Acts 17
16 ¶ Now while
Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in
him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore
disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the
devout persons, and in the market daily with them that
met with him.
18 Then certain
philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks,
encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler
say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of
strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and
the resurrection.
19 And they took
him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know
what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou
bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would
know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the
Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time
in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new
thing.)
22 ¶ Then Paul
stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men
of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too
superstitious.
23 For as I passed
by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this
inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye
ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made
the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord
of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with
hands;
25 Neither is
worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any
thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all
things;
26 And hath made of
one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face
of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should
seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and
find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we
live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of
your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then
as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think
that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone,
graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of
this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men
every where to repent:
31 Because he hath
appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof
he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he
hath raised him from the dead.
32 ¶ And when they
heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and
others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed
from among them.
34 Howbeit certain
men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was
Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and
others with them. .
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