1And, my Brethren, I would have you know, that our fathers were all of them under the cloud, and they all passed through the sea; 2and they were all baptized by Moses, in the cloud and in the sea; 3and they all ate the same spiritual food; 4and they all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that attended them, and that rock was the Messiah. 5But with a multitude of them, God was not pleased; for they fell in the wilderness. 6Now these things were an example for us, that we should not hanker after evil things as they hankered. 7Neither should we serve idols, as some of them served; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to sport. 8Neither let us commit whoredom, as some of them committed; and there fell in one day twenty and three thousand. 9Neither let us tempt the Messiah, as some of them tempted; and serpents destroyed them. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured; and they perished by the destroyer. 11All these things which befell them, were for an example to us; and they are written for our instruction, on whom the end of the world hath come. 12Wherefore, let him who thinketh he standeth, beware lest he fall. 13No trial cometh on you, but what pertaineth to men: and God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tried beyond your ability, but will make an issue to your trial, that ye may be able to sustain it. 14Wherefore, my Beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to the wise; judge ye what I say. 16The cup of thanksgiving which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of the Messiah? And the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of the Messiah? 17As therefore that bread is one, so we are all one body; for we all take to ourselves from that one bread. 18Behold the Israel who are in the flesh; are not they who eat the victims, participators of the altar? 19What then do I say? That an idol is any thing? Or, that an idol's sacrifice is any thing? No. 20But that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. And I would not, that ye should be associates of demons. 21Ye cannot drink the cup of our Lord, and the cup of demons; and ye cannot be partakers at the table of our Lord, and at the table of demons. 22Or, would we sedulously provoke our Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 23Every thing is in my power; but every thing is not profitable. Every thing is in my power; but every thing doth not edify. 24Let no one seek his own things, but also the things of his fellow-man. 25Whatever is sold in the flesh-market, eat ye, without an inquiry on account of conscience: 26for the earth is the Lord's, in its fullness. 27And if one of the Gentiles invite you, and ye are disposed to go, eat ye whatever is set before you, without an inquiry on account of conscience. 28But if any one shall say to you, This pertaineth to a sacrifice; eat not, for the sake of him who told you, and for conscience's sake. 29The conscience I speak of, is not your own, but his who told you. But why is my liberty judged of, by the conscience of others? 30If I by grace partake, why am I reproached for that, for which I give thanks? 31If therefore ye eat, or if ye drink, or if ye do any thing, do all things for the glory of God. 32Be ye without offence to the Jews, and to the Gentiles, and to the church of God: 33even as I also, in every thing, please every man; and do not seek what is profitable to me, but what is profitable to many; that they may live.