1 Corinthians 9:24-10:12

New American Standard Bible

^24 (A)Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives ^(B)the prize? ^(C)Run in such a way that you may win. ²⁵ Everyone who ^(D)competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable ^(E)wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ Therefore I ^(F)run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as ^[a]to avoid ^(G)hitting air; ²⁷ but I strictly discipline ^(H)my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

10 For ^(I)I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all ^(J)under the cloud and they all ^(K)passed through the sea; ² and they all were ^(L)baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ and they all ^(M)ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all ^(N)drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was ^[b]Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased; for their dead bodies were ^(O)spread out in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things happened as ^(P)examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as ^(Q)they indeed craved them. ⁷ Do not be ^(R)idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “^(S)The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to ^(T)play.” ⁸ Nor are we to commit sexual immorality, as ^(U)some of them ^[c]did, and ^(V)twenty-three thousand fell in one day. ⁹ Nor are we to put the Lord to the test, as ^(W)some of them ^[d]did, and were killed by the snakes. ¹⁰ Nor ^(X)grumble, as some of them ^[e]did, and ^(Y)were killed by the ^(Z)destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an ^(AA)example, and ^(AB)they were written for our instruction, upon whom ^(AC)the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let the one who ^(AD)thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.