English Standard Version ESV
Common English Bible CEB
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
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From Paul, called by God's will to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and from Sosthenes our brother.
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
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To God's church that is in Corinth: To those who have been made holy to God in Christ Jesus, who are called to be God's people. Together with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place— he's their Lord and ours!
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
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I thank my God always for you, because of God's grace that was given to you in Christ Jesus.
5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge--
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That is, you were made rich through him in everything: in all your communication and every kind of knowledge,
6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you--
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in the same way that the testimony about Christ was confirmed with you.
7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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The result is that you aren't missing any spiritual gift while you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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He will also confirm your testimony about Christ until the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
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Now I encourage you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Agree with each other and don't be divided into rival groups. Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose.
11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
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My brothers and sisters, Chloe's people gave me some information about you, that you're fighting with each other.
12 What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."
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What I mean is this: that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul,""I belong to Apollos,""I belong to Cephas,""I belong to Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
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Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in Paul's name?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
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Thank God that I didn't baptize any of you, except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.
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so that nobody can say that you were baptized in my name!
16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
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Oh, I baptized the house of Stephanas too. Otherwise, I don't know if I baptized anyone else.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
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Christ didn't send me to baptize but to preach the good news. And Christ didn't send me to preach the good news with clever words so that Christ's cross won't be emptied of its meaning.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
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The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved.
19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
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It is written in scripture: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the intelligence of the intelligent.
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
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Where are the wise? Where are the legal experts? Where are today's debaters? Hasn't God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
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In God's wisdom, he determined that the world wouldn't come to know him through its wisdom. Instead, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
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Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
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but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
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But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's power and God's wisdom.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
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Look at your situation when you were called, brothers and sisters! By ordinary human standards not many were wise, not many were powerful, not many were from the upper class.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
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But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong.
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
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And God chose what the world considers low-class and low-life—what is considered to be nothing—to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing.
29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
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So no human being can brag in God's presence.
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
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It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus. He became wisdom from God for us. This means that he made us righteous and holy, and he delivered us.
31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
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This is consistent with what was written: The one who brags should brag in the Lord!
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible