So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting,“ O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

他们将所得的牛犊预备好了，从早晨到午间，求告巴力的名说：“巴力啊，求你应允我们！”却没有声音，没有应允的。他们在所筑的坛四围踊跳。

他们把所给他们的牛犊预备好了，从早晨到中午，求告巴力的名说：“巴力啊，求你应允我们！”却没有声音，也没有回应。他们就在所筑的坛四围蹦跳。

他们把所给他们的牛犊预备好了，从早晨到中午，求告巴力的名说：“巴力啊，求你应允我们！”却没有声音，也没有回应。他们就在所筑的坛四围蹦跳。

他们取了公牛预备好，然后从早上到正午不断地呼求：“巴力啊，求你应允我们！”可是毫无动静。他们又绕着自己筑的祭坛跳个不停。

他们把人给他们的公牛牵了来，预备好了，就从早晨直到中午，呼求巴力的名，说：“巴力啊，应允我们吧！”可是没有声音，也没有回应。他们就在所筑的祭坛周围跳舞。

他們將所得的牛犢預備好了，從早晨到午間，求告巴力的名說：「巴力啊，求你應允我們！」卻沒有聲音，沒有應允的。他們在所築的壇四圍踊跳。

他們把所給他們的牛犢預備好了，從早晨到中午，求告巴力的名說：「巴力啊，求你應允我們！」卻沒有聲音，也沒有回應。他們就在所築的壇四圍蹦跳。

他們把所給他們的牛犢預備好了，從早晨到中午，求告巴力的名說：「巴力啊，求你應允我們！」卻沒有聲音，也沒有回應。他們就在所築的壇四圍蹦跳。

他們取了公牛預備好，然後從早上到正午不斷地呼求：「巴力啊，求你應允我們！」可是毫無動靜。他們又繞著自己築的祭壇跳個不停。

他們把人給他們的公牛牽了來，預備好了，就從早晨直到中午，呼求巴力的名，說：“巴力啊，應允我們吧！”可是沒有聲音，也沒有回應。他們就在所築的祭壇周圍跳舞。

他們將給了他們的公牛豫備好了，就呼求巴力的名，從早晨直到中午一直呼求說：『巴力啊，答應我們吧！』卻沒有聲音，也沒有答應的；他們直在所造的祭壇旁舞蹈跳躍。

乃取所予之牛備之、自朝至午、籲巴力之名曰、巴力歟、其聽我、然無聲響、無應者、彼則踊於壇之四周、

於是取所予之犢備之、自朝至於日中、籲巴力曰、巴力乎、尚其聽我。巴力杳無聲響、不能應對、其先知踊於所築之壇。

於是巴力之先知、取所得之犢、治備之、自辰至午、呼巴力之名、曰、巴力乎、求爾應允我、然無聲響、無應者、乃舞於所築之壇上、

So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon.“ Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

So they prepared the bull they had been given. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon.“ Baal! Answer us!” they shouted. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.

And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying,“ O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made.

So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying,“ Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.

Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying,“ O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they limped about the altar which they had made.

So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying,“ O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.

And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped about the altar which was made.

So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying,“ Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed[ it], and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But[ there was] no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

So they took a bull, as he had suggested, and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying,“ Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped around on the altar they had made.

They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying,“ Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.

Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.

You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound.And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

“ Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save!

Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it.“ Rescue me!” he says.“ You are my god!”

Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies, and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.

“ When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.

“ What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!

For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone— gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!

What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe.And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.O Israel, praise the Lord! O priests— descendants of Aaron— praise the Lord!O Levites, praise the Lord! All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!