Acts 17 – NIRV & ASCB

New International Reader’s Version

Acts 17:1-34

Paul and Silas Arrive in Thessalonica

1Paul and those traveling with him passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia. They came to Thessalonica. A Jewish synagogue was there. 2Paul went into the synagogue as he usually did. For three Sabbath days in a row he talked with the Jews about the Scriptures. 3He explained and proved that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am telling you about is the Messiah!” he said. 4His words won over some of the Jews. They joined Paul and Silas. A large number of Greeks who worshiped God joined them too. So did quite a few important women.

5But other Jews were jealous. So they rounded up some evil people from the market place. Forming a crowd, they started all kinds of trouble in the city. The Jews rushed to Jason’s house. They were looking for Paul and Silas. They wanted to bring them out to the crowd. 6But they couldn’t find them. So they dragged Jason and some other believers to the city officials. “These men have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted. “Now they have come here. 7Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all disobeying Caesar’s commands. They say there is another king. He is called Jesus.” 8When the crowd and the city officials heard this, they became very upset. 9They made Jason and the others give them money. The officials did this to make sure they would return to the court. Then they let Jason and the others go.

Paul and Silas Are Sent to Berea

10As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11The Berean Jews were very glad to receive Paul’s message. They studied the Scriptures carefully every day. They wanted to see if what Paul said was true. So they were more noble than the Thessalonian Jews. 12Because of this, many of the Berean Jews believed. A number of important Greek women also became believers. And so did many Greek men.

13But the Jews in Thessalonica found out that Paul was preaching God’s word in Berea. So some of them went there too. They stirred up the crowds and got them all worked up. 14Right away the believers sent Paul to the coast. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. 15The believers who went with Paul took him to Athens. Then they returned with orders that Silas and Timothy were supposed to join him as soon as they could.

Paul Preaches in Athens

16Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens. He was very upset to see that the city was full of statues of gods. 17So he went to the synagogue. There he talked both with Jews and with Greeks who worshiped God. Each day he spoke with anyone who happened to be in the market place. 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic thinkers began to argue with him. Some of them asked, “What is this fellow chattering about?” Others said, “He seems to be telling us about gods we’ve never heard of.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus. He was telling them that Jesus had risen from the dead. 19They took him to a meeting of the Areopagus. There they said to him, “What is this new teaching you’re giving us? 20You have some strange ideas we’ve never heard before. We would like to know what they mean.” 21All the people of Athens spent their time talking about and listening to the latest ideas. People from other lands who lived there did the same.

22Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus. He said, “People of Athens! I see that you are very religious in every way. 23As I walked around, I looked carefully at the things you worship. I even found an altar with

To an Unknown God

written on it. So you don’t know what you are worshiping. Now I am going to tell you about this ‘unknown god.’

24“He is the God who made the world. He also made everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in temples built by human hands. 25He is not served by human hands. He doesn’t need anything. Instead, he himself gives life and breath to all people. He also gives them everything else they have. 26From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live. 27God did this so that people would seek him. And perhaps they would reach out for him and find him. They would find him even though he is not far from any of us. 28‘In him we live and move and exist.’ As some of your own poets have also said, ‘We are his children.’

29“Yes, we are God’s children. So we shouldn’t think that God is made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn’t a statue planned and made by clever people. 30In the past, God didn’t judge people for what they didn’t know. But now he commands all people everywhere to turn away from their sins. 31He has set a day when he will judge the world fairly. He has appointed a man to be its judge. God has proved this to everyone by raising that man from the dead.”

32They heard Paul talk about the dead being raised. Some of them made fun of this idea. But others said, “We want to hear you speak about this again.” 33So Paul left the meeting of the Areopagus. 34Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed in Jesus. Dionysius was one of them. He was a member of the Areopagus. A woman named Damaris also became a believer. And so did some others.

