You have seen and heard what this fellow Paul is doing. He has talked to large numbers of people here in Ephesus. Almost everywhere in Asia Minor he has led people away from our gods. He says that the gods made by human hands are not gods at all.

这保罗不但在以弗所，也几乎在亚细亚全地，引诱迷惑许多人，说：‘人手所做的，不是神。’这是你们所看见所听见的。

你们看到，也听见这保罗不但在以弗所，也几乎在亚细亚全地，引诱迷惑了许多人，说：‘人手所做的不是神明。’

你们看到，也听见这保罗不但在以弗所，也几乎在亚细亚全地，引诱迷惑了许多人，说：‘人手所做的不是神明。’

可是你们都看到了，也听见了，那个保罗在以弗所和亚细亚全境说服、误导了许多人，说什么人手所造的不是神。

现在你们看见了，也听见了，这个保罗不单在以弗所，而且几乎在整个亚西亚，说服了，也带坏了许多人，说：‘人手所做的，都不是神。’

可是你们看见了也听见了，这个保罗不仅在以弗所也几乎在全亚细亚省，说服、引诱了一大群人，说‘人手所造的不是神’。

這保羅不但在以弗所，也幾乎在亞細亞全地，引誘迷惑許多人，說：『人手所做的，不是神。』這是你們所看見所聽見的。

你們看到，也聽見這保羅不但在以弗所，也幾乎在亞細亞全地，引誘迷惑了許多人，說：『人手所做的不是神明。』

你們看到，也聽見這保羅不但在以弗所，也幾乎在亞細亞全地，引誘迷惑了許多人，說：『人手所做的不是神明。』

可是你們都看到了，也聽見了，那個保羅在以弗所和亞細亞全境說服、誤導了許多人，說什麼人手所造的不是神。

現在你們看見了，也聽見了，這個保羅不單在以弗所，而且幾乎在整個亞西亞，說服了，也帶壞了許多人，說：‘人手所做的，都不是神。’

你們看，你們聽，不但在以弗所、也幾乎在全亞西亞、這個保羅都唆誘了帶壞了好大羣的人，說：「那些用人手作的並不是神。」

可是你們看見了也聽見了，這個保羅不僅在以弗所也幾乎在全亞細亞省，說服、引誘了一大群人，說『人手所造的不是神』。

爾所知也、此保羅勸導多人、使之轉移、謂手所作者非神、不第於以弗所、亦幾徧亞西亞、爾亦聞且見之矣、

保羅乃惑眾、言手所作者非上帝、不第於以弗所、殆徧亞西亞矣、此爾曹所見所聞也、

此保羅誘惑多人、不第在以弗所、亦幾遍亞西亞、言手所造者非王、此爾曹所見所知也、

乃彼葆樂、不第於依法所、且幾遍亞細亞、勸阻多人、謂人手所製者非神、此汝等所見所聞也。

And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.

And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.

But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!

You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods.

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

Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands:

You both see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods!

Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.

You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands.

“ Yes, we are God’s children. So we shouldn’t think that God is made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn’t a statue planned and made by clever people.

So then, here is what I say about eating food sacrificed to statues of gods. We know that“ a god made by human hands is really nothing at all in the world.” We know that“ there is only one God.”

