English Standard Version ESV
Common English Bible CEB
1 Now concerningfood offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge"puffs up, but love builds up.
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Now concerning meat that has been sacrificed to a false god: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds people up.
2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
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If anyone thinks they know something, they don't yet know as much as they should know.
3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
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But if someone loves God, then they are known by God.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one."
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So concerning the actual food involved in these sacrifices to false gods, we know that a false god isn't anything in this world, and that there is no God except for the one God.
5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth--as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"--
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Granted, there are so-called "gods," in heaven and on the earth, as there are many gods and many lords.
6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
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However, for us believers, There is one God the Father. All things come from him, and we belong to him. And there is one Lord Jesus Christ. All things exist through him, and we live through him.
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
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But not everybody knows this. Some are eating this food as though it really is food sacrificed to a real idol, because they were used to idol worship until now. Their conscience is weak because it has been damaged.
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
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Food won't bring us close to God. We're not missing out if we don't eat, and we don't have any advantage if we do eat.
9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
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But watch out or else this freedom of yours might be a problem for those who are weak.
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?
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Suppose someone sees you (the person who has knowledge) eating in an idol's temple. Won't the person with a weak conscience be encouraged to eat the meat sacrificed to false gods?
11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.
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The weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed by your knowledge.
12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
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You sin against Christ if you sin against your brothers and sisters and hurt their weak consciences this way.
13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
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This is why, if food causes the downfall of my brother or sister, I won't eat meat ever again, or else I may cause my brother or sister to fall.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible