1 Corinthians 10
New King James Version
Old Testament Examples
10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under (A)the cloud, all passed through (B)the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same (C)spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same (D)spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies (E)were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as (F)they also lusted. 7 (G)And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, (H)“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 (I)Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as (J)some of them did, and (K)in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us [a]tempt Christ, as (L)some of them also tempted, and (M)were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as (N)some of them also complained, and (O)were destroyed by (P)the destroyer. 11 Now [b]all these things happened to them as examples, and (Q)they were written for our [c]admonition, (R)upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore (S)let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but (T)God is faithful, (U)who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to [d]bear it.
Flee from Idolatry
14 Therefore, my beloved, (V)flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to (W)wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 (X)The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the [e]communion of the blood of Christ? (Y)The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For (Z)we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
18 Observe (AA)Israel (AB)after the flesh: (AC)Are not those who eat of the sacrifices [f]partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? (AD)That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles (AE)sacrifice (AF)they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 (AG)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and (AH)the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the (AI)Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we (AJ)provoke the Lord to jealousy? (AK)Are we stronger than He?
All to the Glory of God(AL)
23 All things are lawful [g]for me, but not all things are (AM)helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things [h]edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one (AN)the other’s well-being.
25 (AO)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for (AP)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”
27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, (AQ)eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it (AR)for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; [i]for (AS)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For (AT)why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food (AU)over which I give thanks?
31 (AV)Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 (AW)Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just (AX)as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 10:9 test
- 1 Corinthians 10:11 NU omits all
- 1 Corinthians 10:11 instruction
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 endure
- 1 Corinthians 10:16 fellowship or sharing
- 1 Corinthians 10:18 fellowshippers or sharers
- 1 Corinthians 10:23 NU omits for me
- 1 Corinthians 10:23 build up
- 1 Corinthians 10:28 NU omits the rest of v. 28.
1 Corinthians 10
Amplified Bible
Avoid Israel’s Mistakes
10 For I do not want you to be unaware, believers, that our fathers were all under the cloud [in which God’s presence went before them] and they all passed [miraculously and safely] through the [Red] Sea;(A) 2 And all [of them] were baptized into Moses [into his safekeeping as their leader] in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all [of them] ate the same [a]spiritual food;(B) 4 and all [of them] drank the same [b]spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.(C) 5 Nevertheless, God was not well-pleased with [c]most of them, for they were scattered along the ground in the wilderness [because their lack of self-control led to disobedience which led to death].(D)
6 Now these things [the warnings and admonitions] took place as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did.(E) 7 Do not be worshipers of handmade gods, as some of them were; just as it is written [in Scripture], “The people sat down to eat and drink [after sacrificing to the [d]golden calf at Horeb], and stood up to play [indulging in immoral activities].”(F) 8 We must not indulge in [nor tolerate] sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell [dead] in a single day!(G) 9 We must not tempt the Lord [that is, test His patience, question His purpose or exploit His goodness], as some of them did—and they were killed by serpents.(H) 10 And do not murmur [in unwarranted discontent], as some of them did—and were destroyed by the [e]destroyer.(I) 11 Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation]. 13 No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].
14 Therefore, my beloved, run [keep far, far away] from [any sort of] idolatry [and that includes loving anything more than God, or participating in anything that leads to sin and enslaves the soul]. 15 I am speaking as to wise and sensible people; judge [carefully and thoughtfully consider] for yourselves what I say. 16 Is the cup of blessing which we bless [at the Lord’s Supper] not a sharing in the blood of Christ? [Indeed it is.] Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? [Indeed it is.] 17 Since there is one bread, we [believers] who are many are [united into] one body; for we all partake of the one bread [which represents the body of Christ]. 18 Consider the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners of the altar [united in their worship of the same God]? [Indeed they are.](J) 19 What do I mean then? That a thing offered to idols is anything [special or changed simply because it is offered], or that an idol is anything? 20 On the contrary, the things which the Gentiles (pagans) sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons [in effect], and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons [by eating at feasts in pagan temples].(K) 21 You cannot drink [both] the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them]. 22 Do we [really] provoke the Lord to jealousy [when we eat food sacrificed to handmade “gods” at pagan feasts]? Are we [spiritually] stronger than He? [Certainly not! He knows that the idols are nothing. But we deeply [f]offend Him.](L)
23 All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. 24 Let no one seek [only] his own good, but [also] that of the other person. 25 [Regarding meat offered to idols:] Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking any questions for the sake of your conscience, 26 For the [whole] earth is the Lord’s, and everything that is in it.(M) 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you [to a meal at his home] and you want to go, eat whatever is served to you without asking questions [about its source] for the sake of your conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This meat has been offered in sacrifice to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’s sake— 29 and by conscience I mean for the sake of the other man’s, not yours. For [g]why is my freedom [of choice] judged by another’s conscience [another’s ethics—another’s sense of right and wrong]? 30 If I take my share [of food] with thankfulness, why am I accused because of something for which I give thanks?
