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 [to be] an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes [our] brother,

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. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

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

3. Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] 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 thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

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

5. That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and [in] all knowledge;

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

6. Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in 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 ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming 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 shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless 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 ye were called unto 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. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in 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 hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the house] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

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. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of 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 ye baptized in the name of Paul?

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

14. I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

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

15. Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

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

16. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

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 sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

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 preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are 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 will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

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? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this 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 after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

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

22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after 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, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

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 unto them which 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. Because 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 ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:

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 hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

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. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

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

29. That no flesh should glory in his presence.

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. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

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

31. That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.