Don't Worship Idols
1 Friends, I want to remind you that all our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea. 2 This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. 3 All of them also ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ. 5 But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the desert.
6 What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things. 7 They worshiped idols, just as the Scriptures say, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around.” So don't worship idols. 8 Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about 23,000 died. Don't do shameful things as they did. 9 And don't try to test Christ, as some of them did and were later bitten by poisonous snakes. 10 Don't even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days.
12 Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. 13 You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.
14 My friends, you must keep away from idols. 15 I am speaking to you as people who have enough sense to know what I am talking about. 16 When we drink from the cup we ask God to bless, isn't that sharing in the blood of Christ? When we eat the bread we break, isn't that sharing in the body of Christ? 17 By sharing in the same loaf of bread, we become one body, even though there are many of us.
18 Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices offered there? 19 Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all? 20 No, I am not! This food is really sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with demons. 21 You cannot drink from the cup of demons and still drink from the Lord's cup. You cannot eat at the table of demons and still eat at the Lord's table. 22 We would make the Lord jealous if we did this. And we are not stronger than the Lord.
Always Honor God
23 Some of you say, “We can do whatever we want to!” But I tell you not everything may be good or helpful. 24 We should think about others and not about ourselves. 25 However, when you buy meat in the market, go ahead and eat it. Keep your conscience clear by not asking where the meat came from. 26 The Scriptures say, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”
27 If an unbeliever invites you to dinner, and you want to go, then go. Eat whatever you are served. Don't cause a problem for someone's conscience by asking where the food came from. 28-29 But if you are told it has been sacrificed to idols, don't cause a problem by eating it. I don't mean a problem for yourself, but for the one who told you. Why should my freedom be limited by someone else's conscience? 30 If I give thanks for what I eat, why should anyone accuse me of doing wrong?
31 When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. 32 Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. 33 I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved.
Omaronga otja kovisenginina
1 Vakwetu, ami me mu zemburukisa imbi mbya tjitirwe kootate mukururume, indu tji va tuurungire okuti onguza. Owo avehe va ri kehi yondjamo yotjikamba, nu avehe va kondere Omuronga wOtuu nokuhinatjipo. 2 Motjikamba na momuronga owo avehe va papitisiwa otja mba ri ovakongorere va Moses. 3 Owo avehe va rire ovikurya tjingevyo vyOmbepo, 4 nu avehe va nwine omanuwa tjingewo wOmbepo. Owo aave nu moruuwa rOmbepo nduyaru kayenda puna wo. Noruuwa ndwi ondu ri Kristus omuini. 5 Nungwari Ndjambi ka ri nonyuṋe movengi vawo, notje ve zepera mokuti onguza.
6 Nambano oviṋa avihe mbi vya rira otjihorera ku eṱe okuturonga kutja atu ha kara nozonḓuma zouvi otja owo tjaave tjiti. 7 Amu rikotamene koomukuru vovisenginina otja tjiva vawo tjaave tjiti, punga apa tjangwa momatjangwa: “Otjiwaṋa tja kara pehi okurya nokunwa nu tja sekamene atji nyanda.” 8 Nu atu ha vakirasana otja tjiva vawo tjaave vakirasana; nu meyuva rimwe ape ṱu ovandu omayovi omirongo vivari na yetatu. 9 Nu atu ha roro Kristus otja tjiva vawo tjaave mu roro, nowo ave ṱozonyoka. 10 Amu unauna otja tjiva vawo tjaave unauna, nowo ave ṱu i Omunyone.
11 Noviṋa avihe mbi vya tjitirwe ku wo otja otjihorera ku eṱe, nu vya tjangerwa okuturonga, eṱe tjinga atu ri komaandero wouye.
12 Nu nambano ingwi ngu ma tjangovasi eye wa zikama, nga ṱakamise kutja a hau ko. 13 Omarorero ngamwa aehe ngu mwa muna owo nga hapo nge ya kovandu. Ndjambi eye omuṱakame neye ke nakumutarera amamu rorwa okukapita omasa weṋu. Nomarorero tji ye ya, eye me mu pe omasa, kokutja mu yenene okupirukira omarorero nga.
