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.
Inamu simaneka iikalunga
1 Onkee ano aamwameme, onda hala oku mu dhimbulutha shoka sha li sha ningilwa ootate, sho ya li ya landula Moses. Ayehe oya li megameno lyoshikogo noinaa mona oshiponga mokutokola Efuta etiligane. 2 Ayehe oya shashelwa moshikogo nomefuta mokulandula Moses. 3 Oyo oya lile ayehe oshikwiila shimwe shopambepo 4 noya nwine okunwa kumwe kwopambepo; oshoka oya nu momeya ga zi memanya lyopambepo ndyoka lye ende pamwe nayo; nemanya ndyoka oKristus. 5 Onkene tuu oyendji yomuyo Kalunga ine ya hokwa, ihe omidhimba dhawo odha halakanene nombuga ayihe.
6 Ano iinima ayihe ya tya ngeyi oyo iiholelwa yoku tu londodha, twaa longe iilonga iiwinayi, ngaashi yo ya ningile. 7 Inatu simaneka iikalunga, ngaashi yamwe yomuyo ye shi ningi, nongaashi enyolo tali ti: “Aantu oya kuutumba e taa li yo taa nu noya tutula uudhano.” 8 Inatu hondeleni, ngaashi yamwe yomuyo ya ningi; onkee oya yonwa po omayuvi omilongo mbali nagatatu mesiku limwe. 9 Inatu hindeni Omuwa, ngaashi yamwe yomuyo ye shi ningi e taa dhipagwa komayoka. 10 Inamu ngungutula, ngaashi yamwe yomuyo ye shi ningi e taa yonwa po komuyengeli gweso.
11 Iinima ayihe mbika oye ya adha, yi gune aantu yalwe noya nyolwa, yi tu londodhe. Oshoka otu li methimbo, uuna ehulilo li li popepi.
12 Ngoka ta dhiladhila kutya okwa thikama, na kotoke, kaa gwile po. 13 Emakelo ndyoka lye mu adha, olyo tuu ndyoka hali adha aantu ayehe, Kalunga oku shi kwiinekelwa. Onkee ite mu ethele memakelo li vule oonkondo dheni. Ihe ngele ta pitika, mu makelwe, ote mu pe ompito okuza mo mulyo noonkondo dhoku li humbata.
14 Onkee ano, ookuume aaholike, inamu simaneka iikalunga. 15 Otandi popi, ngaashi tandi lombwele aantu aanandunge; tokoleni ne yene okupopya kwandje. 16 Oshitenga shomayambeko shono hatu hambelelele Kalunga nohatu shi nu nokupaathana, ihatu nu nani ombinzi yaKristus? Noshikwiila shono hatu topola, ihatu topolelathana nani olutu lwaKristus, uuna tatu shi li? 17 Sho hatu li oshikwiila shimwe ashike, nonando otu li oyendji, otashi ulike kutya otse olutu lumwe, oshoka ohatu li oshikwiila shimwe.
18 Ipuleni, Aaisraeli mboka ya pitikwa okulya momayambo ngoka taga etelwa Kalunga, oye na ekwatathano neyambelo. 19 Onda hala okutya shike? Oshikalunga shoshene niikulya mbyoka tashi etelwa, otayi tu kwatha tuu sha? 20 Aawe, itayi kwatha sha. Onda hala okutya: omayambo ngoka taga yambelwa pomayambelo gopashipagani, itaga pewa Kalunga, ihe otaga pewa oombepo dhoompwidhuli. Ihe ngame inandi hala, mu kale mu na uukumwe noompwidhuli. 21 Itashi vulika, mu nwe moshitenga shOmuwa e tamu ka nwa ishewe moshitenga shoompwidhuli. Nenge mu lye koshililo shOmuwa e tamu ka lya ishewe koshililo shoompwidhuli. 22 Nenge otwa hala okugeyitha Omuwa? Otu na tuu oonkondo dhi vule dhe?
23 Aantu yamwe otaa dhiladhila kutya oya pitikwa okuninga shaa shoka ye shi hala. Eeno osho, ihe haayihe iiwanawa. Ayihe otayi vulika okuningwa, ihe haayihe tayi kwatha. 24 Inaku kala nando omuntu ta longo owala shoka she mu opalela, ihe na tale wo shoka tashi opalele mukwawo.
25 Ne omwa pitikwa okulya ashihe tashi landithwa puutomeno, itamu pumbwa okupula sha omolweiyuvo lyeni. 26 Oshoka nenyolo wo otali ti: “Evi alihe olyOmuwa nakehe shoka shi li mo.”
27 Omuntu kee shi omwiitaali ngele te ku ithana, u lye koshililo pamwe naye, nowa tokola oku shi ninga, lya ashihe shoka to pewa. Ito pumbwa okupula sha omolweiyuvo lyoye. 28 Ihe uuna to lombwelwa taku tiwa: “Iikulya mbika oya yambelwa iikalunga,” ino lya iikulya ya tya ngaaka omolweiyuvo lyaangoka e ku lombwele nolyoye mwene. 29 Shoka shi na oshilonga mpaka, kashi shi eiyuvo lyoye mwene, ihe olyamukweni.
Omuntu gumwe ota vulu okupula ta ti: “Omolwashike okukala kwandje ku na okupangelwa keiyuvo lyamukwetu? 30 Ngele ohandi hambelele Kalunga molwiikulya yandje, omolwashike ndi na okupewa uusama molwiikulya handi yi hambelelele Kalunga?”
31 Onkee ano mwaashihe shoka tamu ningi, ngele tamu li nenge tamu nu, longeni ayihe nokusimanekitha Kalunga. 32 Kotokeni, mwaa pukithe Aajuda naapagani nenge egongalo lyaKalunga. 33 Holelii ndje. Ngame itandi landula nando shoka sho opalela ndje, ihe ooshoka sho opalela yakwetu ayehe, ya hupithwe.
