Romanos 14
1 infirmum autem in fide adsumite non in disceptationibus cogitationum
Accept those who are still struggling to trust in God, and don't get into arguments over personal opinions.
2 alius enim credit manducare omnia qui autem infirmus est holus manducat
One person may believe they can eat anything, while another whose trust is weak only eats vegetables.
3 is qui manducat non manducantem non spernat et qui non manducat manducantem non iudicet Deus enim illum adsumpsit
Those who eat anything must not look down on those who won't, and those who won't eat must not criticize those who do—for God has accepted them both.
4 tu quis es qui iudices alienum servum suo domino stat aut cadit stabit autem potens est enim Deus statuere illum
What right do you have to judge someone else's servant? It's their own master who decides whether they are right or wrong. With the Lord's help they will be able to take their stand for right.
5 nam alius iudicat diem plus inter diem alius iudicat omnem diem unusquisque in suo sensu abundet
Some people consider some days more important than others, while others consider each day the same. Everyone should be completely convinced in their own minds.
6 qui sapit diem Domino sapit et qui manducat Domino manducat gratias enim agit Deo et qui non manducat Domino non manducat et gratias agit Deo
Those who respect a special day do so for the Lord; and those who eat without worrying do so for the Lord since they give thanks to God; while those who avoid eating certain things do so for the Lord, and they also give thanks to God.
7 nemo enim nostrum sibi vivit et nemo sibi moritur
None of us live for ourselves, or die for ourselves.
8 sive enim vivimus Domino vivimus sive morimur Domino morimur sive ergo vivimus sive morimur Domini sumus
If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord—so whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 in hoc enim Christus et mortuus est et revixit ut et mortuorum et vivorum dominetur
This was the reason Christ died and came back to life—so that he could be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 tu autem quid iudicas fratrem tuum aut tu quare spernis fratrem tuum omnes enim stabimus ante tribunal Dei
So why do you criticize your fellow-believer? Why do you despise your fellow-believer? For all of us will stand before God's throne of judgment.
11 scriptum est enim vivo ego dicit Dominus quoniam mihi flectet omne genu et omnis lingua confitebitur Deo
For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I am alive,’ the Lord says, ‘Every knee shall bow before me, and every tongue will declare that I am God.’”
12 itaque unusquisque nostrum pro se rationem reddet Deo
So every one of us will have to explain ourselves to God.
13 non ergo amplius invicem iudicemus sed hoc iudicate magis ne ponatis offendiculum fratri vel scandalum
Therefore let's not judge each other anymore, but decide to do this instead—we won't put obstacles in the way of fellow-believers, or cause them to fall.
14 scio et confido in Domino Iesu quia nihil commune per ipsum nisi ei qui existimat quid commune esse illi commune est
I'm certain—persuaded by the Lord Jesus—that nothing in itself is ceremonially unclean. But if someone considers it to be unclean, to them it is unclean.
15 si enim propter cibum frater tuus contristatur iam non secundum caritatem ambulas noli cibo tuo illum perdere pro quo Christus mortuus est
If your fellow-believer is hurt by you over matters of food, then you're no longer behaving in a loving way. Don't destroy someone for whom Christ died by the food you choose to eat.
16 non ergo blasphemetur bonum nostrum
Don't let the good things you do be misrepresented—
17 non est regnum Dei esca et potus sed iustitia et pax et gaudium in Spiritu Sancto
for God's kingdom is not about eating and drinking, but about living right, having peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 qui enim in hoc servit Christo placet Deo et probatus est hominibus
Anyone who serves Christ in this way pleases God, and is appreciated by others.
19 itaque quae pacis sunt sectemur et quae aedificationis sunt in invicem
So let's pursue the path of peace, and find ways to encourage each other.
20 noli propter escam destruere opus Dei omnia quidem munda sunt sed malum est homini qui per offendiculum manducat
Don't destroy the work of God with arguments over food. Everything is clean—but it would be wrong to eat and offend others.
21 bonum est non manducare carnem et non bibere vinum neque in quo frater tuus offendit aut scandalizatur aut infirmatur
It's better not to eat meat or drink wine or anything else that would cause your fellow-believer to stumble.
22 tu fidem habes penes temet ipsum habe coram Deo beatus qui non iudicat semet ipsum in eo quo probat
What you personally believe is between you and God. Happy are those who don't condemn themselves for doing what they think is right!
23 qui autem discernit si manducaverit damnatus est quia non ex fide omne autem quod non ex fide peccatum est
But if you have doubts whether it's right or wrong to eat something, then you shouldn't, because you're not convinced it's right. Whatever isn't based on conviction is sin.
