1 ¶ And I, brothers, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

However, brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual, but as to nonspiritual, as to mere infants in Christ '> unable to talk yet!]

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with solid food, for until now ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough; but even yet you are not strong enough,

3 F or ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?

For you are still of the flesh. For as long as envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?

4 F or while one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal?

For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not ordinary (unchanged) men?

5 ¶ Who then is Paul? and who is Apollos? but servants by whom ye believed, each one according to that which the Lord gave.

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Ministering servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord appointed to each his task:

6 I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was making it grow and gave the increase.

7 S o then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters, but God that gives the increase.

So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but God Who makes it grow and become greater.

8 N ow he that plants and he that waters are one although each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labor.

9 F or we are labourers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, God’s building.

10 A ccording to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each one see how the building is built.

According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid foundation, and now another is building upon it. But let each be careful how he builds upon it,

11 ¶ For no one can lay another foundation than that laid, which is Jesus the Christ.

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

12 N ow if anyone builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble,

But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13 t he work of each one shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire; the work of each one, whatever sort it is, the fire shall put it to test.

The work of each will become known (shown for what it is); for the day will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done.

14 I f the work of anyone abides which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If the work which any person has built on this Foundation survives, he will get his reward.

15 I f anyone’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

But if any person’s work is burned up, he will suffer the loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 ¶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Do you not discern and understand that you are God’s temple (His sanctuary), and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you '> collectively as a church and also individually]?

17 I f anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy that one; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

If anyone does hurt to God’s temple or corrupts it '> with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that you '> the believing church and its individual believers] are.

18 ¶ Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you seems to be wise in this age, let them become a fool that they may be wise.

Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

19 F or the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness.

For this world’s wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their craftiness;

20 A nd again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the wise and recognizes how futile they are.

21 ¶ Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours;

So let no one exult proudly concerning men, for all things are yours,

22 w hether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all are yours;

Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter), or the universe or life or death, or the immediate and threatening present or the future—all are yours,

23 a nd ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.