Romans 14:1-12

Easy-to-Read Version

Don’t Criticize Others

14 Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don’t argue with them about their different ideas. ² Some people believe they can eat any kind of food,^[a] but those who have doubts eat only vegetables. ³ Those who know they can eat any kind of food must not feel that they are better than those who eat only vegetables. And those who eat only vegetables must not decide that those who eat all foods are wrong. God has accepted them. ⁴ You cannot judge the servants of someone else. Their own master decides if they are doing right or wrong. And the Lord’s servants will be right, because the Lord is able to make them right.

⁵ Some people might believe that one day is more important than another. And others might believe that every day is the same. Everyone should be sure about their beliefs in their own mind. ⁶ Those who think one day is more important than other days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord. Yes, they give thanks to God for that food. And those who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord. They also give thanks to God.

⁷ We don’t live or die just for ourselves. ⁸ If we live, we are living for the Lord. And if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ That is why Christ died and rose from death to live again—so that he could be Lord over those who have died and those who are living.

¹⁰ So why do you judge your brother or sister in Christ? Or why do you think that you are better than they are? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all. ¹¹ Yes, the Scriptures say,

¹² So each of us will have to explain to God about the things we do.