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

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.

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

not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God,

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called“ uncircumcision” by that which is called“ circumcision”( in the flesh, made by hands),that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,

and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

Haven’t you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the ways of the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of those who are no gods.

For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you would have fellowship with demons.

For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you, and on the families that don’t call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob. Yes, they have devoured him, consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.

Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.The blacksmith takes an ax, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it.Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it, and warms himself. Yes, he burns it, and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god, and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself, and says,“ Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says,“ Deliver me; for you are my god!”They don’t know, neither do they consider: for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see; and their hearts, that they can’t understand.No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,“ I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say,“ Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”

being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.

If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”

Joshua said to all the people,“ Yahweh, the God of Israel, says,‘ Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor. They served other gods.

Pharaoh said,“ Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.

For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the ax.They deck it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and with hammers, so that it can’t move.They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don’t speak. They must be carried, because they can’t move. Don’t be afraid of them; for they can’t do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”There is no one like you, Yahweh. You are great, and your name is great in might.Who shouldn’t fear you, King of the nations? For it belongs to you. Because among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is no one like you.But they are together brutish and foolish, instructed by idols! It is just wood.There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the engraver and of the hands of the goldsmith. Their clothing is blue and purple. They are all the work of skillful men.But Yahweh is the true God. He is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles. The nations aren’t able to withstand his indignation.“ You shall say this to them:‘ The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.’”God has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens.When he utters his voice, the waters in the heavens roar, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and brings the wind out of his treasuries.Every man has become brutish and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation they will perish.The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the maker of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies is his name.

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.They have mouths, but they can’t speak. They have eyes, but they can’t see.They have ears, but they can’t hear, neither is there any breath in their mouths.Those who make them will be like them, yes, everyone who trusts in them.

Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doesn’t profit.

Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.They have mouths, but they don’t speak. They have eyes, but they don’t see.They have ears, but they don’t hear. They have noses, but they don’t smell.They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat.Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription:‘ TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.

They called Barnabas“ Jupiter”, and Paul“ Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker.

Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.

and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four- footed animals, and creeping things.