1 I DO not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea

2 and all received baptism in the cloud and in the sea,

3 and all ate the same spiritual food

4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

5 But with the most of them God was not well pleased. For they were strewn in the desert.

6 These things happened as warnings for us, that we may not be eager for evil things as they were eager.

7 Be not idolaters, as some of them were, as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to dance."

8 Nor let us be unchaste, as some of them were and twenty-three thousand fell dead in one day.

9 Nor let us try the patience of the Lord, as some of them tried him and were destroyed by serpents.

10 Nor murmur, as some of them murmured and perished by the destroyer.

11 These things happened to those people as warnings and they were written for the instruction of us to whom the closing events of the ages have come.

12 So let him who thinks that he is standing beware of falling.

13 No trial has taken you but what belongs to human nature. God is faithful and he will not let you be tried beyond your power, but will make, with the trial, a way of escape so that you can endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, shun idolatry.

15 I speak as to thoughtful men. Judge for yourselves what I am saying.

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a fellowship in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a fellowship in the body of Christ?

17 Because there is one bread we though many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

18 Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat of the sacrifice partakers of the altar?

19 What then am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything or that an idol is anything?

20 But I say that what they sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I would not have you become partakers with demons.

21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

22 Or are we arousing the jealousy of the Lord? Are we stronger than he?

23 All things are lawful, but not all are beneficial. All things are lawful, but not all build up character.

24 Let no one seek his own interest, but the interest of others.

25 Everything that is sold in market eat, raising no questions of conscience.

26 For "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof."

27 If any one of the unbelievers invites you and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, raising no questions of conscience.

28 But if any one says to you, "This is meat that has been sacrificed," do not eat, for the sake of him who mentioned it and for conscience' sake \'97

29 conscience, I say, not yours, but the other man's. For why is my liberty judged by the conscience of another?

30 If I partake with thanksgiving, why am I denounced for that for which I give thanks?

31 Therefore, if you eat or if you drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

32 Cause no offense either to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God,

33 as I also in all things accommodate myself to all men, not seeking my own interest but that of the many, in order that they may be saved.