1 Pieņemiet tos, kas ticībā vēl vāji, un netiesājiet viņu domas. 2 Cits savā ticībā ēd visu, bet cits nav tik stiprs un ēd tikai dārzaugus. 3 Tas, kas ēd, lai nenicina to, kas neēd; bet tas, kas neēd, lai netiesā to, kas ēd visu. Jo Dievs viņu pieņēmis. 4 Kas tu tāds esi, ka tu tiesā cita kalpu? Viņš stāv vai krīt savam Kungam. Un viņš stāvēs, jo viņa Kungs spēj viņu stiprināt. 5 Dažs ievēro vienu dienu vairāk par otru, dažs turpretim visas dienas tur vienādas: ikviens lai pilnīgi turas savā pārliecībā! 6 Tas, kas kādu dienu sevišķi ievēro, to ievēro Tam Kungam par godu un, kas ko ēd, ēd to Tam Kungam par godu, jo viņš par to pateicas Dievam. Bet arī tas, kas neēd, to dara Tam Kungam par godu, jo arī viņš pateicas Dievam. 7 Jo neviens mūsu starpā nedzīvo sev pašam, un neviens nemirst sev pašam. 8 Jo, ja dzīvojam, dzīvojam savam Kungam un, ja mirstam, mirstam savam Kungam. Tātad, vai dzīvojam, vai mirstam, mēs piederam savam Kungam. 9 Jo tādēļ Kristus ir miris un dzīvs tapis, lai būtu Kungs pār mirušiem un dzīviem. 10 Bet kā tad tu tiesā savu brāli? Jeb arī: kāpēc tu nicini savu brāli? Mēs taču reiz visi stāvēsim Dieva soģa krēsla priekšā! 11 Jo ir rakstīts: tik tiešām, ka Es dzīvoju, saka Tas Kungs, Manā priekšā lieksies visi ceļi, un visas mēles atzīsies Dievam. 12 Tātad ikviens no mums atbildēs Dievam par sevi. 13 Tāpēc netiesāsim vairs cits citu, bet labāk spriediet, ka netopat brālim par piedauzību vai par iemeslu viņa krišanai. 14 Es zinu un esmu pārliecināts Kungā Jēzū, ka nekas nav nešķīsts pats par sevi: vienīgi tam, kas domā, ka tas nešķīsts, tam tas nešķīsts. 15 Bet, ja tavs brālis ēdiena dēļ ir noskumis, tad tu vairs nestaigā mīlestībā. Neved ar savu ēdienu postā to, par ko Kristus ir miris. 16 Tad lai nu tas, kas jums tas labais, netop par zaimiem! 17 Jo Dieva valstība nav ēšana un dzeršana, bet taisnība, miers un prieks Svētajā Garā. 18 Tad nu tas, kas šinīs lietās kalpo Kristum, ir Dievam tīkams un cienījams cilvēku starpā. 19 Tāpēc mēs dzenamies pēc miera un pēc tā, lai cits citu celtu ticībā. 20 Neposti Dieva darbu ēdiena dēļ! Viss gan ir šķīsts par sevi, bet cilvēkam, kas ēzdams apgrēcinājas, tas ir par ļaunu. 21 Tāpēc ir labāk neēst gaļu un nedzert vīnu, nedz arī ko citu darīt, kas brāli apgrēcina. 22 Tu paturi savu ticību, kas tev ir, Dieva priekšā. Svētīgs tas, kas sevi netiesā tajā, ko atzīst par labu. 23 Bet tas, kas šaubīdamies ēd, ir jau nosodīts, jo tas to nedara ticībā. Bet viss, kas nenāk no ticības, ir grēks.
Do Not Judge Others
1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. 2 Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. 3 The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person. 4 Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed.
5 Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds. 6 Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honor of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honor of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honor of the Lord, and they give thanks to God. 7 We do not live for ourselves only, and we do not die for ourselves only. 8 If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead. 10 You then, who eat only vegetables—why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything—why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him. 11 For the scripture says,
“As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord,
everyone will kneel before me,
and everyone will confess that I am God.”
12 Every one of us, then, will have to give an account to God.
Do Not Make Others Fall
13 So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin. 14 My union with the Lord Jesus makes me certain that no food is of itself ritually unclean; but if you believe that some food is unclean, then it becomes unclean for you. 15 If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died! 16 Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name. 17 For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives. 18 And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others.
19 So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another. 20 Do not, because of food, destroy what God has done. All foods may be eaten, but it is wrong to eat anything that will cause someone else to fall into sin. 21 The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that will make other believers fall. 22 Keep what you believe about this matter, then, between yourself and God. Happy are those who do not feel guilty when they do something they judge is right! 23 But if they have doubts about what they eat, God condemns them when they eat it, because their action is not based on faith. And anything that is not based on faith is sin.
