Romans, 14

1. Give a welcome to anyone whose faith is not strong, but do not get into arguments about doubtful points.

1. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, [but] not to doubtful disputations.

2. One person may have faith enough to eat any kind of food; another, less strong, will eat only vegetables.

2. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

3. Those who feel free to eat freely are not to condemn those who are unwilling to eat freely; nor must the person who does not eat freely pass judgement on the one who does -- because God has welcomed him.

3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

4. And who are you, to sit in judgement over somebody else's servant? Whether he deserves to be upheld or to fall is for his own master to decide; and he shall be upheld, for the Lord has power to uphold him.

4. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

5. One person thinks that some days are holier than others, and another thinks them all equal. Let each of them be fully convinced in his own mind.

5. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

6. The one who makes special observance of a particular day observes it in honour of the Lord. So the one who eats freely, eats in honour of the Lord, making his thanksgiving to God; and the one who does not, abstains from eating in honour of the Lord and makes his thanksgiving to God.

6. He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

7. For none of us lives for himself and none of us dies for himself;

7. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

8. while we are alive, we are living for the Lord, and when we die, we die for the Lord: and so, alive or dead, we belong to the Lord.

8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

9. It was for this purpose that Christ both died and came to life again: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

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

10. Why, then, does one of you make himself judge over his brother, and why does another among you despise his brother? All of us will have to stand in front of the judgement-seat of God:

10. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11. as scripture says: By my own life says the Lord, every knee shall bow before me, every tongue shall give glory to God.

11. For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12. It is to God, then, that each of us will have to give an account of himself.

12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

13. Let us each stop passing judgement, therefore, on one another and decide instead that none of us will place obstacles in any brother's way, or anything that can bring him down.

13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way.

14. I am sure, and quite convinced in the Lord Jesus, that no food is unclean in itself; it is only if someone classifies any kind of food as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

14. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.

15. And indeed, if through any kind of food you are causing offence to a brother, then you are no longer being guided by love. You are not to let the food that you eat cause the ruin of anyone for whom Christ died.

15. But if thy brother be grieved with [thy] meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

16. A privilege of yours must not be allowed to give rise to harmful talk;

16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

17. for it is not eating and drinking that make the kingdom of God, but the saving justice, the peace and the joy brought by the Holy Spirit.

17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

18. It is the person who serves Christ in these things that will be approved by God and respected by everyone.

18. For he that in these things serveth Christ [is] acceptable to God, and approved of men.

19. So then, let us be always seeking the ways which lead to peace and the ways in which we can support one another.

19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

20. Do not wreck God's work for the sake of food. Certainly all foods are clean; but all the same, any kind can be evil for someone to whom it is an offence to eat it.

20. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed [are] pure; but [it is] evil for that man who eateth with offence.

21. It is best to abstain from eating any meat, or drinking any wine, or from any other activity which might cause a brother to fall away, or to be scandalised, or to weaken.

21. [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

22. Within yourself, before God, hold on to what you already believe. Blessed is the person whose principles do not condemn his practice.

22. Hast thou faith? have [it] to thyself before God. Happy [is] he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

23. But anyone who eats with qualms of conscience is condemned, because this eating does not spring from faith -- and every action which does not spring from faith is sin.

23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.