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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

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.

Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit?All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen— mere humans— who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame.The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint.Then the wood carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine.He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain.Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then— yes, it’s true— he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it!He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says,“ Ah, that fire feels good.”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!”Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,“ Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,“ Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.

“ Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings— just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia— both Jews and Greeks— heard the word of the Lord.

But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood— idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!

Say this to those who worship other gods:“ Your so called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone— gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so called gods that do not even exist.

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.

for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God.

Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over.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.”Lord, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power.

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.

They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews.

In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost.There is a wide open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.

“ To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it!They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.“ Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones.

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.

This calf you worship, O Israel, was crafted by your own hands! It is not God! Therefore, it must be smashed to bits.

Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

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