Acts 17:15-34

Legacy Standard Bible

¹⁵ Now ^(A)those who escorted Paul brought him as far as ^(B)Athens; and after receiving a command for ^(C)Silas and Timothy to ^(D)come to him as soon as possible, they left.

In Athens

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at ^(E)Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. ¹⁷ So he was reasoning ^(F)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(G)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. ¹⁸ And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were ^[a]conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would ^(H)this ^[b]idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was proclaiming the good news of ^(I)Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they ^(J)took him and brought him ^[c]to the ^[d](K)Areopagus, saying, “May we know what ^(L)this new teaching is ^[e]which you are speaking? ²⁰ For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. So we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹ (Now all the Athenians and the strangers ^(M)visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something newer.)

²² So Paul stood in the midst of the ^[f]Areopagus and said, “Men of ^(N)Athens, I observe that you are very ^(O)religious in all respects. ²³ For while I was passing through and examining the ^(P)objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what ^(Q)you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. ^24 (R)The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is ^(S)Lord of heaven and earth, does not ^(T)dwell in temples made with hands; ²⁵ nor is He served by human hands, ^(U)as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; ²⁶ and ^(V)He made from one man every nation of mankind to inhabit all the face of the earth, having ^(W)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, ²⁷ that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, ^(X)though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for ^(Y)in Him we live and move and ^[g]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ ²⁹ Being then the offspring of God, we ^(Z)ought not to suppose that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the craft and thought of man. ³⁰ Therefore having ^(AA)overlooked ^(AB)the times of ignorance, God is ^(AC)now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent, ³¹ because He has fixed ^(AD)a day in which ^(AE)He will judge ^[h](AF)the world in righteousness ^[i]through a Man whom He ^(AG)determined, having furnished proof to all ^[j]by ^(AH)raising Him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard about ^(AI)the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you ^[k]again concerning this.” ³³ In this way, Paul went out of their midst. ³⁴ But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ^(AJ)Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.