Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three {Or, weeks}sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
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.
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.
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.
And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned {Greek: the inhabited earth.}the world upside down are come hither also;
whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
And they troubled the multitude and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
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.
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.
Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few.
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.
And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea: and Silas and Timothy abode there still.
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.
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols.
So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.
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 {Or, foreign divinities}strange {Greek: demons.}gods: because he {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preached Jesus and the resurrection.
And they took hold of him, and brought him {Or, before}unto {Or, the hill of Mars}the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
(Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there {Or, had leisure for nothing else}spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)
And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said,
Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are {Or, somewhat superstitious}very religious.
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.
The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in {Or, sanctuaries}temples made with hands;
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;
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;
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:
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.
Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that {Or, that which is divine}the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he {Some ancient authorities read declareth to men.}commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:
inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge {Greek: the inhabited earth.}the world in righteousness {Greek: in.}by {Or, a man}the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again.
Thus Paul went out from among them.
But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Querverweise zu Apostelgeschichte 17,5 Apg 17,5
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.
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of {Greek: Artemis.}Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen;
whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth.
And ye see and hear; that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands:
and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess {Greek: Artemis.}Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence whom all Asia and {Greek: the inhabited earth.}the world worshippeth.
And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is {Greek: Artemis.}Diana of the Ephesians.
And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.
And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
And certain also of the {That is, officers having charge of festivals &c. In the Roman province of Asia.}Asiarchs, being his friends, sent unto him and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre.
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was in confusion; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
{Or, And some of the multitude instructed Alexander}And they brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made a defense unto the people.
But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is {Greek: Artemis.}Diana of the Ephesians.
whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him,
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision,Whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me?Men in whom {Or, vigor}ripe age is perished.
They are gaunt with want and famine; {Or, They flee into the wilderness, into &c.}They gnaw the dry ground, {Or, which yesternight was Or, on the eve of}in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.
They pluck salt-wort by the bushes;And the roots of the broom are {Or, to warm them}their food.
They are driven forth from the midst of men;They cry after them as after a thief;
So that they dwell in frightful valleys,In holes of the earth and of the rocks.
Among the bushes they bray;Under the {Or, wild vetches}nettles they {Or, stretch themselves}are gathered together.
They are children of fools, yea, children of {Hebrew: men of no name.}base men;They {Or, are outcasts from the land}were scouraged out of the land.
And now I am become their song,Yea, I am a byword unto them.
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me,And spare not to spit {Or, at the sight of me}in my face.
For indeed we are in danger to be {Or, accused of riot concerning this day}accused concerning this day's riot, there being no cause for it: and as touching it we shall not be able to give account of this concourse.
Timothy my fellow-worker saluteth you; and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and {Or, railed}blasphemed.
But in {Hebrew: my limping.}mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together:The {Or, smiters}abjects gathered themselves together against me, and {Or, those whom I keep not}I knew it not;They did tear me, and ceased not:
But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren.
They that sit in the gate talk of me;And I am the song of the drunkards.
But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment-seat,
A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh;But {Or, jealously}envy is the rottenness of the bones.
Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see {Or, and be put to shame, in their envy at the people}thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, {Or, the fire of thine adversaries shall devour them}fire shall devour thine adversaries.
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him up.
for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I {Or, tell you plainly}forewarn you, even as I did {Or, tell you plainly}forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Let us not become vainglorious, {Or, challenging}provoking one another, envying one another.
Or think ye that the scripture {Or, saith in vain}speaketh in vain? {Or, The Spirit which he made to dwell in us he yearneth for even unto jealous envy. Compare Jeremiah 3:14; Hosea 2:19 f. Or, That Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearneth for us even unto jealous envy.}Doth the spirit which {Some ancient authorities read dwelleth in us.}he made to dwell in us long unto envying?