Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²² Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ Hill, and said, “Men of Athens! I perceive that in all things you are very fearful of gods.

²³ “For as I passed by and observed your objects of worship, I found an altar whereupon was written, ‘TO THE UNKNOWN GOD’. Him then, Whom you ignorantly worship, I proclaim to you.

²⁴ “God - Who made the world and all things that therein are - seeing that He is Lord of Heaven and Earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

²⁵ “Nor is He worshipped with man’s hands as though He needed anything (seeing He gives life to all, and breath, and all things).

²⁶ “And He has made, from one blood, all nations of mankind to dwell on all the face of the Earth; and has assigned the seasons (which were pre-ordained) and the boundaries of their dwellings,

²⁷ “so that they should seek the Lord; that perhaps they might have groped after Him and found Him. Though doubtless He is not far from each one of us.

²⁸ “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being, as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His family’.

²⁹ “Therefore, since we are the family of God, we ought not to think that the Divine is like gold, or silver, or stone, sculpted by art and the invention of man.

³⁰ “God, having overlooked these times of ignorance, now admonishes all mankind, everywhere, to repent.

³¹ “Because He has appointed a Day on the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man Whom He has appointed. He has given us all this assurance by raising Him from the dead.”

⁸ Praise our God, you people, and make the voice of His praise heard.

⁹ He holds our souls in life and does not let our feet slip.

¹⁰ For You, O God, have tested us. You have refined us as silver is refined.

¹¹ You have brought us into the net. You put pressure upon our loins.

¹² You have caused men to ride over our heads. We went into fire and into water; but You brought us out into abundance.

¹³ I will go into Your House with burnt offerings and will pay You my vows

¹⁴ which my lips have promised; and my mouth has spoken in my affliction.

¹⁵ I will offer to You the burnt offerings of fat rams with incense. I will prepare bullocks and goats. Selah.

¹⁶ Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done to my soul.

¹⁷ I called to Him with my mouth and He was exalted with my tongue.

¹⁸ If I regard wickedness in my heart, the LORD will not hear me.

¹⁹ But God has heard me and considered the voice of my prayer.

²⁰ Praised God, Who has turned away neither my prayer nor His mercy. To him who excels on Neginoth: A psalm or song

¹³ And who is it that will harm you if you follow that which is good?

¹⁴ But if you suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And “do not fear their terror, nor be troubled.”

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer - with humility and respect - to everyone who asks you the Reason for the hope that is in you;

¹⁶ having a good conscience, so that when they falsely accuse you as evildoers, those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

¹⁷ For it is better (if it is the will of God) to suffer for doing good rather than evil.

¹⁸ For Christ also has suffered once for sins - the Just for the unjust - so that He might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

¹⁹ by Whom He also went and preached to the spirits in prison.

²⁰ They were disobedient in the past, when once more the patience of God awaited in the days of Noah while the Ark was being prepared (in which few - that is, eight - souls were saved in the water).

²¹ This is now represented by baptism, which is not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but an appeal to God, made with a good conscience. This also rescues us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

²² Who is at the right hand of God, gone into Heaven, to Whom the angels and powers and might are subject.

¹⁵ “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.

¹⁶ “And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever;

¹⁷ the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him or know Him. But you know Him. For He dwells with you and shall be in you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you fatherless. I will come to you.

¹⁹ “Yet a little while, and the world shall see Me no more. But you shall see Me. Because I live, you shall live also.

²⁰ “At that day, you shall know that I am in My Father; and you in Me; and I in you.

²¹ Whoever has My Commandments, and keeps them, is he who loves Me. And whoever loves Me, shall be loved by My Father. And I will love him and will show Myself to him.”