Don't Criticize Others
1 Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours. 2 Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables. 3 But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. 4 What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right.
5 Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. 6 Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honor their Lord. And any followers who eat meat give thanks to God, just like the ones who don't eat meat.
7 Whether we live or die, it must be for God, rather than for ourselves. 8 Whether we live or die, it must be for the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord. 9 This is because Christ died and rose to life, so that he would be the Lord of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you criticize other followers of the Lord? Why do you look down on them? The day is coming when God will judge all of us. 11 In the Scriptures God says,
“I swear by my very life
that everyone will kneel down
and praise my name!”
12 And so, each of us must give an account to God for what we do.
Don't Cause Problems for Others
13 We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone's faith. 14 The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to eat, then for you they are not fit.
15 If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don't let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for. 16 Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. 17 God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. 19 We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith.
20 Don't let your appetite destroy what God has done. All foods are fit to eat, but it is wrong to cause problems for others by what you eat. 21 It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord. 22 What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your actions don't make you have doubts. 23 But if you do have doubts about what you eat, you are going against your beliefs. And you know that is wrong, because anything you do against your beliefs is sin.
Usisumikilise Ikamu tjitjo
1 Amutjilani nthu usakasima mu kugalamoyo, koga musikakabadzane naye ngekwe mikumbulo iye. 2 Nthu mmwe ungabe ne kugalamoyo kukulu kulu kwaanotubula kuja tjimwe ne tjimwe, koga nthu usakasima mu kugalamoyo unoja milibo koga. 3 Nthu unoja tjimwe ne tjimwe ngaasilingile pasi usingaje, usingaje asibone nlandu unoja tjimwe ne tjimwe, ngobe Ndzimu wakan'amutjila. 4 Uani iwe kubona nlandu nlanda we mmwe? Tetshi uwe ndiye unowobona kuti kene unopundula kene unokong'wa. Ngono unowopundula, ngobe Ndzimu uwe unotubula kunthama kuti apundule.
5 Nthu unotola limwe zhuba se lakayengemala kupinda limwe, koga mmwe etola kuti mazhuba wose anofanana. Mmwe ne mmwe wakafanila kube ne malebeswa azhele mu nkumbulo uwe. 6 Iye unokudza zhuba limwe unoshinga eijalo kukudza She, iye unoja tjimwe ne tjimwe unokushinga kukudza Ndzimu, ngobe unobokela Ndzimu zojiwa. Iye usingaje zwimwe zwithu unokushinga kukudza She, ngono unoboka Ndzimu. 7 Akuna wedu unozwitjilila, akuna wedu unozwifila. 8 Ha titjila totjilila She, ha tifa tofila She. Ndizo kene titjila kene tifa, ti ba She. 9 Ngobe nangwenu Kirisiti wakafa, ngono kabgwilila mu butjilo kuti abe She we banotjila ne bakafa. 10 Ini usumikilisa ikamu tjitjo kene? Kene ini ulingila ikamu tjitjo pasi kene? Tose towoma mbeli kwe Ndzimu kusumikilisiwa ndiwo. 11 Ngobe kwakakwagwa kukayi,
“Nge malebeswa ha nditjila, kojalo She,
mmwe ne mmwe unowondithigamila,
ne mmwe ne mmwe unowoleba kuti ndi Ndzimu.” 12 Mmwe ne mmwe wedu unowozwidabiligwa ku Ndzimu.
Musithamise bagalimoyo bamwe tjibi
13 Ndizo ngatimiseni kusumikilisa, koga tisitongo zwimisila kubiga mu zila ye ikamu tjedu tjimwe tjingatjikutha kene tjingandzinganyidza. 14 Ndoziba nge buzhalo muna She Jesu kuti akuna zojiwa zwakatemapala nge kwazo, koga zwakatemapalila nthu unobe ekumbula kuti zwakatemapala. 15 Ha uhwisa zogwadza ikamu tjitjo nge tjaunoja, ipapo autjashingila mu ludo. Usiti nge kuja kuko ukabulaya ikamu tjitjo itjo Kirisiti tjaakafila. 16 Usiletje kululwama kuko kukalebgwa bubi, 17 ngobe bushe gwe Ndzimu ate guli kuja ne kung'wa, koga nge gwe ndulamo ne kunyalala ne kushatha mu Meya yakayengemala. 18 Ndizo iye unoshingila Kirisiti nge zila yakajali, unoshathisa Ndzimu kakale unokudziwa nge bathu.
19 Ngatitjisalani shule tjimwe ne tjimwe tjinothama kunyalala ne kubhatshana mu kusimisana. 20 Musikolomodze nshingo we Ndzimu nge zila ye zojiwa. Zojiwa zose zwibuyanana, koga kwakabipa kuja tjimwe tjinowothama mmwe kawila mu tjibi. 21 Akuzolulwama kuti uje nyama kene ung'we nkumbi kene uthame tjimwe koga tjingaliga ikamu tjitjo, kugalamoyo. 22 Kugalamoyo kwaunako ngakube pakati kuko ne Ndzimu. Kowoshatha iye usingazwisumikilise muna tjaanothama. 23 Koga ha edudumwa ngekwe tjaanoja, Ndzimu unombona nlandu ha etjija, ngobe tjaanothama atjizodwa mu kugalamoyo, ngono tjimwe ne tjimwe tjisingadwe mu kugalamoyo tjibi.