New Living Translation

King James Bible

Lessons from Israel’s Idolatry

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters,a about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground.

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Warnings from Israel's Past

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

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In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.

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And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

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All of them ate the same spiritual food,

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And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

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and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

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And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

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Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

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But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

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These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did,

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Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

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or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.”b

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Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

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And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.

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Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

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Nor should we put Christc to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.

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Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

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And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death.

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Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

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These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

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Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

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If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

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Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

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The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

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There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

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So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.

14

Flee from Idolatry

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

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You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.

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I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

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When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?

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The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

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And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

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For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

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Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?

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Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

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What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?

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What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

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No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.

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But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

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You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.

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Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

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What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is?

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Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

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You say, “I am allowed to do anything”d — but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything” — but not everything is beneficial.

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Do All to the God's Glory

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

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Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

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Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

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So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience.

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Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

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For “the earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.”e

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For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.

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If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience.

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If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

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(But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you.

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But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:

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It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks?

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Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?

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If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?

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For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

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So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

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Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

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Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentilesf or the church of God.

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Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

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I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

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Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Parallel

New Living Translation

King James Bible

1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10