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24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man[a] he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your[b] own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard Paul 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 Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council,[c] a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:26 Greek From one; other manuscripts read From one blood.
  2. 17:28 Some manuscripts read our.
  3. 17:34 Greek an Areopagite.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it(A) is the Lord of heaven and earth(B) and does not live in temples built by human hands.(C) 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.(D) 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.(E) 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.(F) 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a](G) 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.(H) 30 In the past God overlooked(I) such ignorance,(J) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.(K) 31 For he has set a day when he will judge(L) the world with justice(M) by the man he has appointed.(N) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”(O)

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,(P) 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,(Q) 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