1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 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 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 But the unpersuaded Jews took along*17:5 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 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers*17:6 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 whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!" 8 The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. 9 When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

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

11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men. 13 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 Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there. 15 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 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols. 17 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 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also*17:18 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 They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about? 20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean." 21 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 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 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you. 24 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 He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. 26 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 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 ‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 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 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 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 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 But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

1 Kui nad olid läinud läbi Amfipolise ja Apolloonia, jõudsid nad Tessaloonikasse, kus oli juudi sünagoog. 2 Ja Paulus läks, nagu tal kombeks oli, nende juurde sünagoogi, ja arutles nendega kolmel hingamispäeval Jumala sõna üle, 3 selgitades ja tõestades, et Messias pidi kannatama ja surnuist üles tõusma. „See Jeesus, keda mina teile kuulutan, ongi Messias!" ütles ta. 4 Mõned neist lasksid end veenda ja ühinesid Pauluse ja Siilasega, samuti ühines suur hulk jumalakartlikke kreeklasi ja rohkesti suursuguseid naisi.

5 Aga õpetuse vastu seisvad juudid said kadedaks, nad võtsid turuplatsilt kaasa mõningaid kurje mehi ja rahvahulki üles kihutades korraldasid linnas mässu. Nad ründasid Jaasoni maja, otsides Paulust ja Siilast, et neid välja rahva ette tuua. 6 Aga kui nad neid ei leidnud, vedasid nad Jaasoni ja mõned teised usklikud linna valitsejate ette ja karjusid: „Need mehed, kes kogu ilma on pea peale pööranud, on nüüd siia tulnud 7 ja Jaason on nad vastu võtnud. Nad rikuvad keisri korraldusi, rääkides ühest teisest kuningast, keda kutsutakse Jeesuseks!" 8 Seda kuuldes rahvahulk ja linna valitsejad ärritusid, kuid 9 saades Jaasonilt ja teistelt tagatise, lasksid neil minna.

10 Usklikud saatsid Pauluse ja Siilase öö saabudes Beroiasse. Sinna jõudes läksid nad juudi sünagoogi. 11 Beroias olid inimesed mõistlikumad kui Tessaloonikas; nemad võtsid sõna vastu innukalt ja uurisid iga päev Pühakirjast, kas Paulus rääkis õigust. 12 Paljud juudid hakkasid uskuma, samuti rohkesti kõrgemast seisusest kreeka naisi ja mehi.

13 Aga kui Tessaloonika juudid said teada, et Paulus ka Beroias kuulutab Jumala sõna, tulid nad ka sinna rahvahulka üles kihutama. 14 Siis usklikud saatsid Pauluse otsekohe mere äärde, Siilas ja Timoteos jäid aga Beroiasse. 15 Pauluse saatjad viisid ta Ateenani ja lahkusid pärast seda, kui nad olid saanud Siilase ja Timoteose jaoks juhtnöörid, et need võimalikult ruttu tuleksid Pauluse juurde.

16 Aga kui Paulus neid Ateenas ootas, siis ta ärritus vaimus, sest linn oli täis iidolite kujusid. 17 Ta arutles nüüd sünagoogis juutide ja jumalakartlike kreeklastega ning turuplatsil iga päev nendega, kes juhtusid seal olema. 18 Aga mõned epikuurlaste ja stoikute mõttetargad vaidlesid temaga. Mõned küsisid: „Mida see lobasuu tahab öelda?" Teised arvasid: „Tema näib kuulutavat võõraid jumalusi!" Sest Paulus kuulutas neile evangeeliumi Jeesusest ja ülestõusmisest. 19 Nad võtsid ta kinni ja viisid Areopaagile ning ütlesid: „Kas me võime teada saada, mis uus õpetus see on, millest sa kõneled? 20 Sa tood meie kõrvu võõrastavaid mõtteid. Me tahame teada, mis asjad need on." 21 (Kõik ateenlased ja seal elavad võõramaalased veetsid oma aega jutustades ja uudiseid kuulates.)

22 Aga Paulus seisis keset Areopaagi ning ütles: „Ateena mehed! Ma näen, et te olete väga jumalakartlikud. 23 Kui ma käisin läbi teie linna ja vaatasin paiku, mida te kummardate, märkasin ka üht altarit kirjaga:

Tundmatule jumalale.

Keda teie nüüd tundmatuna kummardate, teda kuulutan mina teile.

24 Jumal, kes on teinud maailma ja kõik selle sees, kes taeva ja maa Issandana ei ela inimkätega tehtud pühakodades, 25 ega lase ennast inimkätega teenida, justkui tal oleks midagi vaja, sest tema ise annab kõikidele elu ja hingamise ja kõik. 26 Tema on teinud ühestainsast terve inimkonna kõige maa peale elama ning on neile seadnud ettemääratud ajad ja nende asukohtade piirid. 27 Ja Jumal soovis, et inimesed teda otsiksid, et nad teda tunneksid ja leiaksid. Sest ta on meile kõigile väga lähedal. 28 Tema tõttu me elame ja liigume ja temas on meie olemine. Sest nagu mõned teie enda luuletajad on öelnud: „Meie oleme tema sugu."

29 Kui me nüüd oleme Jumala sugu, ei tohiks me arvata, et jumalikkus on nagu kuld-, hõbe- ja kivikujutised, mille on loonud inimesed oma leidlikkuse ja oskusega. 30 Jumal on küll sellisest teadmatusest minevikus mööda vaadanud, kuid nüüd käsib ta kõigil inimestel kõigis paigus meelt parandada. 31 Sest ta on seadnud päeva, mil ta mõistab õiglaselt kohut kogu maailma üle mehe läbi, kelle ta on määranud, ja ta on andnud kõigile tõestuse sellega, et on tema üles äratanud surnuist."

32 Kui need kuulsid surnute ülestõusmisest, hakkasid mõned neist irvitama, teised aga ütlesid: „Me tahame sind selles asjas kuulda uuesti!" 33 Nõnda lahkus Paulus nende juurest. 34 Ent mõned mehed ühinesid temaga ja said usklikuks; nende hulgas oli Areopaagi liige Dionüüsios, samuti üks naine nimega Damaris, ja mitmed teised.