But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,“ I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”

我再说，以色列人不知道吗？先有摩西说：“我要用那不成子民的，惹动你们的愤恨；我要用那无知的民，触动你们的怒气。”

我再问，以色列人不知道吗？先有摩西说：“我要以不成国的激起你们嫉妒；我要以愚顽的国惹起你们发怒。”

我再问，以色列人不知道吗？先有摩西说：“我要以不成国的激起你们嫉妒；我要以愚顽的国惹起你们发怒。”

我再问，难道以色列人不知道吗？首先，摩西说：“我要借无名之民挑起你们的嫉妒，用愚昧的国民激起你们的怒气。”

我再说：以色列人真的不明白吗？首先，摩西说：“我要使你们对那不是子民的生嫉妒，对那无知的民族起忿怒。”

我再说“以色列人难道不明白吗？”首先，摩西说：“我要用不是子民的，激起你们的嫉妒之心，用无知的民族激起你们的怒气。”

我再說，以色列人不知道嗎？先有摩西說：我要用那不成子民的惹動你們的憤恨；我要用那無知的民觸動你們的怒氣。

我再問，以色列人不知道嗎？先有摩西說：「我要以不成國的激起你們嫉妒；我要以愚頑的國惹起你們發怒。」

我再問，以色列人不知道嗎？先有摩西說：「我要以不成國的激起你們嫉妒；我要以愚頑的國惹起你們發怒。」

我再問，難道以色列人不知道嗎？首先，摩西說：「我要藉無名之民挑起你們的嫉妒，用愚昧的國民激起你們的怒氣。」

我再說：以色列人真的不明白嗎？首先，摩西說：“我要使你們對那不是子民的生嫉妒，對那無知的民族起忿怒。”

但是我說，以色列難道不明白麼？先有摩西說：『我要激動你們羨妒那不是國民的，我要惹動你們氣忿那蒙昧的國民。』

我再說「以色列人難道不明白嗎？」首先，摩西說：「我要用不是子民的，激起你們的嫉妒之心，用無知的民族激起你們的怒氣。」

我又曰、以色列民豈未知乎、昔摩西云、我將以異族發爾憤、且將以蚩氓觸爾怒、

余又曰、以色列人、豈未知乎、昔摩西曰、我將子異民、使爾發奮、子頑民、使爾激勵、

我又曰、以色列人豈未知乎、昔摩西曰、我將以異民、激爾嫉妒、將以愚民、激爾忿怒、

然則義塞人果未悟耶？摩西書曰：『吾將子異民、使爾激勵；子頑民、使爾發憤。』

Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,“ I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”

Again I ask,“ Didn’t Israel understand?” First, Moses says,“ I will use people who are not a nation to make you jealous. I will use a nation that has no understanding to make you angry.”( Deuteronomy 32:21)

But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,“ I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”

But I ask,“ Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that lacks understanding.

But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,“ I will make you jealous with those who are not a nation, With a foolish nation I will anger you.”

But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:“ I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”

But I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, With a nation void of understanding will I anger you.

But I ask,“ Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said: I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that lacks understanding.

But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by[ them that are] no people,[ and] by a foolish nation I will anger you.

But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? First Moses says,“ I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.”

But I ask, didn’t Israel know? First Moses says,“ I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation. I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding.”

They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God; they have provoked my anger with their useless idols. Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people; I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles.

Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.

for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.

“ Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

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?”

But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:“ The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.”

But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage.

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.

What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself. I will show love to those I called‘ Not loved.’ And to those I called‘ Not my people,’ I will say,‘ Now you are my people.’ And they will reply,‘ You are our God!’”

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!

What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?

Some of you are saying,“ I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying,“ I follow Apollos,” or“ I follow Peter,” or“ I follow only Christ.”

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

for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

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.

What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!