1 Corinthians, 10

1. I want you to be quite certain, brothers, that our ancestors all had the cloud over them and all passed through the sea.

1. I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

2. In the cloud and in the sea they were all baptised into Moses;

2. and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

3. all ate the same spiritual food

3. and all ate the same supernatural food

4. and all drank the same spiritual drink, since they drank from the spiritual rock which followed them, and that rock was Christ.

4. and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

5. In spite of this, God was not pleased with most of them, and their corpses were scattered over the desert.

5. Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6. Now these happenings were examples, for our benefit, so that we should never set our hearts, as they did, on evil things;

6. Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did.

7. nor are you to worship false gods, as some of them did, as it says in scripture: The people sat down to eat and drink, and afterwards got up to amuse themselves.

7. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to dance."

8. Nor, again, are we to fall into sexual immorality; some of them did this, and twenty-three thousand met their downfall in one day.

8. We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.

9. And we are not to put the Lord to the test; some of them put him to the test, and they were killed by snakes.

9. We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents;

10. Never complain; some of them complained, and they were killed by the Destroyer.

10. nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

11. Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were described in writing to be a lesson for us, to whom it has fallen to live in the last days of the ages.

11. Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come.

12. Everyone, no matter how firmly he thinks he is standing, must be careful he does not fall.

12. Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

13. None of the trials which have come upon you is more than a human being can stand. You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond your strength, but with any trial will also provide a way out by enabling you to put up with it.

13. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14. For that reason, my dear friends, have nothing to do with the worship of false gods.

14. Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols.

15. I am talking to you as sensible people; weigh up for yourselves what I have to say.

15. I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say.

16. The blessing-cup, which we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ; and the loaf of bread which we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

16. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

17. And as there is one loaf, so we, although there are many of us, are one single body, for we all share in the one loaf.

17. Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

18. Now compare the natural people of Israel: is it not true that those who eat the sacrifices share the altar?

18. Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

19. What does this mean? That the dedication of food to false gods amounts to anything? Or that false gods themselves amount to anything?

19. What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

20. No, it does not; simply that when pagans sacrifice, what is sacrificed by them is sacrificed to demons who are not God. I do not want you to share with demons.

20. No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.

21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons as well; you cannot have a share at the Lord's table and the demons' table as well.

21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

22. Do we really want to arouse the Lord's jealousy; are we stronger than he is?

22. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

23. 'Everything is permissible'; maybe so, but not everything does good. True, everything is permissible, but not everything builds people up.

23. "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.

24. Nobody should be looking for selfish advantage, but everybody for someone else's.

24. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

25. Eat anything that is sold in butchers' shops; there is no need to ask questions for conscience's sake,

25. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

26. since To the Lord belong the earth and all it contains.

26. For "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

27. If an unbeliever invites you to a meal, go if you want to, and eat whatever is put before you; you need not ask questions of conscience first.

27. If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

28. But if someone says to you, 'This food has been offered in sacrifice,' do not eat it, out of consideration for the person that told you, for conscience's sake-

28. (But if some one says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then out of consideration for the man who informed you, and for conscience' sake --

29. not your own conscience, I mean, but the other person's. Why should my freedom be governed by somebody else's conscience?

29. I mean his conscience, not yours -- do not eat it.) For why should my liberty be determined by another man's scruples?

30. Provided that I accept it with gratitude, why should I be blamed for eating food for which I give thanks?

30. If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31. Whatever you eat, then, or drink, and whatever else you do, do it all for the glory of God.

31. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

32. Never be a cause of offence, either to Jews or to Greeks or to the Church of God,

32. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,

33. just as I try to accommodate everybody in everything, not looking for my own advantage, but for the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved.

33. just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.