King James Bible

New Living Translation

1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.

2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

2It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

3I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.

4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

4He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

5He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.

6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

6After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

7Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

8Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.

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

9For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

10But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

10But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

11So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed. The Resurrection of the Dead

12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

12But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead?

13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

13For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.

14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

14And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.

15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

15And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.

16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

16And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.

17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

17And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.

18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

18In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost!

19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

19And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

20But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

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

21So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man.

22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

22Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.

23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

23But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

24Then cometh 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.

24After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.

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

25For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.

26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

26And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

27For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

27For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.)

28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

28Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

29Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

29If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again?

30And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

30And why should we ourselves risk our lives hour by hour?

31I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

31For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you.

32If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

32And what value was there in fighting wild beasts—those people of Ephesus —if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

33Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

33Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

34Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all. The Resurrection Body

35But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

35But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?”

36Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

36What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first.

37And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

37And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting.

38But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

38Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed.

39All 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.

39Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

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

40There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies.

41There 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.

41The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

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

42It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.

43It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

43Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.

44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

44They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

45The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.

46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

46What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.

47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

47Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven.

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

48Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man.

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

49Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.

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

50What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

51But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!

52In 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.

52It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.

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

53For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

54Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.

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

55O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? ”

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

56For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

57But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.