然曩日爾未識天主、猶為偽神所奴；

但从前你们不认识神的时候，是给那些本来不是神的作奴仆；

但从前不认识上帝的时候，你们是给那些本来不是上帝的神明作奴隶；

但从前不认识神的时候，你们是给那些本来不是神的神明作奴隶；

从前，你们不认识上帝，做那些假神的奴隶。

从前你们不认识神的时候，是给那些本来不是神的作奴仆；

从前，你们不认识神的时候，固然给那些本性上不是神的做了奴仆，

但從前你們不認識神的時候，是給那些本來不是神的作奴僕；

但從前不認識上帝的時候，你們是給那些本來不是上帝的神明作奴隸；

但從前不認識神的時候，你們是給那些本來不是神的神明作奴隸；

從前，你們不認識上帝，做那些假神的奴隸。

從前你們不認識神的時候，是給那些本來不是神的作奴僕；

但從前你們不認識上帝的時候，是給那些本性不是神的做奴僕。

從前，你們不認識神的時候，固然給那些本性上不是神的做了奴僕，

昔爾不識上帝、役於本非神者、

昔爾不識上帝、非上帝反服事之、

昔爾不識天主、所事之神、本非天主、

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

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

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.

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

But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.

However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods.

But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.

Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods:

But in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.

However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

切勿縱情恣慾、如異邦不識天主者所為也、凡因縱情、

關於祭肉問題、吾人固知偶像皆屬子虛烏有；亦知天主之外更無真神。

爾在血統上為外邦人、且一般曾身受人為之割禮者、咸呼爾為未割之民。爾應恆念昔時爾本與基督相隔、處於義塞社會之外、於盟約恩諾為局外人、在世無所仰望、不識天主。

於烈燄中行施報應。凡不識天主、不願服膺吾主耶穌基督之福音者、

夫過去之日、與世俗同流合污、放縱恣肆、沈湎酒色、崇拜偶像、不已足乎？

外間頗有人嘖嘖稱道吾儕如何獲爾之心、爾等如何拋棄偶像、歸依聖教、兢兢業業、奉事永生真實之天主、

然則何如？豈謂祭肉足以浼我乎？抑吾目中尚有偶像其物乎？非也！然外教人所祭獻之物、乃獻於魔鬼、而非獻於天主也。吾固不願爾等之與魔鬼有所共享也。

蓋按天主之上智、世俗之智、既不足以認識天主、故天主甘用若愚之道以救信眾。

意志虛妄、理智昏昧、冥頑不靈、而自絕於天主之生命。

爾當猶憶昔為外教人時、如何溺於習俗、惑於無靈之偶像。

嗚呼、天父愛吾人之深、待吾人之厚、有不能言喻者焉。吾人竟蒙恩召、得稱為天主之子女、而亦實為天主之子女矣。然則吾人之不容於世、不亦宜乎；即天主亦未嘗見容於世也。

異邦之偶像。乃為金銀器。明明是死物。人工之所鑄。有口不能言。有目不能視。有耳不能聽。鼻觀了無氣。凡鑄偶像者。將同偶像死。供奉偶像者。亦是偶像類。

夫吾人既為天主之裔、則不當妄度天主之神性、有類乎人工技巧所琢之金銀玉石。昔在蒙昧之世、天主尚予優容、今已檄曉人群、咸當幡然悔改、

豈同若輩手製之偶像兮。乃金銀之所成。口不能言。耳不能聽。目不能視。鼻不能聞。手不能握。足不能行。雖具喉舌。寂寂無聲。是知造像者固麻木而不仁矣。而信奉之者又安得而非冥頑不靈者乎。

蓋吾嘗閒步街頭、一覽爾所崇拜之對象、偶值一壇、上書「獻於未識之神。」茲吾欲揭示於爾者、正爾所未識而敬事者也。

遂稱巴拿巴為丟斯；稱葆樂則為希耳米、以其為發言之主故耳。

若輩既冥頑不靈、心棄天主、則天主亦愛莫能助、於是聽其昧心恣行、

道彌六合。締造乾坤。茫茫塵世。不識真君。

忍棄永生者天主之真榮、而易以必朽者人類禽獸蛇蟲之偶像。