitude and of the chefe wemen not a feawe.
Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of women belonging to the leading families.
5 But the Iewes which beleved not havynge indignacio toke vnto the evyll men which were vagabondes and gadered a company and set all the cite on a roore and made asaute vnto the housse of Iason and sought to bringe the out to the people.
But the Jews, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;
6 But when they founde them not they drue Iason and certayne brethren vnto the heedes of the cite cryinge: these that trouble the worlde are come hydder also
and, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Brethren before the City Magistrates, shouting out: “These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,
7 which Iason hath receaved prevely. And these all do contrary to the elders of Cesar affirmynge another kynge one Iesus.
and have been harboured by Jason! They say that some one else is king — a man called Jesus!”
8 And they troubled the people and the officers of the cite when they hearde these thinges.
On hearing this, the people and the City Magistrates were much concerned;
9 And when they were sufficiently answered of Iason and of the other they let the goo.
and, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.
10 And the brethren immediatly sent awaye Paul and Sylas by nyght vnto Berrea. Which when they were come thyther they entred into ye synagoge of the Iewes.
That very night the Brethren sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish Synagogue.
11 These were the noblest of byrthe amonge the of Thessalonia which receaved the worde wt all diligence of mynde and searched ye scriptures dayly whether those thinges were even so.
These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the Message with great readiness, and daily examined the Scriptures to see if what was said was true.
12 And many of the beleved: also of worshipfull weme which were Grekes and of men not a feawe.
As a consequence, many of them became believers in Christ, besides a considerable number of Greek women of position, and of men also.
13 When the Iewes of Thessalonia had knowledge that ye worde of God was preached of Paul at Berrea they came there and moved the people.
But, when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that God’s Message had been delivered by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, exciting and disturbing the minds of the people.
14 And then by and by ye brethre sent awaye Paul to goo as it were to ye see: but Sylas and Timotheus abode there still.
Immediately upon that, the Brethren sent Paul off on his way to the sea coast, but both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Beroea.
15 And they that gyded Paul brought him vnto Attens and receaved a comaundment vnto Sylas and Timotheus for to come to him at once and came their waye.
The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.
16 Whyll Paul wayted for them at Attens his sprete was moved in him to se the cite geven to worshippinge of ymages.
While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his heart was stirred at seeing the whole city full of idols.
17 Then he disputed in the synagoge wt the Iewes and with the devout persones and in the market dayly with the that came vnto him.
So he argued in the Synagogue with the Jews and with those who joined in their worship, as well as daily in the public Square with those who happened to be there.
18 Certayne philosophers of ye Epicures and of ye stoyckes disputed with him. And some ther were which sayde: what will this babler saye. Other sayd: he semeth to be a tydynges bringer of newe devyls because he preached vnto them Iesus and the resurreccion.
Among others, some Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers joined issue with him. Some would ask “What is this prater wanting to make out?”, while others would say “He seems to be a Preacher of foreign Deities.” (This was because he was telling the Good News about Jesus and the Resurrection).
19 And they toke him and brought him into Marsestrete sayinge: maye we not knowe what this newe doctrine wher of thou speakest is?
So they laid hold of him and took him to the Court of Areopagus. “May we hear,” they asked, “what new teaching this is which you are giving?
20 For thou bringest straunge tydynges to oure eares. We wolde knowe therfore what these thinges meane.
For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean.”
21 For all the Attenians and straungers which were there gave the selves to nothinge els but ether to tell or to heare newe tydynges.
(All Athenians and the foreigners staying in the city found no time for anything else but telling, or listening to, the last new thing.)
22 Paul stode in the myddes of Marse strete and sayde: ye men of Attens I perceave that in all thinges ye are to supersticious.
So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said — “Men of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout.
23 For as I passed by and behelde the maner how ye worship youre goddes I founde an aultre wher in was written: vnto ye vnknowen god. Whom ye then ignoratly worship him shewe I vnto you.
For as I was going about, looking at your sacred shrines, I came upon an altar with this inscription — ‘To an Unknown God.’ What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, that I am now proclaiming to you.
24 God that made the worlde and all that are in it seynge that he is Lorde of heven and erth he dwelleth not in temples made with hondes
The God who made the world and all things that are in it — he, Lord as he is of Heaven and Earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands,
25 nether is worshipped with mennes hondes as though he neded of eny thinge seinge he him selfe geveth lyfe and breeth to all men every where
nor yet do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things.
26 and hath made of one bloud all nacions of men for to dwell on all the face of the erthe and hath assigned before how longe tyme and also the endes of their inhabitacion
He made all races of the earth’s surface — fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements —
27 that they shuld seke God yf they myght fele and fynde him though he be not farre from every one of vs.
That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;
28 For in him we lyve move and have oure beynge as certayne of youre awne Poetes sayde. For we are also his generacion.
for in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets — ‘His offspring, too, are we.’
29 For as moche then as we are the generacion of God we ought not to thynke that the godhed is lyke vnto golde silver or stone graven by crafte and ymaginacion of man.
Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone — a work of human art and imagination.
30 And the tyme of this ignoraunce God regarded not: but now he byddeth all men every where repent
True, God looked with indulgence on the days of men’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to every one everywhere the need for repentance,
31 because he hath apoynted a daye in the which he will iudge the worlde acordynge to ryghtewesses by that man whom he hath apoynted and hath offered faith to all men after that he had raysed him from deeth.
because he has fixed a day on which he intends to ‘judge the world with justice,’ by a man whom he has appointed — and of this he has given all men a pledge by raising this man from the dead.”
32 When they hearde of ye resurreccion from deeth some mocked and other sayde: we will heare the agayne of this matter.
On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they would hear what he had to say about that another time.
33 So Paul departed from amonge them.
And so Paul left the Court.
34 Howbeit certayne men clave vnto Paul and beleved amonge the which was Dionysius a senatour and a woman named Damaris and other with them.
There were, however, some men who joined him, and became believers in Christ. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others.
