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,

¶ Moreover, brothers, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received and in which 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 being saved if ye retain the word that I preached unto you, unless ye have 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 I also received: how 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 rose again 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 and 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.

after that, he appeared unto more than five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain unto now, but some are fallen asleep.

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

After that, he appeared unto 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 he appeared unto me also, as of one born out of due time.

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, for I am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the congregation 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 towards me was not in vain, for I laboured 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.

Therefore, whether it were 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 the Christ is preached that rose 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, then neither is Christ risen;

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 is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also 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.

And we are even found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up the Christ, whom he did not raise up, if it so be that the dead do not rise.

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

For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not raised either;

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

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

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

Then those also who are fallen asleep in Christ are 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 in this life only we have existence in Christ, we are the most miserable of all men.

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 Christ is risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of those that slept.

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

For since by a man came death, by a 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, even so in the 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 one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward, those 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 comes the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down 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 until he has put all enemies under his feet.

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

The last enemy that shall be destroyed 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 has put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is clear that he is excepted, who did put all things under 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 shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also subject himself unto him that put all things under 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 who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

30 w hy do I live in peril every hour?

And why do we 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 die daily to stay in the glory of having taught you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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 have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what does it advantage me, if the dead do not rise? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow 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 companions corrupt good character.

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.

Watch diligently, and sin not; for some do not know God: I speak this to your shame.

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

¶ But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what 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 fool, that which thou sowest is not brought to life, unless it dies first;

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 bare grain: it may be of wheat or of some other grain;

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 gives it a body as it has pleased him, and to each seed its own body.

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 kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

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 heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the heavenly glory is one thing, and the earthly glory 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.

One thing is the glory of the sun, and another the glory of the moon, and another the glory of the stars; for one star differs 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 shall be 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 dishonour, it shall be raised with glory; it is sown in weakness, it shall be raised with 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 shall be raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is 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.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a life-giving Spirit.

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

Howbeit the spiritual is not first, but the natural; and afterward, 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 the Lord 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 those also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such also are those 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, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does 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 show you a mystery: We shall all indeed be raised, but we shall not 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 trumpet, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised without corruption, 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.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the word 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 sting? O Hades, where is thy victory?

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 gives 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.

¶ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.