14 Vasuverwa vandje, eṋe opu mu sokupenga omerikotameneno kovisenginina. 15 Ami me hungire na eṋe otja ovandu ovanazondunge; pangureye oveni imbi mbi me hungire. 16 Zemburukeye ihi otjinwino tjOmariro wa Muhona wOngurova tji tu tjera okuhepa ku Ndjambi: Eṱe, tji matu tji nu, tu kara noruwano nombinḓu Kristus ndja tirahira eṱe. Nu zemburukeye indji omboroto ndji tu koyora: Eṱe, tji matu iri, tu kara noruwano norutu rwa Kristus. 17 Andarire kutja oweṱe ovengi; oweṱe orutu rumwe, atuhe tjinga atu norupa momboroto imwe ndji.
18 Ripureye notjiwaṋa tja Israel; imba mbu ya veri konyama yotjinamuinyo tjombunguhiro ve noruwano na Ndjambi ngwa punguhirwa ombunguhiro. 19 Hapo ami me hee tjike? Me hee, kutja otjisenginina poo ombunguhiro ndji mai punguhirwa tjo, otjiṋa? 20 Kako ka tjiperi! Ihi tji me hee okongwi okutja imbi ovanavisenginina mbi ve punguha ve punguhira ozombepo ozohakohoke, nungwari kave punguhire Ndjambi. Nami hi nokuvanga kutja eṋe mu kare noruwano nozombepo ozohakohoke. 21 Eṋe kamu nokusokunwina motjinwino tja Muhona tjazumba amu nwine motjinwino tjozombepo ozohakokoke; nu kamu nokusokurira potjiriro tja Muhona tjazumbo amu rire potjiriro tjozombepo ozohakohoke. 22 Poo matu vanga okutoka Muhona? Eṱe tu nomasa pu ye are?
23 “Avihe vi ri mouvara wetu,” Ii, nungwari kakutja avihe otji vi nombatero. “Avihe vi ri mouvara wetu!” Nungwari kakutja avihe otji vi tunga ombongo. 24 Ape ha kara omundu ngu me ripahere ombwiro ye porwayo, nungwari auhe nga pahe ombwiro yomukwao.
25 Atjihe tji matji randisiwa mondjuwo yonyama mamu yenene okurya nokuhinokupura motjimbe tjomeritjiviro weṋu womomutima. 26 Orondu omatjangwa maye tja: “Ehi ora Muhona noviṋa avihe mbi ri mu ro.”
27 Nomuhakambura tje mu ṋanga komariro, neṋe amu itavere okuyenda, ryee ngamwa atjihe tji tja tuwa po komurungu weṋu, nu amu pura omapuriro motjimbe tjomeritjiviro weṋu womomutima. 28 Nungwari tji pena ngu ma tja ku eṋe: “Onyama ndji ya punguhirwa ovisenginina,” amu ri ko onyama ndji motjimbe tja ingwi ngwa tja nao na motjimbe tjomeritjiviro womomutima. 29 Ami hi nokuheya omeritjiviro woye omuini womomutima, nungwari owo nga womundu warwe.
Nomundu ma pura a tja: “Okutjavi oukutuke wandje tji mau tjaerwa i omeritjiviro womomutima womundu warwe? 30 Ami tji me tja okuhepa ku Ndjambi kovikurya vyandje, okutjavi omundu tji me ndji kwekurire ovikurya, mbi mba tjere okuhepa ku Ndjambi?”
31 Nu avihe, mbi mamu tjiti, kutja mamu ri poo kutja mamu nu, avihe mbi vi tjiteye kohiviro ya Ndjambi. 32 Kareye nongarero, ndji hi nokueta ombutarisiro kOvajuda poo ku imba mbe he ri Ovajuda poo kombongo ya Ndjambi. 33 Tjiteye otja ami tji mbi tjita: Ami mbi kondja okuyandja onyuṋe ku auhe mu avihe mbi mbi tjita. Ami hi paha ombwiro yandje omuini, nungwari mbi paha indji yovengi, kokutja owo ve yamwe.
