1 Corinthians 10
1 For I would have you remember, brethren, how our forefathers were all of them sheltered by the cloud, and all got safely through the Red Sea.
I want you to bear in mind, Brothers, that all our ancestors were beneath the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 All were baptized in the cloud and in the sea to be followers of Moses.
that in the cloud and in the sea they all underwent baptism as followers of Moses;
3 All ate the same spiritual food,
and that they all ate the same supernatural food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they long drank the water that flowed from the spiritual rock that went with them--and that rock was the Christ.
and all drank the same supernatural water, for they used to drink from a supernatural rock which followed them, and that rock was the Christ.
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased; for they were laid low in the Desert.
Yet with most of them God was displeased; for they were ‘struck down in the desert.’
6 And in this they became a warning to us, to teach us not to be eager, as they were eager, in pursuit of what is evil.
Now these things happened as warnings to us, to teach us not to long for evil things as our forefathers longed.
7 And you must not be worshippers of idols, as some of them were. For it is written, "The People sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance."
Do not become idolaters, as some of them became. Scripture says — ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance.’
8 Nor may we be fornicators, like some of them who committed fornication and on a single day 23,000 of them fell dead.
Nor let us act immorally, as some of them acted, with the result that twenty-three thousand of them fell dead in a single day.
9 And do not let us test the Lord too far, as some of them tested Him and were destroyed by the serpents.
Nor let us try the patience of the Lord too far, as some of them tried it, with the result that they ‘were, one after another, destroyed by the snakes.’
10 And do not be discontented, as some of them were, and they were destroyed by the Destroyer.
And do not murmur, as some of them murmured, and so ‘were destroyed by the Angel of Death.’
11 All this kept happening to them with a figurative meaning; but it was put on record by way of admonition to us upon whom the ends of the Ages have come. (aiōn g165)
These things happened to them by way of warning, and were recorded to serve as a caution to us, in whose days the close of the ages has come. (aiōn g165)
12 So then let him who thinks he is standing securely beware of falling.
Therefore let the man who thinks that he stands take care that he does not fall.
13 No temptation has you in its power but such as is common to human nature; and God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. But, when the temptation comes, He will also provide the way of escape; so that you may be able to bear it.
No temptation has come upon you that is not common to all mankind. God will not fail you, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength; but, when he sends the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may have strength to endure.
14 Therefore, my dear friends, avoid all connection with the worship of idols.
Therefore, my dear friends, shun the worship of idols.
15 I speak as to men of sense: judge for yourselves of what I say.
I speak to you as man of discernment; form your own judgment about what I am saying.
16 The cup of blessing, which we bless, does it not mean a joint-participation in the blood of Christ? The loaf of bread which we break, does it not mean a joint-participation in the body of Christ?
In the Cup of Blessing which we bless, is not there a sharing in the blood of the Christ? And in the Bread which we break, is not there a sharing in the Body of the Christ?
17 Since there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; we, all of us, share in that one loaf.
The Bread is one, and we, though many, are one body; for we all partake of that one Bread.
18 Look at the Israelites--the nation and their ritual. Are not those who eat the sacrifices joint-partakers in the altar?
Look at the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices share with the altar?
19 Do I mean that a thing sacrificed to an idol is what it claims to be, or that an idol is a real thing?
What do I mean? you ask. That an offering made to an idol, or the idol itself, is anything?
20 No, but that which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God; and I would not have you have fellowship with one another through the demons.
No; what I say is that the sacrifices offered by the Gentiles ‘are offered to demons and to a Being who is no God,’ and I do not want you to share with demons.
21 You cannot drink the Lord's cup and the cup of demons: you cannot be joint-partakers both in the table of the Lord and in the table of demons.
You cannot drink both the Cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake at the Table of the Lord and at the table of demons.
22 Or are we actually arousing the Lord to jealousy. Are we stronger than He is?
Or ‘are we to rouse the jealousy of the Lord’? Are we stronger than he?
23 Everything is allowable, but not everything is profitable. Everything is allowable, but everything does not build others up.
Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything is not profitable. Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything does not build up character.
24 Let no one be for ever seeking his own good, but let each seek that of his fellow man.
A man must not study his own interests, but the interests of others.
25 Anything that is for sale in the meat market, eat, and ask no questions for conscience' sake;
Eat anything that is sold in the market, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples;
26 for the earth is the Lord's, and all that it contains.
for ‘the earth, with all that is in it, belongs to the Lord.’
27 If an unbeliever gives you an invitation and you are disposed to accept it, eat whatever is put before you, and ask no questions for conscience' sake.
If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you consent to go, eat anything that is put before you, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples.
28 But if any one tells you, "This food has been offered in sacrifice;" abstain from eating it--out of respect for him who warned you, and, as before, for conscience' sake.
But, if any one should say to you ‘This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol,’ then, for the sake of the speaker and his scruples, do not eat it.
29 But now I mean his conscience, not your own. "Why, on what ground," you may object, "is the question of my liberty of action to be decided by a conscience not my own?
I do not say ‘your’ scruples, but ‘his.’ For why should the freedom that I claim be condemned by the scruples of another?
30 If, so far as I am concerned, I partake with a grateful heart, why am I to be found fault with in regard to a thing for which I give thanks?"
If, for my part, I take the food thankfully, why should I be abused for eating that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether, then, you are eating or drinking, or whatever you are doing, let everything be done to the glory of God.
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to the honour of God.
32 Do not be causes of stumbling either to Jews or to Gentiles, nor to the Church of God.
Do not cause offence either to Jews or Greeks or to the Church of God;
33 That is the way that I also seek in everything the approval of all men, not aiming at my own profit, but at that of the many, in the hope that they may be saved.
for I, also, try to please everybody in everything, not seeking my own advantage, but that of men in general, that they may be saved.
