Romans 14

1 I now pass to another subject. Receive as a friend a man whose faith is weak, but not for the purpose of deciding mere matters of opinion.

As for those whose faith is weak, always receive them as friends, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on their scruples.

2 One man's faith allows him to eat anything, while a man of weaker faith eats nothing but vegetables.

One person’s faith permits them to eat food of all kinds, while another whose faith is weak eats only vegetable food.

3 Let not him who eats certain food look down upon him who abstains from it, nor him who abstains from it find fault with him who eats it; for God has received both of them.

The person who eats meat must not despise the person who abstains from it; nor must the person who abstains from eating meat pass judgment on the one who eats it, for God himself has received them.

4 Who are you that you should find fault with the servant of another? Whether he stands or falls is a matter which concerns his own master. But stand he will; for the Master can give him power to stand.

Who are you, that you should pass judgment on the servant of another? Their standing or falling concerns their own master. And stand they will, for their Master can enable them to stand.

5 One man esteems one day more highly than another; another esteems all days alike. Let every one be thoroughly convinced in his own mind.

Again, one person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another considers all days to be alike. Everyone ought to be fully convinced in their own mind.

6 He who regards the day as sacred, so regards it for the Master's sake; and he who eats certain food eats it for the Master's sake, for he gives thanks to God; and he who refrains from eating it refrains for the Master's sake, and he also gives thanks to God.

The person who observes a day, observes it to the Master’s honour. They, again, who eat meat eat it to the Master’s honour, for they give thanks to God; while the person who abstains from it abstains from it to the Master’s honour, and also gives thanks to God.

7 For not one of us lives to himself, and not one dies to himself.

There is not one of us whose life concerns ourselves alone, and not one of us whose death concerns ourself alone;

8 If we live, we live to the Lord: if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

for, if we live, our life is for the Master, and, if we die, our death is for the Master. Whether, then, we live or die we belong to the Master.

9 For this was the purpose of Christ's dying and coming to life--namely that He might be Lord both of the dead and the living.

The purpose for which Christ died and came back to life was this – that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.

10 But you, why do you find fault with your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon your brother? We shall all stand before God to be judged;

I would ask the one “Why do you judge other followers of the Lord?” And I would ask the other “Why do you despise them?” For we will all stand before the court of God.

11 for it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to Me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall make confession to God.'"

For scripture says – “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend before me and every tongue will praise God.’”

12 So we see that every one of us will give account of himself to God.

So, then, each one of us will have to render account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us no longer judge one another; but, instead of that, you should come to this judgement--that we must not put a stumbling-block in our brother's path, nor anything to trip him up.

Let us, then, cease to judge one another. Rather let this be your resolve – never to place a stumbling-block or an obstacle in the way of a fellow follower of the Lord.

14 As one who lives in union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am certain that in its own nature no food is 'impure'; but if people regard any food as impure, to them it is.

Through my union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am persuaded that nothing is defiling in itself. A thing is “defiling” only to the person who holds it to be so.

15 If your brother is pained by the food you are eating, your conduct is no longer controlled by love. Take care lest, by the food you eat, you lead to ruin a man for whom Christ died.

If, for the sake of what you eat, you wound your fellow follower’s feelings, your life has ceased to be ruled by love. Do not, by what you eat, ruin someone for whom Christ died!

16 Therefore do not let the boon which is yours in common be exposed to reproach.

Do not let what is right for you become a matter of reproach.

17 For the Kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of right conduct, peace and joy, through the Holy Spirit;

For the kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and gladness through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

18 and whoever in this way devotedly serves Christ, God takes pleasure in him, and men highly commend him.

The person who serves the Christ in this way pleases God, and wins the approval of their fellows.

19 Therefore let us aim at whatever makes for peace and mutual upbuilding of character.

Therefore our efforts should be directed towards all that makes for peace and the mutual building up of character.

20 Do not for food's sake be throwing down God's work. All food is pure; but a man is in the wrong if his food is a snare to others.

Do not undo God’s work for the sake of what you eat. Though everything is “clean,” yet, if a person eats so as to put a stumbling-block in the way of others, they do wrong.

21 The right course is to forego eating meat or drinking wine or doing anything that tends to your brother's fall.

The right course is to abstain from meat or wine or, indeed, anything that is a stumbling-block to your fellow follower of the Lord.

22 As for you and your faith, keep your faith to yourself in the presence of God. The man is to be congratulated who does not pronounce judgement on himself in what his actions sanction.

As for yourself – keep this conviction of yours to yourself, as in the presence of God. Happy the person who never has to condemn themselves in regard to something they think right!

23 But he who has misgivings and yet eats meat is condemned already, because his conduct is not based on faith; for all conduct not based on faith is sinful.

The person, however, who has misgivings stands condemned if they still eat, because their doing so is not the result of faith. And anything not done as the result of faith is a sin.