1 Corinthians 10

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.

فَإِنِّي لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يَخْفَى عَلَيْكُمْ، أَيُّهَا الأُخْوَةُ أَنَّ آبَاءَنَا كَانُوا كُلُّهُمْ تَحْتَ السَّحَابَةِ، وَاجْتَازُوا كُلُّهُمْ فِي الْبَحْرِ،

They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

فَتَعَمَّدُوا كُلُّهُمْ أَتْبَاعاً لِمُوسَى، فِي السَّحَابَةِ وَفِي الْبَحْرِ،

They all ate the same spiritual food

وَأَكَلُوا كُلُّهُمْ طَعَاماً رُوحِيًّا وَاحِداً،

and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

وَشَرِبُوا كُلُّهُمْ شَرَاباً رُوحِيًّا وَاحِداً، إِذْ شَرِبُوا مِنْ صَخْرَةٍ رُوحِيَّةٍ تَبِعَتْهُمْ، وَقَدْ كَانَتْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةُ هِيَ الْمَسِيحُ.

Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

وَمَعَ ذلِكَ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يَرْتَضِ بِأَكْثَرِهِمْ إِذْ طُرِحُوا قَتْلَى فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ.

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

وَإِنَّمَا حَدَثَتْ هَذِهِ الأُمُورُ لِتَكُونَ مِثَالاً لَنَا، حَتَّى لَا نَشْتَهِيَ أُمُوراً شِرِّيرَةً كَمَا اشْتَهَى أُولئِكَ.

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”^[a]

فَلا تَكُونُوا عَابِدِينَ لِلأَصْنَامِ كَمَا كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ، كَمَا قَدْ كُتِبَ: «جَلَسَ الشَّعْبُ لِلأَكْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ، ثُمَّ قَامُوا لِلرَّقْصِ وَاللَّهْوِ».

We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

وَلا نَرْتَكِبِ الزِّنَا كَمَا فَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ، فَسَقَطَ فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ ثَلاثَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفاً.

We should not test Christ,^[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.

وَلا نُجَرِّبْ الرَّبَّ كَمَا جَرَّبَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ، فَأَهْلَكَتْهُمُ الْحَيَّاتُ.

And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

وَلا تَتَذَمَّرُوا، كَمَا تَذَمَّرَ بَعْضُهُمْ، فَهَلَكُوا عَلَى يَدِ الْمَلاكِ الْمُهْلِكِ.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

فَهَذِهِ الأُمُورُ كُلُّهَا حَدَثَتْ لَهُمْ لِتَكُونَ مِثَالاً، وَقَدْ كُتِبَتْ إِنْذَاراً لَنَا، نَحْنُ الَّذِينَ انْتَهَتْ إِلَيْنَا أَوَاخِرُ الأَزْمِنَةِ.

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

فَمَنْ تَوَهَّمَ أَنَّهُ صَامِدٌ، فَلْيَحْذَرْ أَنْ يَسْقُطَ.

No temptation^[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,^[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

لَمْ يُصِبْكُمْ مِنَ التَّجَارِبِ إِلّا مَا هُوَ بَشَرِيٌّ. وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ أَمِينٌ وَجَدِيرٌ بِالثِّقَةِ، فَلا يَدَعُكُمْ تُجَرَّبُونَ فَوْقَ مَا تُطِيقُونَ، بَلْ يُدَبِّرُ لَكُمْ مَعَ التَّجْرِبَةِ سَبِيلَ الْخُرُوجِ مِنْهَا لِتُطِيقُوا احْتِمَالَهَا.

أعياد الأوثان والعشاء الرباني

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

لِذَلِكَ، يَا أَحِبَّائِي، اهْرُبُوا مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الأَصْنَامِ.

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.

إِنِّي أُكَلِّمُكُمْ كَلامِي لأَذْكِيَاءَ: فَاحْكُمُوا أَنْتُمْ فِي مَا أَقُولُ.

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

أَلَيْسَتْ كَأْسُ الْبَرَكَةِ الَّتِي نُبَارِكُهَا هِيَ شَرِكَةُ دَمِ الْمَسِيحِ؟ أَوَ لَيْسَ رَغِيفُ الْخُبْزِ الَّذِي نَكْسِرُهُ هُوَ الاشْتِرَاكُ فِي جَسَدِ الْمَسِيحِ؟

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

فَإِنَّنَا نَحْنُ الْكَثِيرِينَ رَغِيفٌ وَاحِدٌ، أَيْ جَسَدٌ وَاحِدٌ، لأَنَّنَا جَمِيعاً نَشْتَرِكُ فِي الرَّغِيفِ الْوَاحِدِ.

Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

انْظُرُوا إِلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ بِاعْتِبَارِهِ بَشَراً: أَمَا يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ آكِلِي الذَّبَائِحِ اشْتِرَاكُهُمْ فِي الْمَذْبَحِ؟

Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

فَمَاذَا أَعْنِي إِذَنْ؟ هَلْ مَا ذُبِحَ لِلصَّنَمِ لَهُ قِيمَةٌ أَوْ أَنَّ الصَّنَمَ لَهُ قِيمَةٌ؟

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.

لا، بَلْ أَنَّ مَا يَذْبَحُهُ الْوَثَنِيُّونَ فَإِنَّمَا يَذْبَحُونَهُ لِلشَّيَاطِينِ وَلَيْسَ لِلهِ. وَإِنِّي لَا أُرِيدُ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونُوا مُشْتَرِكِينَ مَعَ الشَّيَاطِينِ.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.

فَلا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ أَنْ تَشْرَبُوا كَأْسَ الرَّبِّ وَكَأْسَ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَعاً، وَلا أَنْ تَشْتَرِكُوا فِي مَائِدَةِ الرَّبِّ وَمَائِدَةِ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَعاً،

Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

The Believer’s Freedom

أَمْ نُحَاوِلُ إِثَارَةَ غَيْرَةَ الرَّبِّ؟ أَوَ نَحْنُ أَقْوَى مِنْهُ؟

حرية المؤمن

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.

كُلُّ شَيْءٍ حَلالٌ، وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ يَنْفَعُ. كَلُّ شَيْءٍ حَلالٌ، وَلكِنْ لَيْسَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ يَبْنِي.

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

فَلا يَسْعَ أَحَدٌ إِلَى مَصْلَحَةِ نَفْسِهِ، بَلْ إِلَى مَصْلَحَةِ غَيْرِهِ!

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,

فَكُلُّ مَا يُبَاعُ فِي السُّوقِ، لَكُمْ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ، دُونَمَا اسْتِفْهَامٍ لإِرْضَاءِ الضَّمِيرِ.

for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”^[f]

فَإِنَّ الأَرْضَ وَكُلَّ مَا فِيهَا لِلرَّبِّ.

If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.

أَمَّا إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَأَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ تُرَافِقُوهُ، فَكُلُوا مِنْ كُلِّ مَا يُقَدِّمُهُ لَكُمْ، دُونَمَا اسْتِفْهَامٍ لإِرْضَاءِ الضَّمِيرِ.

But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.

وَلَكِنْ إِنْ قَالَ لَكُمْ أَحَدٌ: «هَذِهِ ذَبِيحَةٌ مُقَدَّمَةٌ لإِلهٍ»، فَلا تَأْكُلُوا مِنْهَا مُرَاعَاةً لِمَنْ أَخْبَرَكُمْ وَإِرْضَاءً لِلضَّمِيرِ.

I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?

وَبِقَوْلِي «الضَّمِيرِ» لَا أَعْنِي ضَمِيرَكَ أَنْتَ بَلْ ضَمِيرَ الآخَرِ. وَلِمَاذَا يَتَحَكَّمُ ضَمِيرُ غَيْرِي بِحُرِّيَّتِي؟

If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

وَمَادُمْتُ أَتَنَاوَلُ شَيْئاً وَأَشْكُرُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلِمَاذَا يُقَالُ فِيَّ سُوءٌ لأَجْلِ مَا أَشْكُرُ عَلَيْهِ؟

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

فَإِذَا أَكَلْتُمْ أَوْ شَرِبْتُمْ أَوْ مَهْمَا فَعَلْتُمْ، فَافْعَلُوا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ لِتَمْجِيدِ اللهِ.

Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—

لَا تَضَعُوا عَائِقاً يُسَبِّبُ السُّقُوطَ لأَحَدٍ، سَوَاءٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ أَمِ الْيُونَانِيِّينَ أَمْ كَنِيسَةِ اللهِ.

even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

فَهكَذَا أَنَا أَيْضاً أَسْعَى لإِرْضَاءِ الْجَمِيعِ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَلا أَهْتَمُّ بِمَصْلَحَتِي الْخَاصَّةِ، بَلْ بِمَصْلَحَةِ الْكَثِيرِينَ، لِكَيْ يَخْلُصُوا.