Romans 14 - International Children’s Bible (ICB)

Do Not Criticize Other People

14 Do not refuse to accept into your group someone who is weak in faith. And do not argue with him about opinions. 2 One person believes that he can eat all kinds of food.[a] But if another man’s faith is weak, then he believes he can eat only vegetables. 3 The one who knows that he can eat any kind of food must not feel that he is better than the one who eats only vegetables. And the person who eats only vegetables must not think that the one who eats all foods is wrong. God has accepted him. 4 You cannot judge another man’s servant. His own master decides if he is doing well or not. And the Lord’s servant will do well because the Lord helps him do well.

5 One person thinks that one day is more important than another. And someone else thinks that every day is the same. Each one should be sure in his own mind. 6 The person who thinks one day is more important than other days is doing that for the Lord. And the one who eats all kinds of food is doing that for the Lord. Yes, he gives thanks to God for that food. And the man who refuses to eat some foods does that for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For we do not live or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, we are living for the Lord. And if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord.

9 That is why Christ died and rose from death to live again. He did this so that he would be Lord over both the dead and the living. 10 So why do you judge your brother in Christ? And why do you think that you are better than he is? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all. 11 Yes, it is written in the Scriptures:

“Everyone will bow before me;
everyone will say that I am God.
As surely as I live, these things will happen, says the Lord.” Isaiah 45:23

12 So each of us will have to answer to God for what he has done.

Do Not Cause Others to Sin

13 So we should stop judging each other. We must make up our minds not to do anything that will make a Christian brother sin. 14 I am in the Lord Jesus, and I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. But if a person believes that something is wrong, then that thing is wrong for him. 15 If you hurt your brother’s faith because of something you eat, then you are not really following the way of love. Do not destroy his faith by eating food that he thinks is wrong. Christ died for him. 16 Do not allow what you think is good to become what others say is evil. 17 In the kingdom of God, eating and drinking are not important. The important things are living right with God, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Anyone who serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God and will be accepted by other people.

19 So let us try to do what makes peace and helps one another. 20 Do not let the eating of food destroy the work of God. All foods are all right to eat, but it is wrong to eat food that causes someone else to sin. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that will cause your brother to sin.

22 Your beliefs about these things should be kept secret between you and God. A person is blessed if he can do what he thinks is right without feeling guilty. 23 But if he eats something without being sure that it is right, then he is wrong because he did not believe that it was right. And if he does anything without believing that it is right, then it is a sin.

Footnotes

  1. 14:2 all . . . food The Jewish law said there were some foods Jews should not eat. When Jews became Christians, some of them did not understand they could now eat all foods.

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Romans 14 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

14 And him who is weak in the faith receive ye -- not to determinations of reasonings; 2 one doth believe that he may eat all things -- and he who is weak doth eat herbs; 3 let not him who is eating despise him who is not eating: and let not him who is not eating judge him who is eating, for God did...
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Romans 14 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

14 But take ye a frail man in belief, not in deemings of thoughts. [Forsooth take ye a sick man in belief, not in deceptions, or disputations, of thoughts.] 2 For another man believeth, that he may eat all things; but he that is frail [but he that is sick, or unsteadfast], eat worts. 3 He that eat...
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Romans 14 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

14 Be ready to take a person into the church even if he does not know and believe all you believe. Do not judge what he thinks about things. 2 One person believes he may eat anything. Another person, who does not believe that, eats only things that grow in the garden. 3 The one who eats anything mus...
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Romans 14 - World English Bible (WEB)

14 Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. 2 One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are y...
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Romans 14 - The Voice (VOICE)

14 It’s high time that you welcome all people weak in the faith without debating and disputing their opinions. 2 Here’s the issue: One person believes that nothing’s off the menu; he’ll eat any food put before him. But there’s another believer—we’ll call him the weaker—who eats only vegetables becau...
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Romans 14 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Unity in Community14 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of disputes about opinions. 2 One person has faith to eat anything, but the weak eats only vegetables. 3 Don’t let the one who eats disparage the one who does not eat, and don’t let the one who does not eat judge...
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Romans 14 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Do Not Judge Another14 As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions.[a] 2 One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; ...
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Romans 14 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Do Not Judge Another14 As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. 2 One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for...
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Romans 14 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

14 Receive the one who is weak in the faith, but not for passing judgment on his reasoning. 2 One believes that he may eat all things. And another, who is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 Do not let the one who eats treat the one who does not eat with contempt. And do not let the one who does not eat j...
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Romans 14 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

The Weak and the Strong14 Welcome someone who is weak in faith, but not in order to have disputes on difficult points. 2 One person believes it is all right to eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats should not despise the one who does not, and the one who does...
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Romans 14 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Do Not Judge Another14 Welcome those who are weak in faith,[a] but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who...
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Romans 14 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Do Not Judge Another14 Welcome those who are weak in faith[a] but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.(A)2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.(B)3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who ...
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Romans 14 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

The weak ought not to be held in disdain. No person should occasion harm to another’s conscience. Again, no one should condemn another for outward things. 14 Him who is weak in the faith, receive to yourselves – not in disputing and troubling his conscience. 2 One believes that he may eat all thing...
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Romans 14 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Danger of Criticism14 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel f...
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Romans 14 - New Life Version (NLV)

14 If there is someone whose faith is weak, be kind and receive him. Do not argue about what he thinks. 2 One man believes he may eat everything. Another man with weak faith eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything should not think he is better than the one who eats only vegetables. The...
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Romans 14 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Law of Liberty14 Receive(A) one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he (B)may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and (C)let not him who does not eat judge him who eats;...
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