1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1

New International Version

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

¹⁴Therefore, my dear friends,^(A) flee from idolatry.^(B) ¹⁵I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break^(C) a participation in the body of Christ?^(D) ¹⁷Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,^(E) for we all share the one loaf.

¹⁸Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices^(F) participate in the altar? ¹⁹Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?^(G) ²⁰No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,^(H) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.^(I) ²²Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?^(J) Are we stronger than he?^(K)

The Believer’s Freedom

²³“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^(L) “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.^(M)

²⁵Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,^(N) ²⁶for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”^[a]^(O)

²⁷If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you^(P) without raising questions of conscience. ²⁸But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.^(Q) ²⁹I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom^(R) being judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?^(S)

³¹So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.^(T) ³²Do not cause anyone to stumble,^(U) whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God^(V)— ³³even as I try to please everyone in every way.^(W) For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,^(X) so that they may be saved.^(Y) 11 ¹Follow my example,^(Z) as I follow the example of Christ.^(AA)

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 10:26 Psalm 24:1

Psalm 139-141

New International Version

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹You have searched me,^(A) Lord,
    and you know^(B) me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;^(C)
    you perceive my thoughts^(D) from afar.
³You discern my going out^(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.^(F)
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.^(G)
⁵You hem me in^(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,^(I)
    too lofty^(J) for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee^(K) from your presence?
⁸If I go up to the heavens,^(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed^(M) in the depths, you are there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me,^(N)
    your right hand^(O) will hold me fast.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹²even the darkness will not be dark^(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being;^(Q)
    you knit me together^(R) in my mother’s womb.^(S)
¹⁴I praise you^(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,^(U)
    I know that full well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made^(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together^(W) in the depths of the earth.^(X)
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained^(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a]^(Z) God!^(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them,^(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand^(AC)—
    when I awake,^(AD) I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you, God, would slay the wicked!^(AE)
    Away from me,^(AF) you who are bloodthirsty!^(AG)
²⁰They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries^(AH) misuse your name.^(AI)
²¹Do I not hate those^(AJ) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor^(AK) those who are in rebellion against you?
²²I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.^(AL)
²³Search me,^(AM) God, and know my heart;^(AN)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴See if there is any offensive way^(AO) in me,
    and lead me^(AP) in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140^[b]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Rescue me,^(AQ) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,^(AR)
²who devise evil plans^(AS) in their hearts
    and stir up war^(AT) every day.
³They make their tongues as sharp as^(AU) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers^(AV) is on their lips.^[c]

⁴Keep me safe,^(AW) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^(AX)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵The arrogant have hidden a snare^(AY) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net^(AZ)
    and have set traps^(BA) for me along my path.

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^(BB)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^(BC)
⁷Sovereign Lord,^(BD) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸Do not grant the wicked^(BE) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

⁹Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^(BF)
¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,^(BG)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.^(BH)

¹²I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor^(BI)
and upholds the cause^(BJ) of the needy.^(BK)
¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name,^(BL)
and the upright will live^(BM) in your presence.^(BN)

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹I call to you, Lord, come quickly^(BO) to me;
hear me^(BP) when I call to you.
²May my prayer be set before you like incense;^(BQ)
may the lifting up of my hands^(BR) be like the evening sacrifice.^(BS)

³Set a guard over my mouth,^(BT) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.^(BU)
⁴Do not let my heart^(BV) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds^(BW)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.^(BX)

⁵Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me^(BY)—that is oil on my head.^(BZ)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

⁶Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,^(CA)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
⁷They will say, “As one plows^(CB) and breaks up the earth,^(CC)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth^(CD) of the grave.”

⁸But my eyes are fixed^(CE) on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge^(CF)—do not give me over to death.
⁹Keep me safe^(CG) from the traps set by evildoers,^(CH)
    from the snares^(CI) they have laid for me.
¹⁰Let the wicked fall^(CJ) into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.^(CK)

Footnotes

Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me
Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.