1 Corinthians, 1

1. Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and Sosthenes, our brother,

1. Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sos'thenes,

2. to the church of God in Corinth, to those who have been consecrated in Christ Jesus and called to be God's holy people, with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord as well as ours.

2. To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. I am continually thanking God about you, for the grace of God which you have been given in Christ Jesus;

4. I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

5. in him you have been richly endowed in every kind of utterance and knowledge;

5. that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge --

6. so firmly has witness to Christ taken root in you.

6. even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you --

7. And so you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed;

7. so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

8. he will continue to give you strength till the very end, so that you will be irreproachable on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8. who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9. You can rely on God, who has called you to be partners with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

9. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

10. Brothers, I urge you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, not to have factions among yourselves but all to be in agreement in what you profess; so that you are perfectly united in your beliefs and judgements.

10. I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

11. From what Chloe's people have been telling me about you, brothers, it is clear that there are serious differences among you.

11. For it has been reported to me by Chlo'e's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren.

12. What I mean is this: every one of you is declaring, 'I belong to Paul,' or 'I belong to Apollos,' or 'I belong to Cephas,' or 'I belong to Christ.'

12. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apol'los," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ."

13. Has Christ been split up? Was it Paul that was crucified for you, or was it in Paul's name that you were baptised?

13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14. I am thankful I did not baptise any of you, except Crispus and Gaius,

14. I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Ga'ius;

15. so that no one can say that you were baptised in my name.

15. lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name.

16. Yes, I did baptise the family of Stephanas, too; but besides these I do not think I baptised anyone.

16. (I did baptize also the household of Steph'anas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.)

17. After all, Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel; and not by means of wisdom of language, wise words which would make the cross of Christ pointless.

17. For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18. The message of the cross is folly for those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God.

18. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19. As scripture says: I am going to destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of any who understand.

19. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart."

20. Where are the philosophers? Where are the experts? And where are the debaters of this age? Do you not see how God has shown up human wisdom as folly?

20. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21. Since in the wisdom of God the world was unable to recognise God through wisdom, it was God's own pleasure to save believers through the folly of the gospel.

21. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

22. While the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom,

22. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

23. we are preaching a crucified Christ: to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the gentiles foolishness,

23. but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,

24. but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is both the power of God and the wisdom of God.

24. but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25. God's folly is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

25. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26. Consider, brothers, how you were called; not many of you are wise by human standards, not many influential, not many from noble families.

26. For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth;

27. No, God chose those who by human standards are fools to shame the wise; he chose those who by human standards are weak to shame the strong,

27. but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong,

28. those who by human standards are common and contemptible -- indeed those who count for nothing -- to reduce to nothing all those that do count for something,

28. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

29. so that no human being might feel boastful before God.

29. so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

30. It is by him that you exist in Christ Jesus, who for us was made wisdom from God, and saving justice and holiness and redemption.

30. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption;

31. As scripture says: If anyone wants to boast, let him boast of the Lord.

31. therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord."