The Creation of the World

1 In the ^(A)beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

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.”

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches and ^(A)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(B)How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁶ For ^(F)from him and through him and to him are all things. ^(G)To him be glory forever. Amen.