The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other,“ Be strong!”

他们各人帮助邻舍，各人对弟兄说：“壮胆吧！”

各人互相帮助，对弟兄说：“壮胆吧！”

各人互相帮助，对弟兄说：“壮胆吧！”

彼此帮助，互相勉励说，‘要刚强！’

各人彼此帮助，对自己的兄弟说：“要坚强！”

各人帮助邻舍，对自己的兄弟说：“要坚强！”

他們各人幫助鄰舍，各人對弟兄說：壯膽吧！

各人互相幫助，對弟兄說：「壯膽吧！」

各人互相幫助，對弟兄說：「壯膽吧！」

彼此幫助，互相勉勵說，『要剛強！』

各人彼此幫助，對自己的兄弟說：“要堅強！”

各人都幫助鄰舍，各人都對弟兄說：『要剛強！』

各人幫助鄰舍，對自己的兄弟說：「要堅強！」

互相輔助、互相勸勉、曰壯乃心、

更相勸勉、造作偶像、曰、壯乃心、

彼此扶助、更相勉勵、曰、當壯贍、

they help each other and say to their companions,“ Be strong!”

They help one another. They say to one another,“ Be strong!”

Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother,“ Be strong!”

Each one helps the other, and says to another,“ Take courage!”

Each one helps his neighbor And says to his brother,“ Be strong!”

Everyone helped his neighbor, And said to his brother,“ Be of good courage!”

They help every one his neighbor; and every one saith to his brother, Be of good courage.

Each one helps the other, and says to another,“ Take courage!”

They helped every one his neighbour; and[ every one] said to his brother, Be of good courage.

They help one another; one says to the other,‘ Be strong!’

Everyone helps his neighbor. They say to their brothers,“ Be strong!”

It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:“ Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.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!Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis— this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world— will be robbed of her great prestige!”At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting,“ Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

they panicked.“ The gods have come into their camp!” they cried.“ This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before!Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness.Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up.So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.Then a herald shouted out,“ People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command!When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”So at the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Say to the nations far and wide:“ Get ready for war! Call out your best warriors. Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.Hammer your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Train even your weaklings to be warriors.Come quickly, all you nations everywhere. Gather together in the valley.” And now, O Lord, call out your warriors!

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.

Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?

But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again.But the next morning the same thing happened— Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.

Say to those with fearful hearts,“ Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”