Howeverat that time,when you did not knowGod,you were slavesto thosewhich by natureare nogods.
"Have you not drivenout the priestsof the LORD,the sonsof Aaronand the Levites,and madefor yourselves priestslike the peoplesof [other] lands?Whoevercomesto consecratehimselfwith a youngbulland sevenrams,even he may becomea priestof [what are] nogods.
But Pharaohsaid,"Whois the LORDthat I should obeyHis voiceto letIsraelgo?I do not knowthe LORD,and besides,I will not letIsraelgo."
and have casttheir godsinto the fire,for they were not godsbut the workof men'shands,woodand stone.So they have destroyedthem.
Pourout Your wrathon the nationsthat do not knowYou And on the familiesthat do not callYour name;For they have devouredJacob;They have devouredhim and consumedhim And have laidwastehis habitation.
Can manmakegodsfor himself? Yet they are not gods!
"Has a nationchangedgodsWhen they were not gods?But My peoplehave changedtheir gloryFor that which does not profit.
"Whyshould I pardonyou? Your sonshave forsakenMe And swornby those who are not gods.When I had fedthem to the full,They committedadulteryAnd troopedto the harlot'shouse.
He was in the world,and the worldwas madethroughHim, and the worlddid not knowHim.
And they [began] callingBarnabas,Zeus,and Paul,Hermes,becausehe was the chiefspeaker.
"For while I was passing throughand examiningthe objects of your worship,I alsofoundan altarwith thisinscription,'TO AN UNKNOWNGOD.'Thereforewhatyou worshipin ignorance,thisI proclaimto you.
and exchangedthe gloryof the incorruptibleGodfor an imagein the formof corruptiblemanand of birdsand four-footed animalsand crawling creatures.
And justas they did not see fitto acknowledgeGodany longer, Godgave them overto a depravedmind,to dothosethings which are not proper,
For sincein the wisdomof Godthe worldthroughits wisdomdid not [come to] knowGod,Godwas well-pleasedthroughthe foolishnessof the message preachedto savethosewho believe.
You knowthat whenyou were pagans,[you were] led astrayto the muteidols,howeveryou were led.
Thereforeconcerningthe eatingof things sacrificed to idols,we knowthat there is nosuch thingas an idolin the world,and that there is noGodbut one.
Soalsowe, whilewe were children,were held in bondageunderthe elemental thingsof the world.
beingdarkenedin their understanding,excludedfrom the lifeof Godbecauseof the ignorancethat is in them, becauseof the hardnessof their heart;
For they themselvesreportaboutus what kindof a receptionwe hadwith you, and howyou turnedto Godfrom idolsto servea livingand true God,
not in lustfulpassion,likethe Gentileswho do not knowGod;
dealingout retributionto thosewho do not knowGodand to thosewho do not obeythe gospelof our LordJesus.
"Ifit is disagreeablein your sightto servethe LORD,choosefor yourselves todaywhomyou will serve:whetherthe godswhichyour fathersservedwhichwere beyondthe River,or the godsof the Amoritesin whoselandyou are living;but as for me and my house,we will servethe LORD."
Joshuasaidto allthe people,"Thussaysthe LORD,the Godof Israel,'From ancienttimesyour fatherslivedbeyondthe River,[namely], Terah,the fatherof Abrahamand the fatherof Nahor,and they servedothergods.
For the timealready pastis sufficient[for] [you] to have carriedout the desireof the Gentiles,having pursued a courseof sensuality,lusts,drunkenness,carousing,drinking partiesand abominableidolatries.
Seehow greata lovethe Fatherhas bestowedon us, that we would be calledchildrenof God;and [such] we are. For thisreasonthe worlddoes not knowus, becauseit did not knowHim.
