² The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.^(A)

¹⁷ but they did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted^(A) themselves with other gods, bowing down to them. They quickly turned from the way^(B) of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. They did not do as their ancestors did.

⁴ About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,”^[a] and that “there is no God but one.”^(A)

⁷ However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

¹⁰ For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged^[a] to eat food offered to idols?