Acts 17:23

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

As I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So, you are worshiping in ignorance the very one I proclaim to you.

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    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.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    For as I passed by and observed your objects of worship, I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the one whom you worship without knowing—Him I proclaim to you.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    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.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    For{G1063} as I passed along,{G1330} and{G2532} observed{G333} the objects of your{G5216} worship,{G4574} I found{G2147} also{G2532} an altar{G1041} with{G1722} this{G3739} inscription,{G1924} TO AN UNKNOWN{G57} GOD.{G2316} What{G3739} therefore{G3767} ye worship{G2151} in ignorance,{G50} this{G5126} I{G1473} set forth{G2605} unto you.{G5213}

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    For{G1063} as I passed by{G1330}{(G5740)}, and{G2532} beheld{G333}{(G5723)} your{G5216} devotions{G4574},{G2532} I found{G2147}{(G5627)} an altar{G1041} with this{G1722}{G3739} inscription{G1924}{(G5718)}, TO THE UNKNOWN{G57} GOD{G2316}. Whom{G3739} therefore{G3767} ye ignorantly{G50}{(G5723)} worship{G2151}{(G5719)}, him{G5126} declare{G2605}{(G5719)} I{G1473} unto you{G5213}.

  • Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

    For as I passed by and behelde the maner how ye worship youre goddes I founde an aultre wher in was written: vnto ye vnknowen god. Whom ye then ignoratly worship him shewe I vnto you.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    I haue gone thorow, & sene youre gods seruyce, and founde an altare, where vpo was wrytten: To the vnknowne God. Now shewe I vnto you ye same, whom ye worshippe ignorauntly.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    For as I passed by, and behelde your deuotions, I founde an altar wherein was written, Vnto The Vnknowen God. Whome yee then ignorantly worship, him shewe I vnto you.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    For as I passed by, and behelde the maner howe ye worship your gods, I founde an aulter, wherin was written, vnto the vnknowe god. Whom ye then ignorauntly worship, him shewe I vnto you.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    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.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    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.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I found also an erection on which had been inscribed: To God -- unknown; whom, therefore -- not knowing -- ye do worship, this One I announce to you.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    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.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    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.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    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.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    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.

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.

Referenced Verses

  • John 4:22 : 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.
  • Acts 17:30 : 30 In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
  • John 17:3 : 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
  • Gal 4:8-9 : 8 But in the past, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now, having come to know God—or rather, having been known by God—how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, whose slaves you want to be once more?
  • 2 Thess 2:4 : 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
  • 1 John 5:20 : 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
  • 1 Tim 1:17 : 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
  • Eph 2:12 : 12 were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
  • John 17:25 : 25 Righteous Father, though the world has not known You, I have known You, and they have known that You sent Me.
  • Rom 1:20-25 : 20 For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools. 23 And they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is forever praised. Amen.
  • Rom 1:28 : 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
  • 1 Cor 1:21 : 21 For since in God’s wisdom the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
  • 1 Cor 8:5 : 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—just as there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'—
  • 2 Cor 4:4-6 : 4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Jesus Christ.
  • John 8:54 : 54 Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, whom you claim as your God.
  • Ps 50:21 : 21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought I was like you. But I will rebuke you and lay the case before your eyes.
  • Ps 147:20 : 20 He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!
  • Matt 15:9 : 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 87%

    15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible, they departed.

    16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was deeply troubled as he observed the city full of idols.

    17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout people, and every day in the marketplace with those who happened to be there.

    18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, 'What is this babbler trying to say?' Others remarked, 'He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,' because he was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.

    19 They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, 'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

    20 For you bring some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.

    21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

    22 Paul then stood up in the middle of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.

  • 78%

    24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands.

    25 Nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life, breath, and everything else.

  • 75%

    11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, 'The gods have come down to us in human form!'

    12 They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

    13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates, intending to offer sacrifices with the crowds.

    14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,

    15 They cried out, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We are also humans with the same nature as you, proclaiming the good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.'

    16 In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

  • 8 But in the past, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those who by nature are not gods.

  • 72%

    25 He gathered them together, along with others who worked in similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that we gain a good income from this business.

    26 You see and hear that not only in Ephesus but almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great number of people by saying that gods made by hands are not really gods.

    27 Not only is there a danger that our trade might fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis might be discredited, and her magnificence, whom all of Asia and the world worship, might be destroyed.

  • 72%

    27 He did this so that they would seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel their way toward him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

    28 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.'

    29 Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone—an image formed by human skill and imagination.

    30 In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

  • 11 You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

  • 37 For you have brought these men here, who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of your goddess.

  • 9 For they themselves tell about how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

  • 17 And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.

  • 35 When the city clerk had calmed the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell from heaven?

  • 70%

    28 Shouting, 'Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. And now he has even brought Greeks into the temple, defiling this holy place.'

    29 They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with Paul in the city and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

  • Rom 1:19-21
    3 verses
    69%

    19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

    20 For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

    21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

  • 19 After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of everything God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

  • 17 She followed Paul and us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!'

  • 13 They said, 'This man persuades people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.'

  • 2 You know that when you were Gentiles, you were led to speechless idols, however you were led.

  • 23 And they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things.

  • 18 Even with these words, they barely restrained the crowds from sacrificing to them.

  • 1 After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

  • 25 The secrets of their heart are revealed, and they will fall facedown and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is truly among you!'

  • 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

  • 22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.

  • 2 I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but it is not based on true knowledge.

  • 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now), in order that I might have some fruit among you, just as I have among the other Gentiles.

  • 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

  • 21 For since in God’s wisdom the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

  • 4 So then, concerning eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and there is no God but one.

  • 17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds.