| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, | 1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, |
| 2To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: | 2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours: |
| 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 4I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, | 4I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. |
| 5that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, | 5For in him you have been enriched in every way--with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge-- |
| 6even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, | 6God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. |
| 7so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. |
| 8who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. | 8He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 9God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. | 9God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. |
| 10Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. | 10I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. |
| 11For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. | 11My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. |
| 12Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” | 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." |
| 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? | 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? |
| 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, | 14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, |
| 15lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. | 15so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. |
| 16Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. | 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) |
| 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. | 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. |
| 18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. | 18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. |
| 19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” | 19For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." |
| 20Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? | 20Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? |
| 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. | 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. |
| 22For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; | 22Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, |
| 23but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, | 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, |
| 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. | 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. |
| 25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. | 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. |
| 26For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. | 26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. |
| 27But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; | 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. |
| 28and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, | 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, |
| 29that no flesh should glory in His presence. | 29so that no one may boast before him. |
| 30But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— | 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. |
| 31that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” | 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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