If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people.

我若说，“我要这样讲”，这就是以奸诈待你的众子。

我若说“我要这样讲”，就是愧对这世代的众儿女了。

我若说“我要这样讲”，就是愧对这世代的众儿女了。

要是我这样说，我就是背叛了你的子民。

如果我心里说：“我要说这样的话”，我就是对你这一代的众儿女不忠了。

如果我这样说话，就是对你这一代的儿女背信了。

我若說，我要這樣講，這就是以奸詐待你的眾子。

我若說「我要這樣講」，就是愧對這世代的眾兒女了。

我若說「我要這樣講」，就是愧對這世代的眾兒女了。

要是我這樣說，我就是背叛了你的子民。

如果我心裡說：“我要說這樣的話”，我就是對你這一代的眾兒女不忠了。

我若心裏說：『我要持這言論』，那我就對主你子孫的族類不住了。

如果我這樣說話，就是對你這一代的兒女背信了。

我若自謂必為是言、乃行詐於爾眾子兮、

予言若此、逆上帝眾子兮、

我若如此言論、恐待主之子民不誠實、

我若隨聲和。將遺子孫毒。

If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.

What if I had talked like that? Then I wouldn’t have been faithful to God’s children.

If I had said,“ I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

If I had decided to say these things aloud, I would have betrayed your people.

If I had said,“ I will speak this way,” Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.

If I had said,“ I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

If I had said, I will speak thus; Behold, I had dealt treacherously with the generation of thy children.

If I had decided to say these things aloud, I would have betrayed Your people.

If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend[ against] the generation of thy children.

If I had publicized these thoughts, I would have betrayed your loyal followers.

If I had said,“ I will speak thus”; behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.“ What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude

Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Terror will grip them, for God is with those who obey him.

You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good.

But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.

So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed.And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ.So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live— for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.