¹⁵ otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and ^(A)sacrifice to their gods, and someone ^(B)might invite you ^[a]to eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and ^(C)you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. ^17 (D)You shall make for yourself no molten gods.

Daniel’s Resolve

⁸ But Daniel ^[a]made up his mind that he would not ^(A)defile himself with the ^(B)king’s choice food or with the ^(C)wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

⁷ However not all men ^(A)have this knowledge; but ^(B)some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

¹³ Therefore, ^(A)if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

⁷ Do not be ^(A)idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “^(B)The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to ^(C)play.” ⁸ Nor let us act immorally, as ^(D)some of them ^[a]did, and ^(E)twenty-three thousand fell in one day. ⁹ Nor let us try the Lord, as ^(F)some of them ^[b]did, and were destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰ Nor ^(G)grumble, as some of them ^[c]did, and ^(H)were destroyed by the ^(I)destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an ^(J)example, and ^(K)they were written for our instruction, upon whom ^(L)the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let him who ^(M)thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and ^(N)God is faithful, who will not allow you to be ^(O)tempted 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 ^(P)beloved, flee from ^(Q)idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the ^(R)cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the ^[d](S)bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Since there is one ^[e]bread, we ^(T)who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one ^[f]bread. ¹⁸ Look at ^[g]the nation ^(U)Israel; are not those who ^(V)eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or ^(W)that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they ^(X)sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. ^21 (Y)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(Z)the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(AA)provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not ^(AB)stronger than He, are we?

^23 (AC)All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things ^(AD)edify. ²⁴ Let no one ^(AE)seek his own good, but that of his ^[h]neighbor. ^25 (AF)Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; ^26 (AG)for the earth is the Lord’s, and ^[i]all it contains. ²⁷ If ^(AH)one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, ^(AI)eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But ^(AJ)if 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 ^(AK)why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, ^(AL)why am I slandered concerning that for which I ^(AM)give thanks?

³¹ Whether, then, you eat or drink or ^(AN)whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (AO)Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to ^(AP)the church of God; ³³ just as I also ^(AQ)please all men in all things, ^(AR)not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, ^(AS)so that they may be saved.

¹⁴ Therefore, my ^(A)beloved, flee from ^(B)idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the ^(C)cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the ^[a](D)bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Since there is one ^[b]bread, we ^(E)who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one ^[c]bread. ¹⁸ Look at ^[d]the nation ^(F)Israel; are not those who ^(G)eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or ^(H)that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they ^(I)sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. ^21 (J)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(K)the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(L)provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not ^(M)stronger than He, are we?

^23 (N)All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things ^(O)edify. ²⁴ Let no one ^(P)seek his own good, but that of his ^[e]neighbor. ^25 (Q)Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; ^26 (R)for the earth is the Lord’s, and ^[f]all it contains. ²⁷ If ^(S)one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, ^(T)eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But ^(U)if 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;

¹⁴ But ^(A)I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the ^(B)teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, ^(C)to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.

²⁰ But ^(A)I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman ^(B)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they ^(C)commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.