Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
22 So Paul stood in the middle of the Aereopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in all ways you are very religious. 23 For while I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth,[a] does not live in temples made by hands. [b] 25 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything,[c] since He Himself gives to everyone life and breath and all things. [d] 26 From one He made every nation of men to live on the face of the earth, having set appointed times and the boundaries of their territory. [e] 27 They were to search for Him, and perhaps grope around for Him and find Him. Yet He is not far from each one of us, [f] 28 for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being.’
As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ [g] 29 Since we are His offspring, we ought not to suppose the Deity is like gold or silver or stone, an engraved image of human art and imagination. [h] 30 Although God overlooked the periods of ignorance, now He commands everyone everywhere to repent. 31 For He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness, through a Man whom He has appointed.[i] He has brought forth evidence of this to all men, by raising Him from the dead.”
8 Bless our God, O peoples!
Let the sound of His praise be heard.
9 Keeping our soul in life,
He has not let our foot slip.
10 For You have tested us, O God—
You have purified us, as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into a net.
You laid a burden on our backs.
12 You caused men to ride over our heads.
We went through fire and water.
Yet You brought us out to superabundance.
13 With burnt offerings I will come to Your House,
fulfilling my vows to You
14 that my lips uttered and mouth spoke,
when I was in trouble.
15 To You I will present burnt offerings of fat animals,
with the sweet smoke of rams.
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God.
I will tell what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried out to Him with my mouth,
and exaltation was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But surely God has heard.
He has listened to my voice in prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
nor His lovingkindness from me.
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not be afraid or worry about their threats. [a] 15 Instead sanctify Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, 16 yet with humility and reverence—keeping a clear conscience so that, whatever you are accused of, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Messiah may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good (if it is God’s will) than for doing evil.
18 For Messiah once suffered for sins also—the righteous for the unrighteous[b]—in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Ruach. 19 Through the Ruach He also went and preached to the spirits in prison. 20 Long ago they disobeyed while God kept waiting patiently, in the days of Noah as the ark was being built. In that ark a few (that is, eight souls) were brought safely through water. 21 Corresponding to that, immersion now brings you to safety—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but a pledge to God of a good conscience—through the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. 22 He has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels and authorities and powers subjected to Him.
The Believer’s Helper
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper[a] so He may be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him. You know Him, because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 I will not abandon you as orphans;[b] I will come to you. 19 In a little while, the world will no longer behold Me, but you will behold Me. Because I live, you also will live!
20 “In that day, you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.