1 A nd now let me remind you, brethren, of the Gospel (the glad tidings of salvation) which I proclaimed to you, which you welcomed and accepted and upon which your faith rests,

Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand,

2 A nd by which you are saved, if you hold fast and keep firmly what I preached to you, unless you believed at first without effect and all for nothing.

by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.

3 F or I passed on to you first of all what I also had received, that Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 T hat He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold,

and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures;

5 A nd that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the Twelve.

and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve;

6 T hen later He showed Himself to more than five hundred brethren at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.

then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep;

7 A fterward He was seen by James, then by all the apostles (the special messengers),

then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles;

8 A nd last of all He appeared to me also, as to one prematurely and born dead '> no better than an unperfected fetus among living men].

and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.

9 F or I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit or deserving to be called an apostle, because I once wronged and pursued and molested the church of God.

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10 B ut by the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them, though it was not really I, but the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God which was with me.

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

11 S o, whether then it was I or they, this is what we preach and this is what you believed.

Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

12 B ut now if Christ (the Messiah) is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 B ut if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen;

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:

14 A nd if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is devoid of truth and is fruitless (without effect, empty, imaginary, and unfounded).

and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.

15 W e are even discovered to be misrepresenting God, for we testified of Him that He raised Christ, Whom He did not raise in case it is true that the dead are not raised.

Yea, we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised.

16 F or if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised;

For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised:

17 A nd if Christ has not been raised, your faith is mere delusion, and you are still in your sins;

and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 A nd further, those who have died in '> spiritual fellowship and union with] Christ have perished (are lost)!

Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19 I f we who are in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.

If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

20 B ut the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.

21 F or since through a man that death also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 F or just as '> union of nature] in Adam all people die, so also '> union of nature] shall all in Christ be made alive.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 B ut each in his own rank and turn: Christ (the Messiah) the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s at His coming.

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming.

24 A fter that comes the end (the completion), when He delivers over the kingdom to God the Father after rendering inoperative and abolishing every rule and every authority and power.

Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

25 F or must be King and reign until He has put all enemies under His feet.

For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.

26 T he last enemy to be subdued and abolished is death.

The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.

27 F or He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when it says, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that He is excepted Who does the subjecting of all things to Him.

For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him.

28 H owever, when everything is subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also subject Himself to Who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.

And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.

29 O therwise, what do people mean by being baptized in behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?

Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

30 w hy do I live in peril every hour?

Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

31 b y the pride which I have in you in '> fellowship and union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily.

I protest by that glorifying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

32 W hat do I gain if, merely from the human point of view, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will be dead.

If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

33 D o not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.

Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.

34 A wake '> from your drunken stupor and return] to sober sense and your right minds, and sin no more. For some of you have not the knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak this to move you to shame.

35 B ut someone will say, How can the dead be raised? With what body will they come forth?

But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?

36 Y ou foolish man! Every time you plant seed, you sow something that does not come to life unless it dies first.

Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:

37 N or is the seed you sow then the body which it is going to have, but it is a naked kernel, perhaps of wheat or some of the rest of the grains.

and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind;

38 B ut God gives to it the body that He plans and sees fit, and to each kind of seed a body of its own.

but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

39 F or all flesh is not the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish.

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes.

40 T here are heavenly bodies (sun, moon, and stars) and there are earthly bodies (men, animals, and plants), but the beauty and glory of the heavenly bodies is of one kind, while the beauty and glory of earthly bodies is a different kind.

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 T he sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own way; for one star differs from and surpasses another in its beauty and brilliance.

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 S o it is with the resurrection of the dead. that is sown is perishable and decays, but that is resurrected is imperishable (immune to decay, immortal).

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 I t is sown in dishonor and humiliation; it is raised in honor and glory. It is sown in infirmity and weakness; it is resurrected in strength and endued with power.

it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 I t is sown a natural (physical) body; it is raised a supernatural (a spiritual) body. there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.

it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

45 T hus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit.

So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

46 B ut it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual.

Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.

47 T he first man from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man the Lord from out of heaven.

The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.

48 N ow those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is from heaven, so also who are of heaven (heavenly-minded).

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 A nd just as we have borne the image of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image of heaven.

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 B ut I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit or share in the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or share in the imperishable (the immortal).

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 T ake notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed (transformed)

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 I n a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed).

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 F or this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality (freedom from death).

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 A nd when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory.

But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?

56 N ow sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power through the Law.

The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:

57 B ut thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 T herefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.