1 Korin 8
1 Krang bokhaih hmuen pongah loe hae tiah ka poek, aicae mah panoekhaih a tawnh o boih, tiah a panoek o. Panoekhaih mah kami to amoeksak, toe amlunghaih mah loe kami to qoengsak.
Now [I will answer what you asked] about [us believers] eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols. [We know what some of you say, that God has enabled] all of us [to] know [the truth about things such as idols. But often we become] proud because we say that we know [all those things]. But instead of being proud about what we know, we should show that we love [our fellow believers by helping them to] become spiritually mature.
2 Mi kawbaktih doeh ka panoek boeh, tiah poekhaih tawn kami loe, panoek han koi hmuen to panoek ai vop.
Those who think that they thoroughly know something do not yet know it as they should.
3 Toe Sithaw palung kami loe, Sithaw mah anih to panoek.
But as for those who love God, they know that they belong to him.
4 Krangbokhaih moi caakhaih pongah loe hae tiah oh, Long nuiah krangbokhaih loe tidoeh na ai ni, Sithaw maeto khue ni oh, kalah Sithaw roe om ai, tito a panoek o.
So [I will tell you] about eating meat that people have sacrificed to idols. We know that it is true, [as you say], that idols are not really alive. We also know that there is only one real God.
5 Van nuiah maw, to tih ai boeh loe long nuiah maw sithawnawk, tiah kawk ih (pop parai sithawnawk hoi angraengnawk to oh o),
It is true that there are gods whom people think live in the heavens or whom they think live on earth. Truly, there are many beings that [people] call gods, and whom [they] call lords.
6 toe aicae hanah loe Ampa, Sithaw maeto khue ni oh, Anih khae hoiah ni hmuennawk boih to tacawt, aicae loe Anih ah a oh o; Angraeng maeto khue ni oh, Anih loe Jesu Kri ni, Anih rang hoiah hmuennawk boih to oh, aicae loe Anih rang hoiah ni a hing o.
But for us [believers] there is only one real God. He is [our heavenly] Father who created everything. He is the one whom we [worship and serve]. Also, for us believers Jesus Christ is the one and only Lord. He is the one whom [God caused] to create everything. It is because of what he [has done for us on the cross] that we have [spiritual] life.
7 To panoekhaih to kami boih mah tawn ai: thoemto kaminawk loe krangbokhaih palungthin tawnh o pongah, vaihi khoek to angbawnhaih moi caak o naah, krangbokhaih moi caak baktiah ni a caak o vop, nihcae loe kasae kahoih panoekhaih bangah thazok o pongah, to tiah moi caakhaih mah, nihcae to amhnongsak.
Nevertheless, some people do not understand [that idols are not really alive]. In the past, some among you who are believers now were accustomed to believing that idols [were really alive]. As a result, when they eat such meat [now], they still think that it was sacrificed to an idol [that is alive]. They are not sure [that God allows believers to eat meat that has been offered to idols]. So, [when they eat such meat], they think that they have sinned.
8 Toe caaknaek mah Sithaw khae anghnaisak ai: caa ai cadoeh sae aep ai, caak aep to mah hoih kuehaih om ai.
But God will not think more highly about us [if we eat certain] foods, or if we do not eat [certain foods]. That is, we are not more acceptable to God if we do not eat certain foods, nor are we more acceptable to him if we eat those foods.
9 Toe acoe oh, to tih ai nahaeloe na koeh baktiah caakhaih mah thazok kaminawk to amtimsak moeng tih.
However, be sure that you do not do anything that God allows you to do, if by doing that you would encourage any of [your fellow believers to do something that] they are not sure [God allows them to do]. As a result, you would be causing them to sin.
10 Panoekhaih tawn kami to krangbokhaih tempul thungah buhcaak han anghnut naah, kami maeto mah anih to hnu nahaeloe, panoekhaih bangah thazok kami to krangbokhaih buhcaaksak hanah thapaek baktiah om mak ai maw?
For example, you know [that idols are not really alive]. Suppose that in a temple [where they worship] idols you eat [food that has been sacrificed to idols]. Suppose that someone who is not sure whether God allows us to eat that food sees you eating it. [You] would be encouraging him to eat it, too. [RHQ]
11 Kri mah hinghaih paek ih thazok nawkamya to, na panoekhaih mah amrosak tih.
As a result, you who know that [idols are not really alive], might cause that fellow believer, one for whom Christ died, (to be ruined [spiritually]/to stop believing [in Christ]).
12 Nawkamya to na zae o sak moe, kasae kahoih panoekhaih bangah thazok nawkamya to nganbawh kana na paek o pongah, Kri nuiah zaehaih sah kami ah ni na oh o.
By sinning against your fellow believer by causing him to do something that he thinks God does not allow us to do, [it is as though] you are sinning against Christ himself!
13 To pongah, caaknaek mah nawkamya to zaesak nahaeloe, nawkamya to ka zaesak moeng han ai ah, long oh nathung moi to ka caa mak ai. (aiōn g165)
So if [I, Paul, think that by] eating a certain food I might cause a fellow believer to be ruined spiritually, I will never eat such food again. I do not want to cause any fellow believer (to be ruined spiritually/to stop believing in Christ). [And you should] ([do as I do/imitate my example]). (aiōn g165)
