1 Corinthians 10

1 I want you to bear in mind, friends, that all our ancestors were beneath the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 that in the cloud and in the sea they all underwent baptism as followers of Moses;

and were all baptized into Moses by the cloud and by the sea;

3 and that they all ate the same supernatural food,

and did all eat the same spiritual food;

4 and all drank the same supernatural water, for they used to drink from a supernatural rock which followed them, and that rock was the Christ.

and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was an emblem of Christ.

5 Yet with most of them God was displeased; for they were struck down in the desert.

But with the greater part of them God was displeased: for they were destroyed in the wilderness.

6 Now these things happened as warnings to us, to teach us not to long for evil things as our ancestors longed.

Now these things were examples for us, that we might not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Do not become idolaters, as some of them became. Scripture says – “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance.”

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

8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them acted, with the result that twenty-three thousand of them fell dead in a single day.

Neither let us commit whoredom, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Nor let us try the patience of the Lord too far, as some of them tried it, with the result that they were, one after another, destroyed by snakes.

Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted Him, and were destroyed by serpents: nor murmur,

10 And do not murmur, as some of them murmured, and so were destroyed by the angel of death.

as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

11 These things happened to them by way of warning, and were recorded to serve as a caution to us, in whose days the close of the ages has come. (aiōn g165)

Now all these things happened to them as examples: and are written for our admonition, on whom the last ages are come. (aiōn g165)

12 Therefore let the person who thinks that they stand take care that they do not fall.

Wherefore let him, that thinks he standeth, take heed least he fall.

13 No temptation has come upon you that is not common to all humanity. God will not fail you, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength; but, when he sends the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may have strength to endure.

No temptation has yet taken you but what is common to man: and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able to sustain; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

14 Therefore, my dear friends, shun the worship of idols.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, flee from idolatry.

15 I speak to you as man of discernment; form your own judgment about what I am saying.

I speak to you as to men of understanding: and judge ye what I say,

16 In the cup of blessing which we bless, is not there a sharing in the blood of the Christ? And in the bread which we break, is not there a sharing in the body of the Christ?

---The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

17 The bread is one, and we, though many, are one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

For the bread is one, and we though many are one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

18 Look at the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices share with the altar?

Consider Israel according to the flesh, Are not they, that eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar?

19 What do I mean? That an offering made to an idol, or the idol itself, is anything?

What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that what is sacrificed to an idol is in itself any thing to stumble at?

20 No; what I say is that the sacrifices offered by the Gentiles are offered to demons and to a being who is no God, and I do not want you to share with demons.

No: but this I say, that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God.

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

And I would not have you partakers with demons. Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.

22 Or are we to rouse the jealousy of the Lord? Are we stronger than he?

Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?

23 Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything is not profitable. Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything does not build up character.

If all things be lawful for me, yet all things are not expedient: all things may be lawful for me, but all things do not edify.

24 A person must not study their own interests, but the interests of others.

Let no one seek his own only, but every one another's benefit.

25 Eat anything that is sold in the market, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples;

Eat then whatever is sold in the shambles, asking no questions for conscience sake:

26 for the earth, with all that is in it, belongs to the Lord.

for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:

27 If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you consent to go, eat anything that is put before you, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples.

and if any of the unbelievers invite you to an entertainment, and ye have a mind to go, whatever is set before you, eat, asking no questions for conscience-sake.

28 But, if anyone should say to you “This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol,” then, for the sake of the speaker and his scruples, do not eat it.

But if any one say to you, This hath been sacrificed to an idol, ---eat it not; for his sake who informed thee, and for conscience-sake: for, as I said, the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, so that thou mayst have food enough without it.

29 I do not say your scruples, but his. For why should the freedom that I claim be condemned by the scruples of another?

Conscience I say, not thy own, but the other's; for why is my liberty to be judged by another man's conscience?

30 If, for my part, I take the food thankfully, why should I be abused for eating that for which I give thanks?

And if I partake with thankfulness, why am I blamed for that, for which I give thanks?

31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to the honour of God.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

32 Do not cause offence either to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God;

Behave inoffensively both to the Jews, and to the Greeks, and to the church of God.

33 for I, also, try to please everybody in everything, not seeking my own advantage, but do what is best for others, so that they may be saved.

Even as I also endeavour to please all men in all things, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.