Bible in Basic English
And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead.
And they took him to Mars' Hill, saying, Will you make clear to us what is this new teaching of yours?
For you seem to us to say strange things, and we have a desire to get the sense of them.
(Now all the Athenians and the men from other lands who come there were giving all their time to talking or hearing of anything new.)
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.
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.
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;
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;
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,
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:
For in him we have life and motion and existence; as certain of your verse writers have said, For we are his offspring.
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.
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:
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.
Now on hearing about the coming back from death, some of them made sport of it, but others said, Let us go more fully into this another time.
And so Paul went away from among them.
But some men gave him their support: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
— Acts 17:18-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you? For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean." Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 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 you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn't dwell in temples made with hands, neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.' Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead." Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you again concerning this." Thus Paul went out from among them. But certain men joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”
But those who went with Paul took him as far as Athens, and then went away, with orders from him to Silas and Timothy to come to him quickly.
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was troubled, for he saw all the town full of images of the gods.
So he had discussions in the Synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and every day in the market-place with those who were there.
And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead.
And they took him to Mars' Hill, saying, Will you make clear to us what is this new teaching of yours?
For you seem to us to say strange things, and we have a desire to get the sense of them.
(Now all the Athenians and the men from other lands who come there were giving all their time to talking or hearing of anything new.)
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.
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.
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;
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;
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,
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:
For in him we have life and motion and existence; as certain of your verse writers have said, For we are his offspring.
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.
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:
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.
Now on hearing about the coming back from death, some of them made sport of it, but others said, Let us go more fully into this another time.
And so Paul went away from among them.
But some men gave him their support: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.