Epistula ad Romanos, 14

1. Infirmum autem in fide assumite, non in disceptatio nibus cogitationum.

1. As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions.

2. Alius enim credit manducare omnia; qui autem infirmus est, holus manducat.

2. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables.

3. Is qui manducat, non manducantem non spernat; et, qui non manducat, manducantem non iudicet, Deus enim illum assumpsit.

3. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him.

4. Tu quis es, qui iudices alienum servum? Suo domino stat aut cadit; stabit autem, potens est enim Dominus statuere illum.

4. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand.

5. Nam alius iudicat inter diem et diem, alius iudicat omnem diem; unusquisque in suo sensu abundet.

5. One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind.

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.

6. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

7. Nemo enim nostrum sibi vivit, et nemo sibi moritur; 8 sive enim vivimus, Domino vivimus, sive morimur, Domino morimur. Sive ergo vivimus, sive morimur, Domini sumus.

7. None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

8.

8. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

9. In hoc enim Christus et mortuus est et vixit, ut et mortuorum et vivorum dominetur.

9. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10. Tu autem, quid iudicas fratrem tuum? Aut tu, quare spernis fratrem tuum? Omnes enim stabimus ante tribunal Dei;

10. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;

11. scriptum est enim: “Vivo ego, dicit Dominus, mihi flectetur omne genu, et omnis lingua confitebitur Deo”.

11. for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

12. Itaque unusquisque nostrum pro se rationem reddet Deo.

12. So each of us shall give account of himself to God.

13. Non ergo amplius invicem iudicemus, sed hoc iudicate magis, ne ponatis offendiculum fratri vel scandalum.

13. Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

14. Scio et certus sum in Domino Iesu, quia nihil commune per seipsum, nisi ei, qui existimat quid commune esse, illi commune est.

14. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean.

15. Si enim propter cibum frater tuus contristatur, iam non secundum caritatem ambulas. Noli cibo tuo illum perdere, pro quo Christus mortuus est!

15. If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.

16. Non ergo blasphemetur bonum vestrum!

16. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

17. Non est enim regnum Dei esca et potus, sed iustitia et pax et gaudium in Spiritu Sancto;

17. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit;

18. qui enim in hoc servit Christo, placet Deo et probatus est hominibus.

18. he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

19. Itaque, quae pacis sunt, sectemur et quae aedificationis sunt in invicem.

19. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20. Noli propter escam destruere opus Dei! Omnia quidem munda sunt, sed malum est homini, qui per offendiculum manducat.

20. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for any one to make others fall by what he eats;

21. Bonum est non manducare carnem et non bibere vinum neque id, in quo frater tuus offendit.

21. it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble.

22. Tu, quam fidem habes, penes temetipsum habe coram Deo. Beatus, qui non iudicat semetipsum in eo quod probat.

22. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God; happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves.

23. Qui autem discernit si manducaverit, damnatus est, quia non ex fide; omne autem, quod non ex fide, peccatum est.

23. But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.