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

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.

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.

not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.

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.

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called“ uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.

And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all— only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.

You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy— their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

But you have chased away the priests of the Lord( the descendants of Aaron) and the Levites, and you have appointed your own priests, just like the pagan nations. You let anyone become a priest these days! Whoever comes to be dedicated with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of these so called gods of yours!

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.

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.

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you— on the peoples that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel; they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness.

How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame.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?”

Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua said to the people,“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods.

“ Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh.“ And who is the Lord? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”

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

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.Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you.People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes made by expert tailors.But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.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.”But the Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.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.But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

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.

Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!

And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.“ God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.

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.

for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it:‘ To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.

And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.