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(Acts 17:22-31 Good News Bible) Paul stood up in front of the city council (in the Areopagus) and said, "I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious. (23) For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, 'To an Unknown God.' That which you worship (in ignorance), then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you. (24) God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. (25) Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. (26) From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. (27) He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; (28) as someone has said, 'In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, 'We too are his children.' (29) Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill. (30) God has overlooked the times (of such ignorance) when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways. (31) For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!"

(Acts 17:22-31; American Standard Version) "And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious. (23) For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you. (24) The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; (26) and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; (27) that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: (28) for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (29) Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. (30) The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: (31) inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

(Acts 17:22-31; New World Translation) . . ."Men of Athens, I behold that in all things YOU seem to be more given to the fear of the deities than others are. 23 For instance, while passing along and carefully observing YOUR objects of veneration I also found an altar on which had been inscribed 'To an Unknown God.' Therefore what YOU are unknowingly giving godly devotion to, this I am publishing to YOU. 24 The God that made the world and all the things in it, being, as this One is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples, 25 neither is he attended to by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all [persons] life and breath and all things. 26 And he made out of one [man] every nation of men, to dwell upon the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of the dwelling of [men], 27 for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us. 28 For by him we have life and move and exist, even as certain ones of the poets among YOU have said, 'For we are also his progeny.' 29 "Seeing, therefore, that we are the progeny of God, we ought not to imagine that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, like something sculptured by the art and contrivance of man. 30 True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent. 31 Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead."

(Acts 17:22-31; Bible in Basic English) "And Paul got to his feet on Mars' Hill and said, O men of Athens, I see that you are overmuch given to fear of the gods. (23) For when I came by, I was looking at the things to which you give worship, and I saw an altar with this writing on it, TO THE GOD OF WHOM THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE. Now, what you, without knowledge, give worship to, I make clear to you. (24) The God who made the earth and everything in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, is not housed in buildings made with hands; (25) And he is not dependent on the work of men's hands, as if he had need of anything, for he himself gives to all life and breath and all things; (26) And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth, ordering their times and the limits of their lands, (27) So that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him, though he is not far from every one of us: (28) For in him we have life and motion and existence; as certain of your verse writers have said, For we are his offspring. (29) If then we are the offspring of God, it is not right for us to have the idea that God is like gold or silver or stone, formed by the art or design of man. (30) Those times when men had no knowledge were overlooked by God; but now he gives orders to all men in every place to undergo a change of heart: (31) Because a day has been fixed in which all the world will be judged in righteousness by the man who has been marked out by him for this work; of which he has given a sign to all men by giving him back from the dead."

(Acts 17:22-31; Analytical Literal Translation) 'So Paul having stood in [the] middle of the Areopagus, said, "Men, Athenians, I perceive you* as [being] extremely fearful of the gods in all things. (23) "For passing through and contemplating your* objects of worship, I found also an altar on which had been inscribed: 'To an unknown God.' Therefore, [the One] whom you* are practicing piety [towards] [or, worshiping] without knowing, this One _I_ proclaim to you*. (24) "The God, the One having made the world [or, universe] and all the [things] in it, this One being Lord of heaven and of earth does not dwell in temples made with human hands, (25) nor is He served by [the] hands of people, [as if] needing something, [since] He is giving to all life and breath with respect to [fig., in] all [things]. (26) "And He made from one blood every nation of human beings to be living on all the face of the earth, having designated times having been appointed [for them] and the boundaries of their habitation, (27) [in order for them] to be seeking the Lord, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find [Him], and yet He is not far from each one of us. (28) "'For in Him we live and move and are [fig., exist],' as also some of your* poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring' [i.e. quoting Epimendes (c. 600 B.C.) and Aratus of Cilia (c. 270 B.C.), respectively]. (29) "Therefore, being offspring of God, we ought not to be thinking the Divine Nature to be similar to gold or silver or stone, an image [shaped by] humanity's skill and imagination. (30) "Therefore indeed, [these] times of ignorance having overlooked, God is now giving strict orders to all people everywhere to be repenting, (31) because He set a day in which He is about to be judging the inhabited earth in righteousness by a Man whom He designated, having given assurance to all by having raised Him from [the] dead!"'

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