Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

10 For ^(A)I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all ^(B)under the cloud and all ^(C)passed through the sea; ² and all were ^(D)baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ and all ^(E)ate the same spiritual food; ⁴ and all ^(F)drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was ^[a]Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for ^(G)they were laid low in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things happened as ^(H)examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as ^(I)they also craved. ⁷ Do not be ^(J)idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “^(K)The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to ^(L)play.” ⁸ Nor let us act immorally, as ^(M)some of them ^[b]did, and ^(N)twenty-three thousand fell in one day. ⁹ Nor let us try the Lord, as ^(O)some of them ^[c]did, and were destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰ Nor ^(P)grumble, as some of them ^[d]did, and ^(Q)were destroyed by the ^(R)destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an ^(S)example, and ^(T)they were written for our instruction, upon whom ^(U)the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let him who ^(V)thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and ^(W)God is faithful, who will not allow you to be ^(X)tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Therefore, my ^(Y)beloved, flee from ^(Z)idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the ^(AA)cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the ^[e](AB)bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Since there is one ^[f]bread, we ^(AC)who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one ^[g]bread. ¹⁸ Look at ^[h]the nation ^(AD)Israel; are not those who ^(AE)eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or ^(AF)that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they ^(AG)sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. ^21 (AH)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(AI)the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(AJ)provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not ^(AK)stronger than He, are we?

^23 (AL)All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things ^(AM)edify. ²⁴ Let no one ^(AN)seek his own good, but that of his ^[i]neighbor. ^25 (AO)Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; ^26 (AP)for the earth is the Lord’s, and ^[j]all it contains. ²⁷ If ^(AQ)one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, ^(AR)eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But ^(AS)if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; ²⁹ I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for ^(AT)why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, ^(AU)why am I slandered concerning that for which I ^(AV)give thanks?

³¹ Whether, then, you eat or drink or ^(AW)whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (AX)Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to ^(AY)the church of God; ³³ just as I also ^(AZ)please all men in all things, ^(BA)not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, ^(BB)so that they may be saved.

A Little Foolishness

10 Dead flies make a ^(A)perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. ² A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish ^(B)man’s heart directs him toward the left. ³ Even when the fool walks along the road, his ^[a]sense is lacking and he ^[b](C)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. ⁴ If the ruler’s ^[c]temper rises against you, ^(D)do not abandon your position, because ^(E)composure allays great offenses.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— ^6 (F)folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. ⁷ I have seen ^(G)slaves riding ^(H)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

^8 (I)He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a ^(J)serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. ⁹ He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. ¹⁰ If the ^[d]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must ^[e]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. ¹¹ If the serpent bites ^[f](K)before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. ^12 (L)Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a ^(M)fool consume him; ¹³ the beginning of ^[g]his talking is folly and the end of ^[h]it is wicked ^(N)madness. ¹⁴ Yet the ^(O)fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him ^(P)what will come after him? ¹⁵ The toil of ^[i]a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. ¹⁶ Woe to you, O land, whose ^(Q)king is a lad and whose princes ^[j]feast in the morning. ¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for ^(R)drunkenness. ¹⁸ Through ^(S)indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. ¹⁹ Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and ^(T)wine makes life merry, and ^(U)money ^[k]is the answer to everything. ²⁰ Furthermore, ^(V)in your bedchamber do not ^(W)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.