KwabaseRoma 14
1 Lowo obuthakathaka ekholweni memukeleni, kungabi ngokokuphikisana kwemibono.
Accept those who are still struggling to trust in God, and don't get into arguments over personal opinions.
2 Omunye ukholwa ukuthi angadla konke, kodwa obuthakathaka udla imibhida.
One person may believe they can eat anything, while another whose trust is weak only eats vegetables.
3 Lowo odlayo kangamdeleli ongadliyo, longadliyo kangamgwebi odlayo; ngoba uNkulunkulu umemukele.
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 Ungubani wena ogweba inceku yomunye? Enkosini yayo iyema kumbe iwe. Yebo, izamiswa; ngoba uNkulunkulu ulamandla okuyimisa.
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 Omunye wazisa usuku kulolunye usuku, omunye wazisa insuku zonke. Kakube ngulowo lalowo aqiniseke kweyakhe ingqondo.
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 Owazisa usuku, ulwazisa eNkosini; longalwazisiyo usuku, kalwazisi eNkosini. Lodlayo udla eNkosini, ngoba ebonga uNkulunkulu; longadliyo akadli eNkosini, njalo ebonga uNkulunkulu.
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 Ngoba kakho phakathi kwethu oziphilelayo, njalo kakho ozifelayo.
None of us live for ourselves, or die for ourselves.
8 Ngoba uba siphila, siphilela iNkosi; uba-ke sisifa, sifela iNkosi; ngakho loba siphila, loba sisifa, singabeNkosi.
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 Ngoba kulokhu uKristu laye wafa, wavuka, wabuya waphila, ukuze abe yiNkosi yabafileyo kanye labaphilayo.
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 Wena-ke umgwebelani umzalwane wakho? Kumbe lawe umdelelelani umzalwane wakho? Ngoba sonke sizakuma phambi kwesihlalo sokwahlulela sikaKristu.
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 Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Mina ngiyaphila, itsho iNkosi; lonke idolo lizaguqa phambi kwami, lalo lonke ulimi luzamvuma uNkulunkulu.
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 Ngakho ngulowo lalowo wethu uzaziphendulela ngokwakhe kuNkulunkulu.
So every one of us will have to explain ourselves to God.
13 Ngakho kasingabe sisahlulelana; kodwa yahlulelani lokho ikakhulu, ukuthi singambekeli umzalwane isikhubekiso loba ulutho lokumwisa.
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 Ngiyazi njalo ngiqinisekisile eNkosini uJesu, ukuthi kakulalutho olungcolileyo ngokwalo; ngaphandle kwalowo ocabangela ulutho ukuthi lungcolile, kuye lungcolile.
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 Kodwa uba umzalwane wakho ekhutshwa yikudla, kawusahambi ngokothando. Ungambhubhisi ngokudla kwakho lowo, amfelayo uKristu.
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 Ngakho okuhle kwenu kakungahlanjazwa;
Don't let the good things you do be misrepresented—
17 ngoba umbuso kaNkulunkulu kawusikho ukudla lokunatha, kodwa ukulunga lokuthula lentokozo kuMoya oNgcwele.
for God's kingdom is not about eating and drinking, but about living right, having peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 Ngoba okhonza uKristu kulezizinto uyemukeleka kuNkulunkulu, njalo ukholekile ebantwini.
Anyone who serves Christ in this way pleases God, and is appreciated by others.
19 Ngakho asidingisise izinto zokuthula, lezinto zokwakhisana.
So let's pursue the path of peace, and find ways to encourage each other.
20 Ungawuchithi umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yokudla. Konke kuhlambulukile, kanti kubi kumuntu odla ngokukhubekisa.
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 Kuhle ukungadli inyama, lokunganathi iwayini, lokunye umzalwane wakho akhubeka ngakho kumbe acunulwe kumbe abebuthakathaka.
It's better not to eat meat or drink wine or anything else that would cause your fellow-believer to stumble.
22 Ulokholo yini? Woba lalo ngokwakho phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Ubusisiwe lowo ongazigwebiyo ngalokho akuvumelayo!
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 Kodwa othandabuzayo, uba esidla, ulahliwe, ngoba akuveli ekholweni; njalo konke okungaveli ekholweni, kuyisono.
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.
