The Bible in Basic English BBE
New International Version NIV
45 And so it is said, The first man Adam was a living soul. The last Adam is a life-giving spirit.
45
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
46 But that which is natural comes before that which is of the spirit.
46
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
47 The first man is from the earth, and of the earth: the second man is from heaven.
47
The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.
48 Those who are of the earth are like the man who was from the earth: and those who are of heaven are like the one from heaven.
48
As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 And in the same way as we have taken on us the image of the man from the earth, so we will take on us the image of the one from heaven.
49
And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
50 Now I say this, my brothers, that it is not possible for flesh and blood to have a part in the kingdom of God; and death may not have a part in life.
50
I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 See, I am giving you the revelation of a secret: we will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed.
51
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52 In a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed.
52
in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For this body which comes to destruction will be made free from the power of death, and the man who is under the power of death will put on eternal life.
53
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54 But when this has taken place, then that which was said in the Writings will come true, Death is overcome by life.
54
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 O death, where is your power? O death, where are your pains?
55
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.