1 Corinthians 15

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 I want to make quite clear to you, brothers, what the message of the gospel that I preached to you is;you accepted it and took your stand on it,	1 Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
2 and you are saved by it, if you keep to the message I preached to you; otherwise your coming tobelieve was in vain.	2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 The tradition I handed on to you in the first place, a tradition which I had myself received, was thatChrist died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures,	3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures;
4 and that he was buried; and that on the third day, he was raised to life, in accordance with thescriptures;	4 that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures;
5 and that he appeared to Cephas; and later to the Twelve;	5 that he appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve.
6 and next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom arestill with us, though some have fal en asleep;	6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles.	7 After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 Last of al he appeared to me too, as though I was a child born abnormally.	8 Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and am not real y fit to be called an apostle, because I had beenpersecuting the Church of God;	9 For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 but what I am now, I am through the grace of God, and the grace which was given to me has notbeen wasted. Indeed, I have worked harder than all the others -- not I, but the grace of God which is with me.	10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God (that is) with me.
11 Anyway, whether it was they or I, this is what we preach and what you believed.	11 Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead?	12 But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ cannot have been raised either,	13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised.
14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without substance, and so is your faith.	14 And if Christ has not been raised, then empty (too) is our preaching; empty, too, your faith.
15 What is more, we have proved to be false witnesses to God, for testifying against God that he raisedChrist to life when he did not raise him -- if it is true that the dead are not raised.	15 Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For, if the dead are not raised, neither is Christ;	16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is pointless and you have not, after al , been releasedfrom your sins.	17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
18 In addition, those who have fal en asleep in Christ are utterly lost.	18 Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are of al people the most pitiable.	19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.
20 In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of al who have fal enasleep.	20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead.	21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being.
22 Just as al die in Adam, so in Christ al wil be brought to life;	22 For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
23 but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first-fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belongto him.	23 but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
24 After that wil come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolishedevery principality, every ruling force and power.	24 then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power.
25 For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool,	25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put al things under his feet.	26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
27 But when it is said everything is subjected, this obviously cannot include the One who subjectedeverything to him.	27 for "he subjected everything under his feet." But when it says that everything has been subjected, it is clear that it excludes the one who subjected everything to him.
28 When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself wil be subjected to the One whohas subjected everything to him, so that God may be al in al .	28 When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will (also) be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what are people up to who have themselves baptised on behalf of the dead? If the deadare not raised at al , what is the point of being baptised on their behalf?	29 Otherwise, what will people accomplish by having themselves baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they having themselves baptized for them?
30 And what about us? Why should we endanger ourselves every hour of our lives?	30 Moreover, why are we endangering ourselves all the time?
31 I swear by the pride that I take in you, in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I face death every day.	31 Every day I face death; I swear it by the pride in you (brothers) that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
32 If I fought wild animals at Ephesus in a purely human perspective, what had I to gain by it?	32 If at Ephesus I fought with beasts, so to speak, what benefit was it to me? If the dead are not raised: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
33 If the dead are not going to be raised, then Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall be dead.	33 Do not be led astray: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
34 So do not let anyone lead you astray, 'Bad company corrupts good ways.' Wake up from your stuporas you should and leave sin alone; some of you have no understanding of God; I tel you this to instil someshame in you.	34 Become sober as you ought and stop sinning. For some have no knowledge of God; I say this to your shame.
35 Someone may ask: How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when theycome?	35 But someone may say, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come back?"
36 How foolish! What you sow must die before it is given new life;	36 You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
37 and what you sow is not the body that is to be, but only a bare grain, of wheat I dare say, or someother kind;	37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind;
38 it is God who gives it the sort of body that he has chosen for it, and for each kind of seed its own kindof body.	38 but God gives it a body as he chooses, and to each of the seeds its own body.
39 Not al flesh is the same flesh: there is human flesh; animals have another kind of flesh, birds anotherand fish yet another.	39 Not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for human beings, another kind of flesh for animals, another kind of flesh for birds, and another for fish.
40 Then there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; the heavenly have a splendour of their own, andthe earthly a different splendour.	40 There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the brightness of the heavenly is one kind and that of the earthly another.
41 The sun has its own splendour, the moon another splendour, and the stars yet another splendour;and the stars differ among themselves in splendour.	41 The brightness of the sun is one kind, the brightness of the moon another, and the brightness of the stars another. For star differs from star in brightness.
42 It is the same too with the resurrection of the dead: what is sown is perishable, but what is raised isimperishable;	42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
43 what is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raisedis powerful;	43 It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
44 what is sown is a natural body, and what is raised is a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, thereis a spiritual body too.	44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
45 So the first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; and the last Adam has become alife-giving spirit.	45 So, too, it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being," the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
46 But first came the natural body, not the spiritual one; that came only afterwards.	46 But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual.
47 The first man, being made of earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven.	47 The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven.
48 The earthly man is the pattern for earthly people, the heavenly man for heavenly ones.	48 As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so we shal bear the likeness of the heavenlyone.	49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
50 What I am saying, brothers, is that mere human nature cannot inherit the kingdom of God: what isperishable cannot inherit what is imperishable.	50 This I declare, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Now I am going to tel you a mystery: we are not al going to fal asleep,	51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,
52 but we are al going to be changed, instantly, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpetsounds. The trumpet is going to sound, and then the dead wil be raised imperishable, and we shal be changed,	52 in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 because this perishable nature of ours must put on imperishability, this mortal nature must put onimmortality.	53 For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality.
54 And after this perishable nature has put on imperishability and this mortal nature has put onimmortality, then wil the words of scripture come true: Death is swal owed up in victory.	54 And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: "Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?	55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin comes from the Law.	56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 Thank God, then, for giving us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.	57 But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 So, my dear brothers, keep firm and immovable, always abounding in energy for the Lord's work,being sure that in the Lord none of your labours is wasted.	58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.