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16 And while Paul abode them at Athens, his spirit was moved in him, for he saw the city given to idolatry.

17 Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with men that worshipped God, and in the doom place [Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with Jews, and men worshipping, in the market, or doom place], by all days to them that heard.

18 And some Epicureans, and Stoics, and philosophers disputed with him [disputed, or treated, with him]. And some said, What will this sower of words say? And others said, He seemeth to be a teller of new fiends; for he told to them Jesus, and the again-rising.

19 And they took, and led him to Areopagus, and said, May we know [And they took and led him to Areopagus, that is, a common school, saying, Be we able to know], what is this new doctrine, that is said of thee?

20 For thou bringest in some new things to our ears; therefore we will know, what these things will be.

21 For all men of Athens and comelings harboured gave attention to none other thing, but either to say, either to hear [or to hear], some new thing.

22 And Paul stood in the middle of Areopagus, and said, Men of Athens, by all things I see you as vain worshippers.

23 For I passed, and saw your maumets [and saw your simulacra], and found an altar, in which was written, To the unknown God. Therefore which thing ye unknowing worship, this thing I show to you.

24 God that made the world and all things that be in it, this, for he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hand [made by hand],

25 neither is worshipped by man's hands, neither hath need of any thing [having need of any thing], for he giveth life to all men, and breathing, and all things;

26 and made of one all the kind of men [for] to inhabit on all the face of the earth, determining times ordained, and terms of the dwelling of them [and terms of habitation, or dwelling, of them],

27 to seek God, if peradventure they feel him, either find, though he be not far from each of you.

28 For in him we live, and move, and be. As also some of your poets said, And we be also the kind of him [Soothly we be also the kin of him].

29 Therefore since we be the kind of God, we shall not deem, that godly thing is like gold, and silver, either stone, either to graving of craft and thought of man.[a]

30 For God despiseth the times of this unknowing, and now showeth to men, that all every where do penance;

31 for that he hath ordained a day, in which he shall deem the world in equity, in a man in which he ordained, and gave faith to all men, and raised him from death [raising him from dead].

32 And when they had heard the again-rising of dead men[b], some scorned, and some said, We shall hear thee again of this thing.

33 So Paul went out of the middle of them.

34 But some men drew to him [Forsooth some men cleaved to him], and believed. Among which Dionysius Areopagite was, and a woman, by name Damaris, and other men with them [and others with them].

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 17:29 Therefore since we be the kin of God, we shall not deem, or guess, that godly thing is like to gold, or silver, or stone, to graving of craft and thought of man.
  2. Acts 17:32 Soothly when they heard the again-rising of dead

In Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue(A) with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news(B) about Jesus and the resurrection.(C) 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,(D) where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching(E) is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians(F) and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus(G) and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.(H) 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship(I)—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it(J) is the Lord of heaven and earth(K) and does not live in temples built by human hands.(L) 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.(M) 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.(N) 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.(O) 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a](P) As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.(Q) 30 In the past God overlooked(R) such ignorance,(S) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.(T) 31 For he has set a day when he will judge(U) the world with justice(V) by the man he has appointed.(W) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”(X)

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,(Y) some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus,(Z) also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
  2. Acts 17:28 From the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus