1 Corinthians 10:21

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and then go drink a cup that honors demons. You cannot share a meal at the Lord's table and then go share a meal that honors demons.

Revised Standard Version
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ye canot drincke of the cup of the lorde and of yt cup of ye deuyls. Ye cnanot be partetakers of the lordes table and of the table of deuelles.

Hebrew Names Version
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.

International Standard Version
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons.Deuteronomy 32:38; 2 Corinthians 6:15-16;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

New Century Version
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons also. You cannot share in the Lord's table and the table of demons.

Update Bible Version
You can't drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: you can't partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of demons.

English Standard Version
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

World English Bible
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.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and the table of devils.

Weymouth's New Testament
You cannot drink the Lord's cup and the cup of demons: you cannot be joint-partakers both in the table of the Lord and in the table of demons.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
ye moun not be parteneris of the boord of the Lord, and of the bord of feendis.

English Revised Version
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of devils.

Berean Standard Bible
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

Contemporary English Version
You cannot drink from the cup of demons and still drink from the Lord's cup. You cannot eat at the table of demons and still eat at the Lord's table.

Amplified Bible
You cannot drink [both] the Lord's cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord's table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them].

American Standard Version
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.

Bible in Basic English
It is not possible for you, at the same time, to take the cup of the Lord and the cup of evil spirits; you may not take part in the table of the Lord and the table of evil spirits.

Complete Jewish Bible
You can't drink both a cup of the Lord and a cup of demons, you can't partake in both a meal of the Lord and a meal of demons.

Darby Translation
Ye cannot drink [the] Lord's cup, and [the] cup of demons: ye cannot partake of [the] Lord's table, and of [the] table of demons.

Etheridge Translation
You cannot drink the cup of our Lord, and the cup of demons; and you cannot participate in the table of our Lord, and in the table of demons.

Murdock Translation
Ye cannot drink the cup of our Lord, and the cup of demons; and ye cannot be partakers at the table of our Lord, and at the table of demons.

King James Version (1611)
Yee cannot drinke the cup of the Lord, and the cup of deuils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table, and of the table of deuils.

New Living Translation
You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord's Table and at the table of demons, too.

New Life Bible
You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the Lord's table and at the demon's table.

New Revised Standard
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Ye can not drinke the cup of the Lord, and the cup of the deuils. Ye can not be partakers of the Lords table, and of the table of the deuils.

George Lamsa Translation
You cannot drink the cup of our LORD, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of our LORD and of the table of devils.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ye cannot be drinking - a cup of the Lord, and a cup of demons; ye cannot be partaking of, a table of the Lord, and a table of demons.

Douay-Rheims Bible
You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the table of devils.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye can not drynke ye cup of the Lorde, and the cup of deuils. Ye can not be partakers of the Lordes table, and of the table of deuyls.

Good News Translation
You cannot drink from the Lord's cup and also from the cup of demons; you cannot eat at the Lord's table and also at the table of demons.

Christian Standard Bible®
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Literal Translation
you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and a cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and a table of demons.

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ye can not drynke of the cuppe of the LORDE and of the cuppe of the deuels. Ye can not be partakers of the LORDES table, and of the table of deuels.

Mace New Testament (1729)
you should not drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: you should not be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of demons.

New English Translation
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

New King James Version
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You cannot drink from the cup of Jesus and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot share the table of Jesus and the table of demons.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Legacy Standard Bible
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵I assume I'm addressing believers now who are mature. Draw your own conclusions: When we drink the cup of blessing, aren't we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn't it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don't we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ? Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-ness—Christ doesn't become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. We don't reduce Christ to what we are; he raises us to what he is. That's basically what happened even in old Israel—those who ate the sacrifices offered on God's altar entered into God's action at the altar. ¹⁹Do you see the difference? Sacrifices offered to idols are offered to nothing, for what's the idol but a nothing? Or worse than nothing, a minus, a demon! I don't want you to become part of something that reduces you to less than yourself. And you can't have it both ways, banqueting with the Master one day and slumming with demons the next. Besides, the Master won't put up with it. He wants us—all or nothing. Do you think you can get off with anything less?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cannot drink: 1 Corinthians 10:16, 1 Corinthians 8:10, Deuteronomy 32:37, Deuteronomy 32:38, 1 Kings 18:21, Matthew 6:24, 2 Corinthians 6:15-17

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:12 - Aaron Exodus 20:23 - General Exodus 34:15 - eat Leviticus 3:11 - the food Leviticus 11:40 - eateth 1 Kings 7:48 - the table 2 Chronicles 4:8 - ten tables 2 Chronicles 11:15 - for the devils Psalms 86:11 - unite Psalms 116:13 - I will take Isaiah 65:11 - prepare Jeremiah 44:8 - ye provoke Ezekiel 8:3 - provoketh Ezekiel 41:22 - This is Hosea 3:1 - love flagons Amos 2:8 - by Malachi 1:7 - The table Matthew 4:9 - if John 7:37 - drink Acts 2:42 - in breaking 1 Corinthians 10:14 - flee 1 Corinthians 10:17 - that 1 Corinthians 11:27 - whosoever 2 Corinthians 6:14 - for Ephesians 5:11 - no Revelation 9:20 - worship Revelation 21:8 - and idolaters

