17. Waxoxa endlwini yesikhungo namaJuda kunye neentlanga ezazihlonela uThixo. Ngokukwanjalo wayexoxa nabantu ababegqitha-gqitha ebaleni lembutho.
18. Nabathile abaziintanda-bulumko zeqela *lamaEpikure *namaStoyike babencokola naye. Bambi babesithi: “Ngaba lifuna ukuthini eli pholopholo?” abanye besithi: “Ngathi ngunozakuzaku *woothixo basemzini.” Babesitsho ke kuba uPawulos wayeshumayela ngoYesu nangovuko lwabafileyo.
19. Baza ke bamthatha uPawulos, baya naye entlanganisweni, endaweni ekwakusithiwa yiAriyopago, bathi kuye: “Khawutsho! Sifuna ukuyazi le mfundiso intsha uthetha ngayo.
20. Ezinye zezinto esikuva uthetha ngazo ziyasimangalisa, ngoko ke sifuna ukuyazi intsingiselo yazo.”
21. Kaloku abantu baseAtene nabatyeleli bakhona kwakungekho nto babeyixabise ngaphezu kokuncokola okanye ukuphulaphula iingcamango ezintsha.
22. UPawulos waphakama wema entlanganisweni apho eAriyopago, wathi: “Bantu baseAtene, ndiyaphawula ukuba ningabantu abaluthanda ngokuncamisayo unqulo.
23. Kuthe xa bendihamba-hamba ndibuka iindawo zenu zonqulo, ndabona neqonga lamadini elibhaliweyo kwathiwa: ‘Kongaziwayo uThixo.’ Ngoko ke lowo nina nimnqula ningamazi, mna ndivakalisa yena kuni.
24. UThixo lo udale ihlabathi nezinto ezikulo, uyiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba. Ngoko ke akahlali zindlwini zenziwe ngabantu,
25. engaswele nto ngokokude abantu bazidube ngokumenzela nto. Kuba kaloku nguye ngokwakhe onika ubomi nomphefumlo, nazo zonke iimfuneko zoluntu lonke.
26. Zonke iintlanga zabantu wazidala zaphuma mlibeni mnye, wazenza ukuba ziwume wonke umhlaba. Yena ngokwakhe kwangaphambili wazimisela amaxesha obomi, kunye nemida yokuhlala kwazo.
27. Oku wakwenza ukuze zihlale zimzingela, hleze zimphuthaphuthe de zimfumane; nangona yena uThixo engekude kuthi sonke,