English Standard Version ESV
The Darby Translation DBY
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge. ” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
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But concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know, (for we all have knowledge: knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
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If any one think he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know [it].
3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
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But if any one love God, *he* is known of him):
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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-- concerning then the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol [is] nothing in [the] world, and that there [is] no other God save one.
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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For and if indeed there are [those] called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, (as there are gods many, and lords many,)
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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yet to us [there is] one God, the Father, of whom all things, and *we* for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and *we* by 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 knowledge [is] not in all: but some, with conscience of the idol, until now eat as of a thing sacrificed to idols; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
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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But meat does not commend us to God; neither if we should not eat do we come short; nor if we should eat have we an advantage.
9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
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But see lest anywise this your right [to eat] itself be a stumbling-block to the 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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For if any one see thee, who hast knowledge, sitting at table in an idol-house, shall not his conscience, he being weak, be emboldened to eat the things sacrificed to the idol?
11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.
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and the weak [one], the brother for whose sake Christ died, will perish through thy knowledge.
12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
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Now, thus sinning against the brethren, and wounding their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
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Wherefore if meat be a fall-trap to my brother, I will eat no flesh for ever, that I may not be a fall-trap to my brother.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.