1 As for the one who is ^oweak in faith, welcome him, but not to ^pquarrel over opinions. 2 ^qOne person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and ^rlet not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 ^sWho are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master¹ that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 ^tOne person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, ^usince he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For ^vnone of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, ^wwe live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord ^xboth of the dead and of the living.

10 ^yWhy do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the ^zjudgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

12 So then each of us will ^bgive an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore ^clet us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a ^dstumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that ^enothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean ^ffor anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are ^gno longer walking in love. ^hBy what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For ⁱthe kingdom of God is ^jnot a matter of eating and drinking ^kbut of righteousness and ^lpeace and ^mjoy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is ⁿacceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us ^opursue what makes for peace and for mutual ^pupbuilding.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. ^qEverything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.³ 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But ^rwhoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. ^sFor whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.⁴

1 We who are strong have an obligation to ^tbear with the failings of the ^uweak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us ^vplease his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For ^wChrist did not please himself, but as it is written, ^x“The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days ^ywas written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to ^zlive in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

8 For I tell you that ^aChrist became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

10 And again it says,

11 And again,

12 And again Isaiah says,

13 May the God of hope fill you with all ^gjoy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,⁵ that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to ^hinstruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of ⁱthe grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus ^jto the Gentiles in the priestly service of the ^kgospel of God, so that ^lthe offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what ^mChrist has accomplished through me to ⁿbring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 ^oby the power of signs and wonders, ^pby the power of the Spirit of God—so that ^qfrom Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, ^rnot where Christ has already been named, lest I ^sbuild on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written,

22 This is the reason why ^uI have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 ^vI hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem ^wbringing aid to the saints. 26 ^xFor Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For ^yif the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,⁶ I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing⁷ of Christ.

30 ^zI appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the ^alove of the Spirit, ^bto ^cstrive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be ^ddelivered from the ^eunbelievers in Judea, and that my service ^ffor Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and ^gbe ^hrefreshed in your company. 33 May the ⁱGod of peace be with you all. Amen.