Psalm 49^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners^(A)

¹³ Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him,^(B) and he began to teach them. ¹⁴ As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”^(C) Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

¹⁵ While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees^(D) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(E)

¹⁷ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^(F)

¹³ Therefore let us stop passing judgment^(A) on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.^{(B) 14} I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.^(C) But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.^{(D) 15} If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.^(E) Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.^{(F) 16} Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.^{(G) 17} For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,^(H) but of righteousness, peace^(I) and joy in the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 18} because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.^(K)

¹⁹ Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace^(L) and to mutual edification.^{(M) 20} Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.^(N) All food is clean,^(O) but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.^{(P) 21} It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.^(Q)

²² So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn^(R) himself by what he approves. ²³ But whoever has doubts^(S) is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.^[a]