Romans 14
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Law of Liberty
14 Accept(A) anyone who is weak in faith,[a](B) but don’t argue about doubtful issues. 2 One person believes he may eat anything,(C) but one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,(D) and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does,(E) because God has accepted him.(F) 4 Who are you to criticize(G) another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able[b] to make him stand.
5 One person considers one day to be above another day.(H) Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.(I) 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.[c] Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;(J) and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.(K) 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.(L) 9 Christ died and came to life(M) for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.(N) 10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.[d](O) 11 For it is written:
As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to Me,(P)
and every tongue will give praise to God.(Q)[e]
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.(R)
The Law of Love
13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another.(S) Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way.(T) 14 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.(U) Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.(V)) 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.(W) Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.(X) 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,(Y) 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,(Z) but righteousness, peace, and joy(AA) in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ(AB) in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.(AC)
19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace(AD) and what builds up one another.(AE) 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats.(AF) 21 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.[f] 22 Do you have a conviction?[g] Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed.(AG) 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,(AH) because his eating is not from a conviction,[h] and everything that is not from a conviction[i] is sin.
Footnotes
- Romans 14:1 Or weak in the Faith
- Romans 14:4 Other mss read For God has the power
- Romans 14:6 Other mss add but whoever does not observe the day, it is to the Lord that he does not observe it
- Romans 14:10 Other mss read of Christ
- Romans 14:11 Is 45:23; 49:18
- Romans 14:21 Other mss add or offended or weakened
- Romans 14:22 Lit have faith
- Romans 14:23 Or faith
- Romans 14:23 Or faith
Romans 14
Lexham English Bible
Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another
14 Now receive the one who is weak in faith, but not for quarrels about opinions. 2 One believes he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats must not despise the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you, who passes judgment on the domestic slave belonging to someone else? To his own master he stands or falls, and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person[a] prefers one day over another day, and another person regards every day alike. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who is intent on the day is intent on it for the Lord, and the one who eats eats for the Lord, because he is thankful to God, and the one who does not eat does not eat for the Lord, and he is thankful to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. 8 For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For Christ died and became alive again for this reason, in order that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or also, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me,
and every tongue will praise God.”[b]
12 So[c] each one of us will give an account concerning himself.[d]
13 Therefore, let us no longer pass judgment on one another, but rather decide this: not to place a cause for stumbling or a temptation before a brother. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself, except to the one who considers something to be unclean; to that person it is unclean. 15 For if because of food, your brother is grieved, you are no longer living according to love. Do not destroy by your food that person for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be slandered. 17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For the one who serves Christ in this way is well-pleasing to God and approved by people.
19 So then, let us pursue what promotes peace[e] and what edifies one another[f]. 20 Do not destroy the work of God on account of food. All things are clean, but it is wrong for the person who eats and stumbles in the process[g]. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is weakened.[h] 22 The faith that you have, have with respect to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not pass judgment on himself by what he approves. 23 But the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.
Footnotes
- Romans 14:5 Some manuscripts have “For one person”
- Romans 14:11 A quotation from Isa 45:23
- Romans 14:12 Some manuscripts have “So then,”
- Romans 14:12 Some manuscripts have “an account concerning himself to God”
- Romans 14:19 Literally “the things of peace”
- Romans 14:19 Literally “the things of edification toward one another”
- Romans 14:20 Literally “who eats with stumbling”
- Romans 14:21 Some manuscripts omit “or is offended or is weakened”
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