Passage

1 Corinthians 10.20

Book: 1 Corinthians · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"18. Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar? 19. What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?"

"20. But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons."

"21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. 22. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?" (1 Corinthians 10:18-22, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"18. Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19. What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?"

"20. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you would have fellowship with demons."

"21. You can’t both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. 22. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" (1 Corinthians 10:18-22, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"18. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19. What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?"

"20. But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils."

"21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?" (1 Corinthians 10:18-22, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"18. See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar? 19. what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? --"

"20. [no,] but that the things that the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons."

"21. Ye are not able the cup of the Lord to drink, and the cup of demons; ye are not able of the table of the Lord to partake, and of the table of demons; 22. do we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?" (1 Corinthians 10:18-22, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Paul the Apostle
Audience: Christian believers in Corinth
Location: composed in Ephesus; addressed to Corinth
Time period: composed c. AD 55-56

Theological reading

Key words

G1096 - ginomai, ginomai (Strong's G1096). Also appears in: Matthew 1, Matthew 5.17-18, Matthew 8.16.
G1140 - daimonion, daimonion (Strong's G1140). Also appears in: Matthew 12.28, Mark 3.20-30, Mark 6.
G2316 - theos, theos (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: Matthew 1.23, Matthew 3.16, Matthew 5.9.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.