Warnings against Idols
1 I want you to remember, my friends, what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the protection of the cloud, and all passed safely through the Red Sea. 2 In the cloud and in the sea they were all baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All ate the same spiritual bread 4 and drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them; and that rock was Christ himself. 5 But even then God was not pleased with most of them, and so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 Now, all of this is an example for us, to warn us not to desire evil things, as they did, 7 nor to worship idols, as some of them did. As the scripture says, “The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.” 8 We must not be guilty of sexual immorality, as some of them were—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them fell dead. 9 We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did—and they were killed by snakes. 10 We must not complain, as some of them did—and they were destroyed by the Angel of Death.
11 All these things happened to them as examples for others, and they were written down as a warning for us. For we live at a time when the end is about to come.
12 If you think you are standing firm you had better be careful that you do not fall. 13 Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.
14 So then, my dear friends, keep away from the worship of idols. 15 I speak to you as sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup we use in the Lord's Supper and for which we give thanks to God: when we drink from it, we are sharing in the blood of Christ. And the bread we break: when we eat it, we are sharing in the body of Christ. 17 Because there is the one loaf of bread, all of us, though many, are one body, for we all share the same loaf.
18 Consider the people of Israel; those who eat what is offered in sacrifice share in the altar's service to God. 19 Do I imply, then, that an idol or the food offered to it really amounts to anything? 20 No! What I am saying is that what is sacrificed on pagan altars is offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink from the Lord's cup and also from the cup of demons; you cannot eat at the Lord's table and also at the table of demons. 22 Or do we want to make the Lord jealous? Do we think that we are stronger than he?
23 “We are allowed to do anything,” so they say. That is true, but not everything is good. “We are allowed to do anything”—but not everything is helpful. 24 None of you should be looking out for your own interests, but for the interests of others.
25 You are free to eat anything sold in the meat market, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 26 For, as the scripture says, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”
27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you decide to go, eat what is set before you, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 28 But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat that food, for the sake of the one who told you and for conscience' sake— 29 that is, not your own conscience, but the other person's conscience.
“Well, then,” someone asks, “why should my freedom to act be limited by another person's conscience? 30 If I thank God for my food, why should anyone criticize me about food for which I give thanks?”
31 Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God's glory. 32 Live in such a way as to cause no trouble either to Jews or Gentiles or to the church of God. 33 Just do as I do; I try to please everyone in all that I do, not thinking of my own good, but of the good of all, so that they might be saved.
Kuzwitjengeta mu midzimu
1 Ndoshaka kuti mualakane zwikamu kuti bobatategulu bedu bose bakabe bali kusi kwe gole nenge kuti bose bakatjuluka gungwa. 2 Bose bakadubikwa kube batobeli ba Mushe mu gole ne mu gungwa. 3 Kakale bose bakaja zojiwa zwe tjimeya 4 kakale bose bakang'wa tjing'o tje tjimeya. Ngobe bakang'wa mu shongwe ye kudzimu, iyeyo yakabe yakabatobela, ngono shongwe iyeyo ndi Kirisiti. 5 Bunji gwabo abazoshathisa Ndzimu, ndizo bakabulawa mu tjilambanyika.
6 Zwithu izwezwi zwakashingikala kutjenjedza iswi kuti tisiyemule bubi sa ibo. 7 Musibe bathigamili be midzimu se kwakathama bamwe babo, ngobe kwakakwagwa kuyi, “Bathu bakagala pasi kuja ne kung'wa, kakale bakamilika bakazana.” 8 Tisithameni bupombgwe se kwakathama bamwe babo, ngono zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana kutatu (23 000) zwikafa zhuba ling'ompela. 9 Tisilikeni She, se kwakathama bamwe babo, ngono bakalobesiwa nge nyoka, 10 kene kuli kung'ong'ola se kwakathama bamwe babo, ngono bakalobesiwa nge nlobesi.
11 Zwithu izwezwi zwakabashingikalila kuli kutjenjedza, ngono zwakakwagwa kudiya iswi banotjila mu misi ye bupelo.
12 Ndizo iye unokumbula kuti umile wakasima ngaabe nge njele kuti asiwe. 13 Akuna ndiko yakamuwila isakatongowila nthu. Ndzimu unogalikabgwe ndizo aungakuletjedzele kuti ulikiwe kunopinda matatabuko awo, koga ne ndiko Ndzimu unozhisa zila yaungabhuda ndiyo, kuti usimisile.
14 Ndizo badiwa bangu, mu zwikupe tjose mu kunamata midzimu. 15 Ndolebeleka ne bathu bakatjenjela, muzwibonegwe kene tjandinoleba malebeswa. 16 Bhepe le makombolelo latinopa latinokombolela, apa ate kukobana mu malopa a Kirisiti kene? Tjiwunga tjatinokwamula, apa ate kukobana mbili wa Kirisiti kene? 17 Sekuna tjiwunga tjing'ompela, iswi banjinji ti mbili nng'ompela, ngobe iswi tose tokobana tjiwunga itjetjo tjing'ompela.
18 Kumbulani bathu be Iziraela, apa ibaba banoja zwibhayilo abana gobe mu tjibeso tje zwibhayilo kene? 19 Apa ndodwani kene? Apa ndodwa kuti zojiwa zwakapiwa midzimu zwi tjimwe kene, kene iyo midzimu i tjimwe? 20 Aa! Ndodwa kuti basinganamate Ndzimu banopa zwibhayilo meya mibi. Anditoshaka kuti mube ne buzwalani ne meya mibi. 21 Amungang'we mu bhepe la She ne bhepe le meya mibi. Amungaje mu ndilo ya She ne mu ndilo ye meya mibi. 22 Apa toshaka yita kuti She babe ne fupa kene? Apa takasima kubapinda kene?
23 “Zwithu zose zodumiligwa,” koga ate zwithu zose zwinobhatsha, “Zwithu zose zodumiligwa,” koga ate zwithu zose zwinobumba. 24 Ngakushete unozwishakila bubuya, koga ngaagushakile bamwe.
25 Ijani tjinotengesiwa mu matengeselo e nyama musingabhuzwe muyitila hana. 26 Ngobe “Shango nge ya She ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjimuili.”
27 Ha mmwe we basingagalemoyo ekudanila zojiwa ha ushaka kuyenda, yenda, uje kene ilini tjawapiwa, usinabhuzo. 28 Koga aangati ku kuli, “Zojiwa izwezwi zwapiwa midzimu,” ipapo usije zojiwa izwezo uthamila iwoyo wakubudza kakale uthamila hana, 29 Anditodwa hana iyo, ndodwa iye.
Kusununguka kwangu kungalaugwa nge hana ye mmwe nthu tjini? 30 Ha ndija nge kuboka, ini ndingongobolegwa itjetjo tjandinobokela?
31 Ndizo kene unoja kene ung'wa, kene unothamani koga, thama kose kukudza Ndzimu. 32 Usigwadzisemoyo kene ali Njuta kene N'giriki kene gubungano le Ndzimu, 33 sekwa ndinogwisa kushathisa bathu bose mu tjimwe ne tjimwe tjandinothama, ndisingazwishakigwe mbuzilo koga ndikudza bose kuti ndizo batjidziwe.