1 D are any one of you, having a matter with the other, go to be judged before the unrighteous, 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 h ave ye not known that the saints shall judge the world? and if by you the world is judged, are ye unworthy of the smaller judgments?

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 h ave ye not known that we shall judge messengers? why not then the things of 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 o f the things of life, indeed, then, if ye may have judgment, those despised in the assembly -- these cause ye to sit;

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 u nto your shame I speak: so there is not among you one wise man, not even one, who shall be able to discern in the midst of his brethren!

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 with brother doth go to be judged, and this before unbelievers!

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

7 A lready, indeed, then, there is altogether a fault among you, that ye have judgments with one another; wherefore do ye not rather suffer injustice? wherefore be ye not rather 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 -- ye do injustice, and ye defraud, and these -- brethren!

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

9 h ave ye not known that the unrighteous the reign of God shall not inherit? be not led astray; neither whoremongers, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor sodomites,

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, the reign of God shall inherit.

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 certain of you were these! but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were declared righteous, 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 A ll things are lawful to me, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful to me, but I -- I will not be under authority by 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 t he meats for the belly, and the belly for the meats. And God both this and these shall make useless; and the body not for whoredom, 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 both the Lord did raise, and us will raise up through His power.

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

15 H ave ye not known that your bodies are members of Christ? having taken, then, the members of the Christ, shall I make members of an harlot? let it be not!

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 h ave ye not known that he who is joined to the harlot is one body? `for they shall be -- saith He -- the two for 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 A nd he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit;

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

18 f lee the whoredom; every sin -- whatever a man may commit -- is without the body, and he who is committing whoredom, against his own body doth sin.

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 H ave ye not known that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which ye have from God? and 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 were bought with a price; glorify, then, 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.