1 Brāļi, es gribu jums atgādināt, ka mūsu tēvi ir visi bijuši apakš padebeša, un visi gājuši caur jūru,
2 Un visi padebesī un jūrā uz Mozu kristīti,
3 Un visi baudījuši to pašu garīgo barību,
4 Un visi dzēruši to pašu garīgo dzērienu, —jo tie dzēra no garīgās klints, kas tiem gāja līdzi, bet šī klints bija Kristus.
5 Bet uz lielāko daļu no viņiem Dievam nebija labs prāts, tie ir izdeldēti tuksnesī.
6 Tas ir noticis mums par brīdināšanas zīmi, lai mēs neiekārojam ļaunu, kā tie darījuši.
7 Netopiet ari par elku kalpiem, kā daži no tiem, kā ir rakstīts: „Tauta apsēdās ēst un dzert, un tad piecēlās un sāka diet.“
8 Arī nepadosimies netiklībai, kā daži no tiem darījuši un krita vienā dienā divdesmit trīs tūkstoši.
9 Nekārdināsim to Kungu, kā daži no tiem darījuši un gāja bojā no čūskām.
10 Nekurniet, kā daži no tiem ir kurnējuši un maitātāja nomaitāti.
11 Un viss tas viņiem noticis zīmīgā kārtā un ir rakstīts par brīdinājumu mums, kas esam nonākuši pie laika robežām.
12 Tādēļ, kas šķietas stāvam, lai pielūko, ka nekrīt.
13 Jūs piemeklējis vēl tikai cilvēcīgs pārbaudījums; Dievs ir uzticīgs, viņš neļaus jūs pārbaudīt pāri par jūsu spējām, bet darīs pārbaudījumam tādu galu, ka varat panest.
14 Tādēļ, mani mīļie, bēdziet no elku dievu kalpošanas!
15 Es runāju kā ar sapratīgiem cil-vēkiem. Spriediet paši par maniem vārdiem.
16 Svētības kauss, ko mēs svētījam, vai tas nav savienošanās ar Kristus asinīm? Maize, ko laužam, vai tā nav savienošanās ar Kristus miesu?
17 Jo, kā ir viena maize, tā mēs daudzi esam viena miesa, jo mēs visi esam šis vienas maizes dalībnieki.
18 Uzlūkojiet pēc miesas Israēlu! Vai tie, kas piedalās upura ēšanā, nestāv kopībā ar altāri?
19 Bet ko es saku? Vai, ka elku upuris ir kas? Jeb, ka elks ir kas?
20 Bet: ko tie upurē, tie upurē ļauniem gariem un ne Dievam. Bet es negribu, ka jums būtu kopība ar ļauniem gariem.
21 Jūs nevarat dzert tā Kunga kausu un ļauno garu kausu. Jūs nevarat būt tā Kunga galda un ļauno garu galda dalībnieki.
22 Jeb vai gribam to Kungu izaicināt? Vai tad mēs esam stiprāki par viņu?
23 Viss ir atļauts, bet neba viss der. Viss ir atļauts, bet ne viss ceļ draudzi.
24 Neviens lai nemeklē savu paša, bet citu labumu!
25 Visu, ko pārdod skārņos, ēdiet, nekā nepētīdami sirdsapziņas dēļ!
26 Jo „Tam Kungam pieder zeme un viss, kas to pilda.“
27 Ja kāds no neticīgajiem jūs aicina viesos un jūs gribat iet, tad ēdiet visu, ko jums ceļ priekšā, nekā nepētīdami sirdsapziņas dēļ.
28 Bet ja kas jums saka: „Tā ir upufu gaļa,“ tad neēdiet, viņa dēl, kas jums to teicis, un sirdsapziņas dēļ.
29 Es nedomāju tavu, bet viņa sirdsapziņu. Jo kāpēc sveša sirdsapziņa lai tiesātu manu brīvību?
30 Ja es ar pateicību baudu, kāpēc tad topu zaimots par to, par ko es pateicos?
31 Tāpēc, vai ēdat, vai dzerat, visu to dariet Dievam par godu.
32 Esiet nevainojami tā jūdu kā grieķu starpā un Dieva draudzē.
33 Gluži kā art visās lietās mēģinu tīkams būt visiem, nevis savu, bet daudzu citu labumu meklēdams, lai tie taptu izglābti!
Don't Worship Idols
1 Friends, I want to remind you that all our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea. 2 This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. 3 All of them also ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ. 5 But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the desert.
6 What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things. 7 They worshiped idols, just as the Scriptures say, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around.” So don't worship idols. 8 Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about 23,000 died. Don't do shameful things as they did. 9 And don't try to test Christ, as some of them did and were later bitten by poisonous snakes. 10 Don't even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days.
12 Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. 13 You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.
14 My friends, you must keep away from idols. 15 I am speaking to you as people who have enough sense to know what I am talking about. 16 When we drink from the cup we ask God to bless, isn't that sharing in the blood of Christ? When we eat the bread we break, isn't that sharing in the body of Christ? 17 By sharing in the same loaf of bread, we become one body, even though there are many of us.
18 Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices offered there? 19 Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all? 20 No, I am not! This food is really sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with demons. 21 You cannot drink from the cup of demons and still drink from the Lord's cup. You cannot eat at the table of demons and still eat at the Lord's table. 22 We would make the Lord jealous if we did this. And we are not stronger than the Lord.
Always Honor God
23 Some of you say, “We can do whatever we want to!” But I tell you not everything may be good or helpful. 24 We should think about others and not about ourselves. 25 However, when you buy meat in the market, go ahead and eat it. Keep your conscience clear by not asking where the meat came from. 26 The Scriptures say, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”
27 If an unbeliever invites you to dinner, and you want to go, then go. Eat whatever you are served. Don't cause a problem for someone's conscience by asking where the food came from. 28-29 But if you are told it has been sacrificed to idols, don't cause a problem by eating it. I don't mean a problem for yourself, but for the one who told you. Why should my freedom be limited by someone else's conscience? 30 If I give thanks for what I eat, why should anyone accuse me of doing wrong?
31 When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. 32 Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. 33 I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved.
