| New Living Translation | King James Bible |
| 1Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. | 1Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. |
| 2Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. | 2And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. |
| 3But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. | 3But if any man love God, the same is known of him. |
| 4So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. | 4As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. |
| 5There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. | 5For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) |
| 6But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live. | 6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. |
| 7However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. | 7Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. |
| 8It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. | 8But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. |
| 9But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. | 9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. |
| 10For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? | 10For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; |
| 11So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. | 11And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? |
| 12And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. | 12But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. |
| 13So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble. | 13Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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