¹And they travelled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ²And in accordance with his custom, Paul went to them, and for three Sabbaths he debated with them from the scriptures, ³expounding and explaining as follows: “Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead”, and, “This is who the Christ is: Jesus, whom I declare to you.” ⁴And some of them were persuaded and were assigned to Paul and Silas, as were a very large number of the devout Greeks and not an insignificant number of the leading women. ⁵But the unbelieving Jews recruited some good-for-nothing men from those who hang around the market area, and when they had collected a crowd, they brought the city into uproar and took a stand at Jason's house and tried to bring them to the people. ⁶But as they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers to the city rulers, shouting, “Those who have upset the world are these present right here, ⁷whom Jason has received as guests. And all these are doing things contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king – Jesus.” ⁸And they stirred up the crowd and the rulers of the city, who heard these things. ⁹Then they took bail from Jason and the others, and they released them. ¹⁰And the brothers immediately during the night sent Paul and Silas away to Berea, who, when they arrived, went to the Jews' synagogue. ¹¹Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they received the word with all readiness, closely examining the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. ¹²So many of them believed, as did not a few of the Greek women of high standing, and men. ¹³But when the Jews from Thessalonica came to know that the word of God had also been declared in Berea by Paul, they came there too and stirred up the crowds. ¹⁴And then immediately the brothers sent Paul out so that he could go in the direction of the sea. But both Silas and Timothy stayed there. ¹⁵And they conducted Paul and brought him to Athens, then having received an instruction for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed. ¹⁶And in Athens, while Paul was waiting for them, his spirit in him was exasperated when he saw how the city was given to idolatry. ¹⁷So he discussed with the Jews and devout people in the synagogue, and every day with those who happened to be around in the market place. ¹⁸And also some of the Epicurean and the Stoic philosophers engaged him in conversation, and some said, “What could this amateur be getting at?” But others said, “He seems to be a propounder of foreign deities.” This was because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹And they took him along with them and brought him to Ares Hill and said, “May we know what this new teaching is which is being spoken by you? ²⁰For you are bringing some strange ideas to our ears. So we wish to know what these things mean.” ²¹For all the Athenians and the foreigners living away from home would spend their leisure time in nothing other than talking or hearing about something new. ²²So Paul, standing before the Ares Hill council said, “Men of Athens, I see, apparently, that you are very reverent to the gods in all respects. ²³For as I passed through and looked at your objects of worship, I also found an altar on which had been inscribed:

‘To an unknown god.’

Now him whom you worship in ignorance, I declare to you. ²⁴God, who made the universe and everything in it – he being Lord of heaven and earth – does not dwell in shrines made by hands, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands as if he lacked anything, but he himself gives life and breath in all respects to all. ²⁶And he made every nation of men from one blood, so as to dwell on all the surface of the earth, and he set appointed times and the borders of their territory, ²⁷so that they should seek the Lord, to see if they might possibly feel their way to him and find him, and at any rate he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸For in him we live and move and exist, as also some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his kindred.’ ²⁹So since we are the kindred of God, we should not think the divine essence is like gold or silver or stone or a sculpture from the craftsmanship and the ponderings of man. ³⁰And so although God turned a blind eye throughout the times of ignorance, in these times he commands all men everywhere to repent. ³¹For he has appointed a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, through a man whom he has appointed, having provided assurance to all by resurrecting him from the dead.” ³²And when they heard “resurrection of the dead”, some scoffed, but some said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” ³³And so Paul departed from their company. ³⁴But some men stuck with him and believed, among whom were Dionysius the Ares Hill council member, and a woman by the name of Damaris and others with them.