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

And 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,

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

And 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.

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

For 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,

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

That He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold,

5 a nd that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve;

And that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the Twelve.

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

Then 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.

7 t hen he appeared to James; then to all the apostles;

Afterward He was seen by James, then by all the apostles (the special messengers),

8 a nd last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.

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

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

For 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.

10 B ut 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.

But 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.

11 W hether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

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

12 N ow 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?

But 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?

13 B ut if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen;

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

And 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).

15 Y ea, 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.

We 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.

16 F or if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised:

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised;

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

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

18 T hen they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

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

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

If 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.

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

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

21 F or since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For since through a man that death also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead.

22 F or as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

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

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

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

24 T hen 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.

After 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.

25 F or he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.

For must be King and reign until He has put all enemies under His feet.

26 T he last enemy that shall be abolished is death.

The last enemy to be subdued and abolished is death.

27 F or, 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.

For 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.

28 A nd 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.

However, 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.

29 E lse 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?

Otherwise, 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?

30 W hy do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

why do I live in peril every hour?

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

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

32 I f 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.

What 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.

33 B e not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.

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

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

Awake '> 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.

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

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

36 T hou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:

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

37 a nd 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;

Nor 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.

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

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

39 A ll 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.

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

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

There 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.

41 T here 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.

The 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.

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

So 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).

43 i t is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

It 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.

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

It 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.

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

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

46 H owbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.

But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual.

47 T he first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.

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

48 A s is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

Now 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).

49 A nd as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

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

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

But 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).

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

Take 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)

52 i n 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.

In 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).

53 F or this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

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

54 B ut 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.

And 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.

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

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

56 T he sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:

Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power through the Law.

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

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

58 W herefore, 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.

Therefore, 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.