⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile^(A) himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

¹³ The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”^(A)

¹⁴ Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord!^(B) I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead^(C) or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.^(D)”

¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices^(A) participate in the altar? ¹⁹ Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?^{(B) 20} No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,^(C) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. ²¹ You 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.^(D)

⁴⁵ I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt^(A) to be your God;^(B) therefore be holy, because I am holy.^(C)

⁴⁶ “‘These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground. ⁴⁷ You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.^(D)’”

³⁷ But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing.

⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge.^(A) Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak,^(B) it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God;^(C) we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block^(D) to the weak.^{(E) 10} For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?^(F)