Acts 17:16-34

New American Standard Bible 1995

Paul at Athens

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at ^(A)Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. ¹⁷ So he was reasoning ^(B)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(C)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place 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 ^(D)this ^[b]idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching ^(E)Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they ^(F)took him and brought him ^[c]to the ^[d](G)Areopagus, saying, “May we know what ^(H)this new teaching is ^[e]which you are proclaiming? 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 ^(I)visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

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

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