⁴² “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone^[a] tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

⁶ “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,^[a] it would be better for him to have a huge millstone^[b] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.^[c]

Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service

17 Jesus^[a] said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe^[b] to the one through whom they come! ² It would be better for him to have a millstone^[c] tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea^[d] than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.^[e]

⁹ But be careful that this liberty of yours does not become a hindrance to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone weak sees you who possess knowledge dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience be “strengthened”^[a] to eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister,^[b] for whom Christ died, is destroyed.^{[c] 12} If you sin against your brothers or sisters^[d] in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ For this reason, if food causes my brother or sister to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause one of them^[e] to sin.