Ma'ashym (Acts) — 17
Shaul Preaches in Thessalonica
1 Shaul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Yahudym congregation.
2 And according to Shaul's custom on the Shabbat Yum (day), Shaul went in among the Yahudym congregation, and on three sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures,
3 Shaul explained the scriptures and proved that Ha'Mashyach must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA I am telling you about is Ha'Mashyach.”
4 Some of the Yahudym who listened were persuaded and joined Shaul and Silas, along with many Greek men and quite a few prominent women who fear 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
5 But some of the Yahudym were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Yason, searching for Shaul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.
6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Yason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Shaul and Silas has caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too.
7 And Yason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA.”
8 The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports.
9 So the officials forced Yason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.
10 That very night the believers of Truth sent Shaul and Silas to Baraa. When they arrived there, they went to the congregation.
11 And the people of Baraa were more open minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Shaul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Shaul and Silas were teaching the Truth.
12 As a result, many Yahudym believed the Truth, and the prominent Greek women and men believed also.
13 But when some Yahudym in Thessalonica learned that Shaul was preaching the Dabar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH in Baraa, they went there and stirred up trouble.
14 The believers of Truth acted at once, sending Shaul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.
15 Those escorting Shaul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Baraa with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.
Shaul Preaches in Athens
16 While Shaul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.
17 Shaul went to the congregation to reason with the Yahudym and the people who fear 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH in the other nations and Shaul spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18 Shaul also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he is picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign deity.”
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said.
20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it is all about.”
21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Shaul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,
23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH (AL'Mighty One).’ This 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I am telling you about.
24 “For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH who made the world and everything in it. Since 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Shamaym and Arath, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH does not live in man made temples,
25 and man's hands cannot serve the need of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has no needs. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Himself gives life and breath to everything, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH satisfies every need.
26 From one man 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH created all the nations throughout the whole Arath. And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH determined their boundaries.
27 “For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH‘s purpose was for the nations to seek after HIM as their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him, though 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is not far from any one of us.
28 For in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 And since this is true, we should not think of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
30 “For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH overlooked the ignorance of men about these things in earlier times, but now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to HIM.
31 For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man He has appointed, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH proved to everyone who this man is by raising Him from the dead.”
32 When they heard Shaul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.”
33 That ended Shaul’s discussion with them,
34 But some joined Shaul and became believers of the Truth. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.