³⁰ But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.

³⁹ Paul replied, ^(A)“I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

²² So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ^(A)‘To the unknown god.’ ^(B)What therefore you worship ^(C)as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ^24 (D)The God who made the world and everything in it, being ^(E)Lord of heaven and earth, ^(F)does not live in temples made by man,^{[a] 25} nor is he served by human hands, ^(G)as though he needed anything, since he himself ^(H)gives to all mankind ^(I)life and breath and everything. ²⁶ And ^(J)he made from one man every nation of mankind to live ^(K)on all the face of the earth, ^(L)having determined allotted periods and ^(M)the boundaries of their dwelling place, ^27 (N)that they should seek God, ^(O)and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. ^(P)Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for

as even some of ^(R)your own poets have said,

^29 (S)Being then God's offspring, ^(T)we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ^30 (U)The times of ignorance ^(V)God overlooked, but ^(W)now he ^(X)commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed ^(Y)a day on which ^(Z)he will judge the world ^(AA)in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and ^(AB)of this he has given assurance to all ^(AC)by raising him from the dead.”

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they ^(A)tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, ¹⁵ “Men, ^(B)why are you doing these things? We also are men, ^(C)of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that ^(D)you should turn from these ^(E)vain things to ^(F)a living God, ^(G)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶ In past generations he ^(H)allowed all the nations ^(I)to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ Yet ^(J)he did not leave himself without witness, for he ^(K)did good by ^(L)giving you rains from heaven and ^(M)fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with ^(N)food and ^(O)gladness.” ¹⁸ Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

¹⁷ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, ^(A)“You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench ^(B)the lamp of Israel.”

² And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of ^(A)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.” ^3 (B)But the men said, “You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.”