Chapter 10

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

1 For aI do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all bunder the cloud and all cpassed through the sea;

2 and all were abaptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 and all aate the same spiritual food;

4 and all adrank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was 1Christ.

5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for athey were laid low in the wilderness.

6 Now these things happened as aexamples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as bthey also craved.

7 Do not be aidolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “bThe people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to cplay.”

8 Nor let us act immorally, as asome of them 1did, and btwenty-three thousand fell in one day.

9 Nor let us try the Lord, as asome of them 1did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

10 Nor agrumble, as some of them 1did, and bwere destroyed by the cdestroyer.

11 Now these things happened to them as an aexample, and bthey were written for our instruction, upon whom cthe ends of the ages have come.

12 Therefore let him who athinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and aGod is faithful, who will not allow you to be btempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my abeloved, flee from bidolatry.

15 I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.

16 Is not the acup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the 1bbread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

17 Since there is one 1bread, we awho are many are one body; for we all partake of the one 1bread.

18 Look at 1the nation aIsrael; are not those who beat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?

19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or athat an idol is anything?

20 No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they asacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.

21 aYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and bthe table of demons.

22 Or do we aprovoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not bstronger than He, are we?

23 aAll things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things bedify.

24 Let no one aseek his own good, but that of his 1neighbor.

25 aEat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake;

26 afor the earth is the Lord’s, and 1all it contains.

27 If aone of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, beat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake.

28 But aif anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake;

29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for awhy is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?

30 If I partake with thankfulness, awhy am I slandered concerning that for which I bgive thanks?

31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or awhatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

32 aGive no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to bthe church of God;

33 just as I also aplease all men in all things, bnot seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, cso that they may be saved.