But I give you one command. You must not eat meat that still has its life (blood) in it.
Acts 15:29 - Easy To Read Version Don’t eat food that has been given to idols. {\cf2\super [320]} \par Don’t eat meat from animals that have been\par strangled (choked) or\par any meat that still has the blood in it.\par Don’t do any kind of sexual sin.\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition That you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from [tasting] blood and from [eating the meat of animals] that have been strangled and from sexual impurity. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell [be strong]! American Standard Version (1901) that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well. Common English Bible refuse food offered to idols, blood, the meat from strangled animals, and sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid such things. Farewell. Catholic Public Domain Version that you abstain from things immolated to idols, and from blood, and from what has been suffocated, and from fornication. You will do well to keep yourselves from these things. Farewell." Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which things keeping yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well. |
But I give you one command. You must not eat meat that still has its life (blood) in it.
Why must you do this? Because, if blood is still in the meat, that animal’s life is still in the meat. So I give this command to the people of Israel: Don’t eat meat that still has blood in it! Any person who eats blood must be separated {from his people}.
Another man said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.”
Instead, we should write a letter to them. We should tell them these things:
Paul left them and said, “I will come back to you again if God wants me to.” And so Paul sailed away from Ephesus.
We have already sent a letter to the non-Jewish believers. The letter said:
The next day the commander decided to learn why the Jews were speaking against Paul. So he commanded the leading priests and the Jewish council to meet together. The commander took Paul’s chains off. Then he brought Paul out and stood Paul before their meeting.
If I needed something when I was with you, I did not trouble any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all that I needed. I did not allow myself to be a burden to you in any way. And I will never be a burden to you.
Now, brothers and sisters, I say good-bye. Try to be perfect. Do the things I have asked you to do. Agree in your minds with each other, and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
But you must not eat the blood. You must pour the blood on the ground like water.
Think carefully before you put your hands on {\cf2\super [32]} any person, \{making him an elder\}. Don’t share in the sins of other people. Keep yourself pure.
The kind of religion (worship) that God accepts is this: caring for orphans {\cf2\super [2]} or widows {\cf2\super [3]} who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world’s \{evil\} influence. This is the kind of religion (worship) that God accepts as pure and good.
Keep yourselves in God’s love. Wait for the Lord Jesus Christ with his mercy to give you life forever.
“But I have a few things against you: You have people there \{in your group\} who follow the teaching of Balaam. Balaam taught Balak how to make the people of Israel {\cf2\super [17]} sin. Those people sinned by eating food offered to idols {\cf2\super [18]} and by doing sexual sins.
But I have this against you: You let that woman named Jezebel do what she wants. She says that she is a prophet. {\cf2\super [22]} But she is leading my people away with her teaching. Jezebel leads my people to do sexual sins and to eat food that is offered to idols. {\cf2\super [23]}