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

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、

然曩日爾未識天主、猶為偽神所奴；

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.

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

not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God.

With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that“ an idol in this world is nothing,” and that“ there is no God but one.”

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh– who are called“ uncircumcision” by the so- called“ circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands–that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

With flaming fire he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them.

For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non- Christians desire. You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, and wanton idolatries.

But you banished the LORD’s priests, Aaron’s descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake gods!

For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything?No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.

For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.

Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you. Vent it on the peoples who do not worship you. For they have destroyed the people of Jacob. They have completely destroyed them and left their homeland in utter ruin.

All who form idols are nothing; the things in which they delight are worthless. Their witnesses cannot see; they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.Who forms a god and casts an idol that will prove worthless?Look, all his associates will be put to shame; the craftsmen are mere humans. Let them all assemble and take their stand! They will panic and be put to shame.A blacksmith works with his tool and forges metal over the coals. He forms it with hammers; he makes it with his strong arm. He gets hungry and loses his energy; he drinks no water and gets tired.A carpenter takes measurements; he marks out an outline of its form; he scrapes it with chisels, and marks it with a compass. He patterns it after the human form, like a well-built human being, and puts it in a shrine.He cuts down cedars and acquires a cypress or an oak. He gets trees from the forest; he plants a cedar and the rain makes it grow.A man uses it to make a fire; he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.Half of it he burns in the fire– over that half he cooks meat; he roasts a meal and fills himself. Yes, he warms himself and says,‘ Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it, saying,‘ Rescue me, for you are my god!’They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern.No one thinks to himself, nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:‘ I burned half of it in the fire– yes, I baked bread over the coals; I roasted meat and ate it. With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol? Should I bow down to dry wood?’He feeds on ashes; his deceived mind misleads him. He cannot rescue himself, nor does he say,‘ Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’

They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD!”

Joshua told all the people,“ Here is what the LORD God of Israel says:‘ In the distant past your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped other gods,

But Pharaoh said,“ Who is the LORD that I should obey him by releasing Israel? I do not know the LORD, and I will not release Israel!”

You know that when you were pagans you were often led astray by speechless idols, however you were led.

For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold. He uses hammer and nails to fasten it together so that it will not fall over.Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They cannot talk. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them because they cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.”I said,“ There is no one like you, LORD. You are great. And you are renowned for your power.Everyone should revere you, O King of all nations, because you deserve to be revered. For there is no one like you among any of the wise people of the nations nor among any of their kings.The people of those nations are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless!Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshish and gold is brought from Uphaz to cover those idols. They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths. They are clothed in blue and purple clothes. They are all made by skillful workers.The LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his anger the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury.You people of Israel should tell those nations this:‘ These gods did not make heaven and earth. They will disappear from the earth and from under the heavens.’The LORD is the one who by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom established the world. And by his understanding he spread out the skies.When his voice thunders, the heavenly ocean roars. He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons. He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain. He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.All these idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made. For the image he forges is merely a sham. There is no breath in any of those idols.They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked. When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.The LORD, who is the inheritance of Jacob’s descendants, is not like them. He is the one who created everything. And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own. He is known as the LORD who rules over all.”

( See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children– and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him.

The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold, they are man-made.They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,and ears, but cannot hear. Indeed, they cannot breathe.Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.

Has a nation ever changed its gods( even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, for a god that cannot help them at all!

So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination.Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,

Their idols are made of silver and gold– they are man-made.They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell,hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats.Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.

For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:‘ To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.

They began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.

He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him.

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four- footed animals or reptiles.