31 So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of [our great] God. 32 Do not offend Jews or Greeks or even the church of God [but live to honor Him]; 33 just as I please everyone in all things [as much as possible adapting myself to the interests of others], not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, so that they [will be open to the message of salvation and] may be saved.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 10:3 I.e. divinely provided manna.
- 1 Corinthians 10:4 I.e. divinely provided water from a rock.
- 1 Corinthians 10:5 Of all those adult Israelites who had been in bondage in Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb (along with those born in the wilderness) were allowed to enter the promised land.
- 1 Corinthians 10:7 The selection of a calf-god was probably inspired by the Egyptian bull-god Apis (Hapis), believed to be a living manifestation of the Egyptian god Ptah.
- 1 Corinthians 10:10 Perhaps a reference to the angel of destruction whom the rabbis called Mashhith.
- 1 Corinthians 10:22 The offense consists of becoming “partners with demons” (v 20) merely to enjoy the pagan meal as an exercise of the believer’s liberty.
- 1 Corinthians 10:29 Or to what end, i.e. what good can come of it?
1 Corinthians 10
New Living Translation
Lessons from Israel’s Idolatry
10 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. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 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. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 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] 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
9 Nor should we put Christ[c] to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 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.
14 So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15 You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. 16 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? 17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. 18 Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?
19 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20 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. 21 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. 22 What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is?
23 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. 24 Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
25 So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”[e]
27 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. 28 (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. 29 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? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles[f] or the church of God. 33 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.
1 Corinthians 10
Tree of Life Version
Warnings from History
10 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. [a] 2 They all were immersed into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 And all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink—for they were drinking from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the Rock was Messiah. [b] 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.[c]
6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so we wouldn’t crave evil things, just as they did. [d] 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” [e] 8 And let’s not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day 23,000 fell. [f] 9 And let’s not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were destroyed by serpents. [g] 10 And let’s not grumble, as some of them did—and were destroyed by the destroying angel. [h] 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and it was written down as a warning to us—on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let the one who thinks that he stands watch out that he doesn’t fall. 13 No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful—He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. But with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so you will be able to endure it.
Feast with the Lord—Not with Idols
14 Therefore, my dearly loved ones, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people—judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless—isn’t it a sharing of Messiah’s blood? The bread which we break—isn’t it a sharing of Messiah’s body? 17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body—for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider physical Israel. Those who eat the sacrifices—aren’t they partners in the altar?[i]
19 What am I saying then—that an idol sacrifice is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I’m saying that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God, and I don’t want you to become partners with demons. [j] 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?[k] We are not stronger than He, are we?
23 “Everything is permitted”—but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permitted”—but not everything builds up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, without raising questions of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness.” [l] 27 If an unbeliever invites you over and you want to go, eat whatever is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is from an idol sacrifice,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 not your own conscience, I mean, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I give thanks for?
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense either to Jewish or Greek people or to God’s community— 33 just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 10:2 cf. Exod. 13:21; Exod. 14:22, 29; Ps. 105:39; Neh. 9:11.
- 1 Corinthians 10:5 cf. Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:7-13.
- 1 Corinthians 10:5 cf. Num. 14:29-35.
- 1 Corinthians 10:7 cf. Num. 11:4, 34; Ps. 106:14.
- 1 Corinthians 10:8 Exod. 32:6.
- 1 Corinthians 10:9 cf. Num. 25:1-9.
- 1 Corinthians 10:10 cf. Num. 21:5-6.
- 1 Corinthians 10:11 cf. Num. 16:41-50.
- 1 Corinthians 10:18 cf. Lev. 7:6, Deut. 12:17-19.
- 1 Corinthians 10:21 cf. Deut. 32:17.
- 1 Corinthians 10:22 cf. Deut. 32:21.
- 1 Corinthians 10:27 Ps. 24:1.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
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.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.