1 Corinthians 6
Paul rebukes believers for taking disputes before unbelieving judges instead of settling them within the church. He warns that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God and declares that the body is the temple of the Holy Ghost — therefore they must flee fornication and glorify God in their body.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? | When any of You has a dispute with another, how dare You take it before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? |
| 2 | Do 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 will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by You, are You not competent to judge trivial matters? |
| 3 | Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? | Do You not know that we will judge angels? How much more, then, things of this life! |
| 4 | If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. | If You have disputes about such matters, why do You appoint as judges those who are of no standing in the church? |
| 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 brethren? | I say this to shame You. Is there really no one among you wise enough to judge between his brothers? |
| 6 | But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. | Instead, one brother takes another to court — and this before unbelievers! |
| 7 | Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? | The very fact that You have lawsuits among yourselves is already a failure. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? |
| 8 | Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. | Instead, You yourselves wrong and cheat — and You do this to Your brothers! |
| 9 | Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, | Do You not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, |
| 10 | Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. | nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. |
| 11 | And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. | Such were some of You. But You were washed, You were sanctified, You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by 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. | "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be mastered by anything. |
| 13 | Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: 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 is for the stomach and the stomach for food," and God will do away with both. But the body is not for sexual immorality — it is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. |
| 14 | And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. | God raised the Lord and will also raise us by His power. |
| 15 | Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. | Do You not know that Your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and join them to a prostitute? Not at all! |
| 16 | What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. | Do You not know that He who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? "The two," He says, "will become one flesh." |
| 17 | But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. | But He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. |
| 18 | Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. | Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. |
| 19 | What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? | Do You not know that Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost Who is in You, whom You have from God? You are not Your own, |
| 20 | For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. | for You were bought with a price. So glorify God in Your body and in Your spirit, which are God's. |