Warnings against Idols
1 I want you to remember, my friends, what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the protection of the cloud, and all passed safely through the Red Sea. 2 In the cloud and in the sea they were all baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All ate the same spiritual bread 4 and drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them; and that rock was Christ himself. 5 But even then God was not pleased with most of them, and so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 Now, all of this is an example for us, to warn us not to desire evil things, as they did, 7 nor to worship idols, as some of them did. As the scripture says, “The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.” 8 We must not be guilty of sexual immorality, as some of them were—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them fell dead. 9 We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did—and they were killed by snakes. 10 We must not complain, as some of them did—and they were destroyed by the Angel of Death.
11 All these things happened to them as examples for others, and they were written down as a warning for us. For we live at a time when the end is about to come.
12 If you think you are standing firm you had better be careful that you do not fall. 13 Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.
14 So then, my dear friends, keep away from the worship of idols. 15 I speak to you as sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup we use in the Lord's Supper and for which we give thanks to God: when we drink from it, we are sharing in the blood of Christ. And the bread we break: when we eat it, we are sharing in the body of Christ. 17 Because there is the one loaf of bread, all of us, though many, are one body, for we all share the same loaf.
18 Consider the people of Israel; those who eat what is offered in sacrifice share in the altar's service to God. 19 Do I imply, then, that an idol or the food offered to it really amounts to anything? 20 No! What I am saying is that what is sacrificed on pagan altars is offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink from the Lord's cup and also from the cup of demons; you cannot eat at the Lord's table and also at the table of demons. 22 Or do we want to make the Lord jealous? Do we think that we are stronger than he?
23 “We are allowed to do anything,” so they say. That is true, but not everything is good. “We are allowed to do anything”—but not everything is helpful. 24 None of you should be looking out for your own interests, but for the interests of others.
25 You are free to eat anything sold in the meat market, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 26 For, as the scripture says, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”
27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you decide to go, eat what is set before you, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 28 But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat that food, for the sake of the one who told you and for conscience' sake— 29 that is, not your own conscience, but the other person's conscience.
“Well, then,” someone asks, “why should my freedom to act be limited by another person's conscience? 30 If I thank God for my food, why should anyone criticize me about food for which I give thanks?”
31 Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God's glory. 32 Live in such a way as to cause no trouble either to Jews or Gentiles or to the church of God. 33 Just do as I do; I try to please everyone in all that I do, not thinking of my own good, but of the good of all, so that they might be saved.
Eeshalinghenda daKalunga inadi danaukifwa
1 Ovamwatate, inandi hala mu kale muhe shi shii, ootatekulu aveshe va kala koshi yoshilemo, naaveshe va pitila mefuta 2 naaveshe ova shashelwa muMoses moshilemo nomefuta, 3 naaveshe ova lya oikulya tuu imwe aike yopamhepo, 4 naaveshe ova nwa oshikunwa shimwe shopamhepo, osheshi ova nwa memanya lopamhepo ndele va shikula, emanya olo oKristus. 5 Ndelenee nande ongaha, vahapu vomuvo Kalunga ine va hokwa, osheshi vo ova nyonauninwa po mombuwa.
6 Ndele oinima ei oya ningilwa kufye edidiliko, tuha haluke owii ngaashi venya va halukile. 7 Ndele nye inamu ninga ovalongeli voikalunga ngaashi vamwe vomuvo, ongaashi pa shangwa: “Ovanhu va kala omutumba okulya nokunwa ndele va fikama va dane.” 8 Ndele inatu kaleni mohole yoipala, ngaashi vamwe vomuvo ve shi ninga, nova nyonwa pomayovi omilongo mbali nomayovi atatu mefiku limwe alike. 9 Ndele fye inatu shindeni Omwene, ngaashi vamwe vomuvo va shindile, ndele va lika po komayoka. 10 Ndele nye inamu ngongota yo ngaashi vamwe vomuvo va ngongotele, nova nyonwa po komunyonauni. 11 Ndelenee ei aishe oya ningilwa venya i kale elondwelo kufye noya shangwa oku tu kumaida, ofye ava twa hangika komaxulilo omafimbo ounyuni. 12 Onghee hano ou e lishii e li ofika, na lungame aha wile po. 13 Inamu hangika keyeleko limwe, olo tuu olo lopanhu, ndelenee Kalunga Oye omudiinini, ite mu efa mu yelekwe nomayeleko e dule eenghono deni, ndele mumwe neyeleko ota longele yo omhito yokupita mo, opo mu dule oku li humbata.
14 Onghee hano, ovaholike vange, indeni onhapo efimaneko loikalunga. 15 Ohandi mu lombwele ngaashi ovanaendunge; tokoleni nye vene eshi handi shi tongo. 16 Eholo lepuniko eli hatu li nangeke noupuna, kali fi hamba ekwatafano nohonde yaKristus? Omungome ou hatu u pambula, kau fi ekwatafano nolutu laKristus? 17 Osheshi omungome umwe, nosho fye vahapu olutu limwe; osheshi ofyeni atusheni twa tambula komungome ou umwe. 18 Taleni Israel yopambelela; ava hava li omayambo vehe nekwatafano noaltari? 19 Ohandi ti ngahelipi hano? Omayambo a yambelwa oikalunga oi na tuu sha, ile oshikalunga oshi na tuu sha? 20 Ahowe, ohandi ti, oinima ei ovapaani tave i yambele, otave i yambele eendemoni, haKalunga; ndele ame inandi hala mu kale mu nekwatafano neendemoni. 21 Itamu dulu okunwa meholo lOmwene nomeholo leendemoni, itamu dulu okulya koshililo shOmwene nokoshililo sheendemoni. 22 Ile otwa hala okuhandukifa Omwene? Ofye otu mu dule?
Elipangelo inali nyona eliudo
23 Aishe ohai ningwa, ndele haaishe i nekwafo. Aishe ohai ningwa, ndele haaishe tai tungu. 24 Inapa kala ou ta kongo ouwa waye mwene, ndelenee keshe umwe na konge ouwa wamukwao. 25 Ashishe hashi shingifwa pomalandelo, shi lyeni, inamu lipulapula nasha omolweliudo; 26 osheshi: “Edu olOmwene, naashishe shi yadi mo.” 27 Ndele ngeenge ku na ou ehe fi omwiitaveli te mu ifana, ndele mwa hala okuya ko, lyeni ashishe tamu shi pewa, muhe lipulaapule sha omolweliudo. 28 Ndele ngee ope na ou te mu lombwele: “Eshi osha yambelwa oikalunga,” inamu lya omolwaau e shi holola, nomolweliudo; 29 itandi popi eliudo loye, ndele olamukweni; elipangelo lange oshike li tokolwe keliudo lamukwetu? 30 Ndele ngeenge handi shi li nokupandula, oshike handi shekwa omolwaashi handi shi pandulile?
31 Onghee hano ngeenge tamu li ile tamu nu, ile keshe tuu eshi tamu shi ningi, ashishe shi ningeni okufimanekifa Kalunga. 32 Inamu yandja nande omuhau, nande okOvajuda ile okOvagreka ile keongalo laKalunga, 33 ngaashi naame onda dulika kovanhu aveshe omoinima aishe, noihandi kongo eshi sha wapalela nge, ndelenee oshosho sha wapalela vahapu, opo va xupifwe.