Cross-References

Genesis 10:26
Joktan had Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab—all sons of Joktan. Their land goes from Mesha toward Sephar as far as the mountain ranges in the east.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils,.... Not only they ought not, but they could not rightly, truly, and really drink the cup of wine in the Lord's supper, in the true faith of Christ's bloodshed, and his sacrifice offered up for them, in remembrance of his love, and to the honour of his name; and also the cup of wine of libations, poured out and drank to the honour of the Heathen deities; these things are utterly inconsistent; no man can serve two masters, God and mammon, or God and Baal; nor is there any concord between Christ and Belial, or agreement between the temple of God and idols:

ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils; no man can spiritually, however he may externally partake of the entertainment provided, on the table of the Lord, at his supper instituted and kept in commemoration of him; and also with gust and pleasure, and without any concern for the peace of weak minds, and the honour of God, eat things set upon a table in an idol's temple, and before the idol, and as sacrificed unto it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord ... - This does not mean that they had no physical ability to do this, or that it was a natural impossibility; for they certainly had power to do it. But it must mean that they could not “consistently” do it. It was not fit, proper, decent. They were solemnly bound to serve and obey Christ, they had devoted themselves to him, and they could not, consistently with these obligations, join in the worship of demons. This is a striking instance in which the word “cannot” is used to denote not natural but moral inability.

And the cup of devils - Demons; 1 Corinthians 10:20. In the feasts in honor of the gods, wine was poured out as a libation, or drank by the worshippers; see Virgil, Aeneas viii. 273. The custom of drinking “toasts” at feasts and celebrations arose from this practice of pouring out wine, or drinking in honor of the pagan gods; and is a practice that still partakes of the nature of paganism. It was one of the abominations of paganism to suppose that their gods would be pleased with the intoxicating drink. Such a pouring out of a libation was usually accompanied with a prayer to the idol god, that he would accept the offering; that he would be propitious; and that he would grant the desire of the worshipper. From that custom the habit of expressing a sentiment, or proposing a toast, uttered in drinking wine, has been derived. The toast or sentiment which now usually accompanies the drinking of a glass in this manner, if it means anything, is now also a “prayer.” But to whom? To the god of wine? To a pagan deity? Can it be supposed that it is a prayer offered to the true God; the God of purity? Has Yahweh directed that prayer should be offered to Him in such a manner? Can it be acceptable to Him? Either the sentiment is unmeaning, or it is a prayer offered to a pagan god, or it is mockery of Yahweh; and in either case it is improper and wicked. And it may as truly be said now of Christians as in the time of Paul. “Ye cannot consistently drink the cup of the Lord at the communion table, and the cup where a prayer is offered to a false god, or to the dead, or to the air; or when, if it means anything, it is a mockery of Jehovah.” Now can a Christian with any more consistency or propriety join in such celebrations, and in such unmeaning or profane libations, than he could go into the temple of an idol, and partake of the idolatrous celebrations there?

And of the table of devils - Demons. It is not needful to the force of this that we should suppose that the word means necessarily evil spirits. They were not God; and to worship them was idolatry. The apostle means that Christians could not consistently join in the worship that was offered to them, or in the feasts celebrated in honor of them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord — It is in vain that you who frequent these idol festivals profess the religion of Christ, and commemorate his death and passion in the holy eucharist; for you can not have that fellowship with Christ which this ordinance implies, while you are partakers of the table of demons. That the Gentiles, in their sacrifices, fed on the slain beasts, and ate bread and drank wine in honour of their gods, is sufficiently clear from various accounts. See my Discourse on the Holy Eucharist, where many examples are produced. The following from Virgil, AEn. viii, verse 179-273, is proof in point:-

Tum lecti juvenes certatim araeque sacerdos

Viscera tosta ferunt taurorum, onerantque canistris

Dona laboratae Cereris, Bacchumque ministrant.

Vescitur AEneas simul et Trojana juventus

Perpetui tergo bovis et lustralibus extis.-----

Quare agite, O juvenes, tantarum in munere laudum,

Cingite fronde comas, et pocula porgite dextris,

Communemque vocate Deum, et date vina volentes.

The loaves were served in canisters; the wine

In bowls; the priests renewed the rites divine:

Broiled entrails are their food, and beef's continued chine

Ye warlike youths, your heads with garlands crown,

Fill high the goblets with a sparkling flood,

And with deep draughts invoke our common god.