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Asomafoɔ 17:1-34

Paulo Ne Silas Kɔ Tesalonika

1Wɔtoaa wɔn akwantuo no so firii Amfipoli ne Apolonia baa Tesalonika a na Yudafoɔ hyiadan wɔ no. 2Sɛdeɛ Paulo taa yɛ no, ɔkɔɔ hyiadan mu mprɛnsa ne nnipa no gyee akyinnyeɛ wɔ Atwerɛsɛm no ho, 3kyerɛɛ mu, dii adanseɛ sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ, Agyenkwa no hunu amane na ɔsɔre firi awufoɔ mu. Paulo kaa sɛ, “Saa Yesu a mereka ne ho asɛm akyerɛ mo yi ne Agyenkwa no.” 4Nnipa no bi gye diiɛ maa wɔdii Paulo ne Silas akyi. Saa ara nso na Helafoɔ bebree a wɔsom Onyankopɔn ne mmaa mpanin bi nso gye diiɛ de wɔn ho bɔɔ wɔn ara no no.

5Yudafoɔ mpanin no ani bereeɛ enti wɔboaboaa ahuhufoɔ bi ano maa wɔbɔɔ twi faa kuro no mu kɔtwaa Yason fie ho hyiaeɛ, pɛɛ sɛ wɔn nsa ka Paulo ne Silas de wɔn brɛ mpanin no. 6Esiane sɛ wɔn nsa anka wɔn no enti, wɔtwee Yason ne anuanom bi de wɔn baa mpanin no anim teateaam sɛ, “Saa nnipa a wɔma basabasa ba baabiara a wɔkɔ no aba yɛn kuro yi mu, 7ama Yason agye wɔn atena ne fie. Wɔn nyinaa abu Ɔhempɔn Kaesare mmara a ɔde ama yɛn sɛ yɛnni so no so, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔka sɛ, ɔhene foforɔ bi wɔ hɔ a wɔfrɛ no Yesu.” 8Saa asɛm yi hwanyanee dɔm no ne kuro no mu mpanin no. 9Kuro no mu mpanin no maa Yason ne anuanom no tuaa sika bi de dii wɔn agyinamu maa wɔgyaa wɔn.

Paulo Ne Silas Kɔ Beroia

10Adeɛ saeɛ ara pɛ, anuanom yi gyaa Paulo ne Silas ɛkwan ma wɔkɔɔ Beroia. Wɔduruiɛ no, wɔkɔɔ Yudafoɔ hyiadan mu. 11Na nnipa a wɔwɔ hɔ no nyɛ akyinnyegyefoɔ te sɛ Tesalonikafoɔ no. Wɔde ahosɛpɛ gyee asɛm no diiɛ a daa na wɔsua Atwerɛsɛm no pɛɛ sɛ wɔhunu sɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ a Paulo kyerɛkyerɛ no yɛ nokorɛ anaa. 12Nnipa no mu bebree a Helafoɔ mmaa atitire ne mmarima ka ho no gyee nkyerɛkyerɛ no diiɛ.

13Ɛberɛ a Yudafoɔ a wɔwɔ Tesalonika no tee sɛ Paulo akɔka Onyankopɔn asɛm no wɔ Beroia no, wɔkɔɔ hɔ nso kɔhwanyanee ɛhɔfoɔ no nso. 14Enti, ntɛm ara, anuanom no gyaa Paulo ɛkwan sɛ ɔnkɔ mpoano, nanso Silas ne Timoteo de, wɔtenaa Beroia. 15Nnipa a wɔkɔgyaa Paulo ɛkwan no de no kɔduruu Atene. Wɔresane akɔ Beroia no, Paulo kraa wɔn sɛ wɔnka nkyerɛ Silas ne Timoteo sɛ wɔmmɛka ne ho ntɛm.

Paulo Wɔ Atene

16Ɛberɛ a Paulo retwɛn Silas ne Timoteo wɔ Atene no, ɔhunuu ahoni pii wɔ kuro no mu. Yei maa ne werɛ hoeɛ yie. 17Enti, na ɔne Yudafoɔ ne amanamanmufoɔ a wɔsom Onyankopɔn no taa hyia wɔ hyiadan mu ma ɔkyerɛkyerɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn asɛm. Saa ara nso na daa na ɔne nkurɔfoɔ gye akyinnyeɛ wɔ adwabɔeɛ ara no no. 18Afei, ɔne Epikurofoɔ ne Stoikfoɔ anyansafoɔ bi nso gyee akyinnyeɛ. Ebinom kaa sɛ, “na ɛdeɛn na ɔtoatoafoɔ yi pɛ sɛ ɔkyerɛ yi?” Afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Ɛsɛ deɛ ɔreka anyame afoforɔ bi ho asɛm.” Deɛ enti a wɔkaa yei ne sɛ, na Paulo reka Yesu Kristo ne ne wusɔreɛ ho asɛm. 19Wɔde Paulo kɔɔ Areopago17.19 Asekyerɛ ne “Ares kokoɔ.” Ares yɛ Helafoɔ nyame a ɔgyina hɔ ma aprannaa ne ɔko. nhyiamu anim kaa sɛ, “Yɛpɛ sɛ yɛte nkyerɛkyerɛ foforɔ a worekyerɛkyerɛ yi ase, 20ɛfiri sɛ, nsɛm a woka no bi yɛ yɛn asom asɛm foforɔ, enti yɛpɛ sɛ wokyerɛkyerɛ yɛn mu yie.” 21Na Atenefoɔ ne ahɔhoɔ a wɔwɔ hɔ no nni hwee yɛ sɛ wɔde wɔn adagyeɛ nyinaa bɛtie nsɛm foforɔ anaa wɔbɛka nsɛm foforɔ a wɔate no akyerɛ afoforɔ.