People make statues of gods. But those gods can’t do any good.People who do that will be put to shame. Those who make statues of gods are mere human beings. Let all of them come together and state their case. They will be terrified and put to shame.A blacksmith gets his tool. He uses it to shape metal over the burning coals. He uses his hammers to make a statue of a god. He forms it with his powerful arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength. He doesn’t drink any water. He gets weaker and weaker.A carpenter measures a piece of wood with a line. He draws a pattern on it with a marker. He cuts out a statue with sharp tools. He marks it with compasses. He shapes it into the form of a beautiful human being. He does this so he can put it in a temple.He cuts down a cedar tree. Or perhaps he takes a cypress or an oak tree. It might be a tree that grew in the forest. Or it might be a pine tree he planted. And the rain made it grow.A man gets wood from trees to burn. He uses some of it to warm himself. He starts a fire and bakes bread. But he also uses some of it to make a god and worship it. He makes a statue of a god and bows down to it.He burns half of the wood in the fire. He prepares a meal over it. He cooks meat over it. He eats until he is full. He also warms himself. He says,“ Good! I’m getting warm. The fire is nice and hot.”From the rest of the wood he makes a statue. It becomes his god. He bows down and worships it. He prays to it. He says,“ Save me! You are my god!”People like that don’t even know what they are doing. Their eyes are shut so that they can’t see the truth. Their minds are closed so that they can’t understand it.No one even stops to think about this. No one has any sense or understanding. If anyone did, they would say,“ I used half of the wood for fuel. I even baked bread over the fire. I cooked meat. Then I ate it. Should I now make a statue of a god out of the wood that’s left over? Should I bow down to a block of wood? The Lord would hate that.”That’s as foolish as eating ashes! The mind of someone like that has led him astray. He can’t save himself. He can’t bring himself to say,“ This thing I’m holding in my right hand isn’t really a god at all.”

No one has any sense or knows anything at all. Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his gods. The metal gods he has made are fakes. They can’t even breathe.They are worthless things that people make fun of. When the Lord judges them, they will be destroyed.

“ Friends, why are you doing this? We are only human, just like you. We are bringing you good news. Turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the living God. He is the one who made the heavens and the earth and the sea. He made everything in them.

This went on for two years. So all the Jews and Greeks who lived in Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord.

There were people who were not killed by these plagues. But they still didn’t turn away from what they had been doing. They did not stop worshiping demons. They kept worshiping statues of gods made out of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood. These statues can’t see or hear or walk.

The Lord speaks to the Jews living in Babylon. He says,“ Here is what you must tell the people of the nations. Tell them,‘ Your gods did not make the heavens and the earth. In fact, these gods will disappear from the earth. They will vanish from under the heavens.’ ”

There you will worship gods that men have made out of wood and stone. Those gods can’t see, hear, eat or smell.

At one time you didn’t know God. You were slaves to gods that are really not gods at all.

The statues of the nations’ gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have mouths but can’t breathe.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

The believers themselves report the kind of welcome you gave us. They tell about how you turned away from statues of gods. And you turned to serve the living and true God.

The practices of these nations are worthless. People cut a tree out of the forest. A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool.Others decorate it with silver and gold. They use a hammer to nail it to the floor. They want to keep it from falling down.The statues of their gods can’t speak. They are like scarecrows in a field of cucumbers. Their statues have to be carried around because they can’t walk. So do not be afraid of their gods. They can’t do you any harm. And they can’t do you any good either.”Lord, no one is like you. You are great. You are mighty and powerful.

But the statues of their gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have noses but can’t smell.They have hands but can’t feel. They have feet but can’t walk. They have throats but can’t say anything.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

They arrived at Ephesus. There Paul said goodbye to Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and talked with the Jews.

But I will stay at Ephesus until the day of Pentecost.A door has opened wide for me to do some good work here. There are many people who oppose me.

“ Who will you compare me with? Who is equal to me? What am I like? Who can you compare me with?Some people pour out gold from their bags. They weigh out silver on the scales. They hire someone who works with gold to make it into a god. They bow down to it and worship it.They lift it up on their shoulders and carry it. They set it up in its place, and there it stands. It can’t move from that spot. Someone might cry out to it. But it does not answer. It can’t save them from their troubles.So remember this, you who refuse to obey me. Keep it in your minds and hearts.

Do I mean that food sacrificed to a statue of a god is anything? Do I mean that a statue of a god is anything?No! But what is sacrificed by those who worship statues of gods is really sacrificed to demons. It is not sacrificed to God. I don’t want you to be sharing with demons.

Their calf is not God. A skilled worker from Israel made it. But that calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.”

Many who believed now came and openly admitted what they had done.A number of those who had practiced evil magic brought their scrolls together. They set them on fire out in the open. They added up the value of the scrolls. The scrolls were worth more than someone could earn in two lifetimes.The word of the Lord spread everywhere. It became more and more powerful.

You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak.