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10 And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

and all to Moses were baptized in the cloud, and in the sea;

and all the same spiritual food did eat,

and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ;

but in the most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn in the wilderness,

and those things became types of us, for our not passionately desiring evil things, as also these did desire.

Neither become ye idolaters, as certain of them, as it hath been written, `The people sat down to eat and to drink, and stood up to play;'

neither may we commit whoredom, as certain of them did commit whoredom, and there fell in one day twenty-three thousand;

neither may we tempt the Christ, as also certain of them did tempt, and by the serpents did perish;

10 neither murmur ye, as also some of them did murmur, and did perish by the destroyer.

11 And all these things as types did happen to those persons, and they were written for our admonition, to whom the end of the ages did come,

12 so that he who is thinking to stand -- let him observe, lest he fall.

13 No temptation hath taken you -- except human; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able, but He will make, with the temptation, also the outlet, for your being able to bear [it].

14 Wherefore, my beloved, flee from the idolatry;

15 as to wise men I speak -- judge ye what I say:

16 The cup of the blessing that we bless -- is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? the bread that we break -- is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ?

17 because one bread, one body, are we the many -- for we all of the one bread do partake.

18 See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?

19 what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? --

20 [no,] but that the things that the nations sacrifice -- they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons.

21 Ye are not able the cup of the Lord to drink, and the cup of demons; ye are not able of the table of the Lord to partake, and of the table of demons;

22 do we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?

23 All things to me are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things to me are lawful, but all things do not build up;

24 let no one seek his own -- but each another's.

25 Whatever in the meat-market is sold eat ye, not inquiring, because of the conscience,

26 for the Lord's [is] the earth, and its fulness;

27 and if any one of the unbelieving do call you, and ye wish to go, all that is set before you eat, nothing inquiring, because of the conscience;

28 and if any one may say to you, `This is a thing sacrificed to an idol,' -- do not eat, because of that one who shewed [it], and of the conscience, for the Lord's [is] the earth and its fulness:

29 and conscience, I say, not of thyself, but of the other, for why [is it] that my liberty is judged by another's conscience?

30 and if I thankfully do partake, why am I evil spoken of, for that for which I give thanks?

31 Whether, then, ye eat, or drink, or do anything, do all to the glory of God;

32 become offenceless, both to Jews and Greeks, and to the assembly of God;

33 as I also in all things do please all, not seeking my own profit, but that of many -- that they may be saved.

Warnings From Israel’s History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant(A) of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud(B) and that they all passed through the sea.(C) They were all baptized into(D) Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food(E) and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock(F) that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.(G)

Now these things occurred as examples(H) to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters,(I) as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a](J) We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.(K) We should not test Christ,[b](L) as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.(M) 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did(N)—and were killed(O) by the destroying angel.(P)

11 These things happened to them as examples(Q) and were written down as warnings for us,(R) on whom the culmination of the ages has come.(S) 12 So, if you think you are standing firm,(T) be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful;(U) he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear.(V) But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

14 Therefore, my dear friends,(W) flee from idolatry.(X) 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break(Y) a participation in the body of Christ?(Z) 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,(AA) for we all share the one loaf.

18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices(AB) participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?(AC) 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,(AD) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.(AE) 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?(AF) Are we stronger than he?(AG)

The Believer’s Freedom

23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.(AH) “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.(AI)

25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,(AJ) 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”[f](AK)

27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you(AL) without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.(AM) 29 I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom(AN) being judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?(AO)

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.(AP) 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble,(AQ) whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God(AR) 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way.(AS) For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,(AT) so that they may be saved.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:7 Exodus 32:6
  2. 1 Corinthians 10:9 Some manuscripts test the Lord
  3. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.
  4. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.
  5. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.
  6. 1 Corinthians 10:26 Psalm 24:1