Paulo Asɛnka Wɔ Areopago

22Paulo sɔre gyinaa Areopago nhyiamu no anim kaa sɛ, “Atenefoɔ, mehunu sɛ moyɛ nnipa a mopɛ nyamesom yie. 23Ɛfiri sɛ, metuu mpase faa mo kuro yi mu, na mehunuu mmeaeɛ ahodoɔ a mosom no, mehunuu afɔrebukyia bi a wɔatwerɛ ho sɛ,

Onyame a wɔnnim no no de.

Enti, adeɛ a monnim na mosɔre no no, ɛno ho asɛm na mereka akyerɛ mo yi.

24“Onyankopɔn a ɔbɔɔ ewiase ne nneɛma a ɛwɔ mu nyinaa no na ɔyɛɛ ɔsoro ne asase. Awurade no nte asɔredan a nnipa asi mu. 25Saa ara nso na biribiara a nnipa nam wɔn dwumadie so de bɛma no no nso ho nhia no, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔno na ɔma nnipa nkwa ne biribiara a ɛhia wɔn. 26Ɔnam onipa baako so na ɔbɔɔ nnipa ahodoɔ nyinaa de wɔn tenaa asase so. Ɔno ankasa na ansa na ɔrebɛbɔ nnipa no, ɔhyehyɛɛ amanaman ɛberɛ a wɔbɛsɔre ne ɛberɛ a wɔbɛhwe ase. Saa ara nso na ɔhyehyɛɛ wɔn tenabea ahyeɛ. 27Ɛwom sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛn yɛn de, nanso ɔyɛ yei sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a nnipa bɛhwehwɛ nʼakyi kwan atwe abɛn no; 28sɛdeɛ obi ka sɛ, ‘Ne mu na yɛte ase na yɛkeka yɛn ho’ no no. Saa ara nso na mo nnwomtofoɔ bi nso aka sɛ, ‘Yɛn nso yɛyɛ ne mma’ no.

29“Ɛnneɛ sɛ yɛyɛ Onyankopɔn mma de a, ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛsusu sɛ Onyankopɔn tebea te sɛ ohoni bi a onipa de dwetɛ anaa sika anaa ɛboɔ ayɛ. 30Onyankopɔn buu nʼani guu ɛberɛ a na nnipa nnim no no so, nanso afei de, ɔhyɛ nnipa nyinaa sɛ wɔntwe wɔn ho mfiri akwammɔne so. 31Ɛfiri sɛ, wayi da bi ato hɔ a ɔnam onipa bi a wayi no no so bɛbu nnipa nyinaa atɛntenenee. Ɔnam sɔre a ɔmaa saa onipa yi sɔre firii awufoɔ mu no so adi adanseɛ akyerɛ nnipa nyinaa.”

32Ɛberɛ a nnipa no tee sɛ Paulo reka owusɔreɛ ho asɛm no, ebinom dii ne ho fɛw, na afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Yɛpɛ sɛ wosane ka saa asɛm no bio.” 33Saa nsɛm a ɛkɔɔ so yi maa Paulo firii nhyiamu no ase hɔ kɔeɛ. 34Nanso, nnipa kakra bi gyee no diiɛ de wɔn ho bɔɔ no. Saa nnipa no mu bi ne Dionisio a ɔfra Areopagofoɔ mu ne ɔbaa bi a ne din de Damari ne afoforɔ bi.