1 ¶ Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go unto judgment before the unjust, and not before the saints?

Does any of you dare, when he has a matter of complaint against another, to go to law before unrighteous men instead of before the saints (the people of God)?

2 D o ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Do you not know that the saints (the believers) will judge and govern the world? And if the world is to be judged and ruled by you, are you unworthy and incompetent to try of the smallest courts of justice?

3 K now ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more the things that pertain to this life?

Do you not know also that we are to judge the angels and pronounce opinion between right and wrong ? How much more then matters pertaining to this world and of this life only!

4 I f then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set as judges the most humble who are in the congregation.

If then you do have such cases of everyday life to decide, why do you appoint those who of the church count for least and are without standing?

5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brothers?

I say this to move you to shame. Can it be that there really is not one man among you who is wise and competent enough to decide between members of the brotherhood,

6 B ut brother goes to judgment against brother, and that before the unbelievers.

But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers ?

7 N ow therefore there is certainly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather suffer the wrong? why do ye not rather be defrauded?

Why, the very fact of your having lawsuits with one another at all is a defect (a defeat, an evidence of positive moral loss for you). Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong and be deprived of what is your due? Why not rather be cheated (defrauded and robbed)?

8 B ut ye do wrong and defraud and do this to your brothers.

But yourselves who wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren!

9 ¶ Know ye not that the unjust shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor homosexuals

Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality,

10 n or thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.

11 A nd such were some of you, but now ye are washed, but now ye are sanctified, but now ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and in the Spirit of our God.

And such some of you were. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

12 ¶ All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.

13 F oods are for the belly, and the belly for foods; but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will finally end both and bring them to nothing. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body '> to save, sanctify, and raise it again].

14 A nd God, who raised up the Lord, will also raise up us by his own power.

And God both raised the Lord to life and will also raise us up by His power.

15 K now ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? In no wise.

Do you not see and know that your bodies are members (bodily parts) of Christ (the Messiah)? Am I therefore to take the parts of Christ and make parts of a prostitute? Never! Never!

16 W hat? know ye not that he who is joined to the harlot is one body with her? For they shall be, saith he, two in one flesh.

Or do you not know and realize that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? The two, it is written, shall become one flesh.

17 B ut he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

18 F lee fornication. Any other sin that a man does is outside the body, but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.

Shun immorality and all sexual looseness. Any other sin which a man commits is one outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

19 W hat? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom ye have of God, and that ye are not your own?

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own,

20 F or ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

You were bought with a price '> preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.