But I say this, my brothers, the time is short; and from now it will be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not;

and they that weep, as those that are unconcern'd; and they that rejoice, as those that do not; and they that buy, as those that have no possessions;

and they that possess this world, as those that can't make an ill use of it. for the scene of this world is continually shifting. I would have you free from anxiety.

But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

The wife and the virgin have been distinguished: the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how she shall please the husband.

so that he who marries, does well; but he who lives single, may have less trouble.

A wife, is bound for as long a time as her husband is living; but, if the husband have fallen asleep, she is, free, to be married unto whom she pleaseth, - only, in the Lord;

But it will be better for her to keep as she is, in my opinion: and it seems to me that I have the Spirit of God.

Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.

If anyone seems to himself to have knowledge, so far he has not the right sort of knowledge about anything;

Concerning the eating then of the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one;

For though there are those who have the name of gods, in heaven or on earth, as there are a number of gods and a number of lords,

There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him.

Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled.

But food does not bring us close to God. For neither if we eat do we have more, nor if we do not eat do we lack.

For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images?

Am I not free? am I not an Apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are you not my work in the Lord?

And this is my answer to them that call me to account: have we not power to eat and to drink?

Have we no right to take food and drink?

Have we no right to take about with us a Christian wife, like the rest of the Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or I only and Barnabas, have we no right to take a rest from work?

If we have been planting the things of the Spirit for you, does it seem a great thing for you to give us a part in your things of this world?

If others have a part in this right over you, have we not even more? But we did not make use of our right, so that we might put nothing in the way of the good news of Christ.

Do you not see that the servants of the holy things get their living from the Temple, and the servants of the altar have their part in the food which is offered on the altar?

But I have not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect.

For if I am a preacher of the good news, I have no cause for pride in this; because I am forced to do so, for a curse is on me if I do not.

But if I do it gladly, I have a reward; and if not, I am under orders to do it.

What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless to others, so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in announcing the glad tidings.

For though I was free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation.

I have become like a Jew to the Jews, in order that I may gain the Jews. To those under the law [I became] as under the law ([although I] myself am not under the law) in order that I may gain those under the law.

to men who have no written law, like one without any law, though I am not without God's law but specially under Christ's law, to win the men who have no written law.

To the feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation.

And I do all things for the cause of the good news, so that I may have a part in it.

have ye not known that those running in a race -- all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;

But I give blows to my body, and keep it under control, for fear that, after having given the good news to others, I myself might not have God's approval.

I would not have you ignorant, my brethren, that all our fathers were under the Cloud, all passed thro' the sea:

Now these events were examples for us, so that we should not have strong desires for evil things like they did.

Neither should we commit sexual immorality as some of them did, [with] 23,000 people falling dead in one day. [Note: Num. 25:9 mentions 24,000 people slain, but that number could have included the additional people slain by the judges. See Num. 25:5].

Now these things were done as an example; and were put down in writing for our teaching, on whom the last days have come.

You have been put to no test but such as is common to man: and God is true, who will not let any test come on you which you are not able to undergo; but he will make with the test a way out of it, so that you may be able to go through it.

Therefore, my dear brothers, have nothing to do with the worship of idols.

I speak as unto them which have discretion: judge ye what I say.

Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar?

What I say is that the things offered by the Gentiles are offered to evil spirits and not to God; and it is not my desire for you to have any part with evil spirits.

And I would not have you partakers with demons. Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.

and if any of the unbelievers invite you to an entertainment, and ye have a mind to go, whatever is set before you, eat, asking no questions for conscience-sake.

But if any one say to you, This hath been sacrificed to an idol,---eat it not; for his sake who informed thee, and for conscience-sake: for, as I said, the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, so that thou mayst have food enough without it.

if I am thankful for what I have, why should I chuse to be evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

Now I praise you, that, in all things, ye have me in remembrance, and, even as I delivered unto you the instructions, ye hold them fast.

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

For if a woman is not veiled, let her hair be cut off; but if it is a shame to a woman to have her hair cut off, let her be veiled.

For it is not right for a man to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

For this reason it is right for the woman to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Doth not, even nature herself, teach you - that, if, a man, have long hair, it is a dishonour to him;

But, if, a woman, have long hair, it is a glory to her, for, her long hair, instead of a veil, hath been given to her.

But, if anyone thinketh to be contentious, we, have no such custom, - nor yet the assemblies of God.

But in giving you these instructions, I have a criticism to make [about you people]. It is that your assemblies are doing more harm than good.

For first of all, I have been informed [Note: This was probably by Chloe's family. See 1:11] that divisions exist among you people when you assemble as a congregation. And I am inclined to believe it [is true].

For divisions are necessary among you, in order that those who have God's approval may be clearly seen among you.

What? have you not houses to take your meals in? or have you no respect for the church of God, putting the poor to shame? What am I to say to you? am I to give you praise? certainly not.

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

Therefore, whoever eats the bread, or drinks the Lord's cup, in an irreverent spirit, will have to answer for an offence against the Lord's body and blood.

This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.

If we had truly judged ourselves, we should not have been judged.

But since we are being judged, we are [also] being disciplined by the Lord, so that we do not have to be condemned along with the world.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

ye have known that ye were nations, unto the dumb idols -- as ye were led -- being carried away;

For this reason I would have you understand that no one speaking under the influence of The Spirit of God ever says, "Jesus is accursed," and that no one is able to say, "Jesus is Lord," except under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

For, even to one Spirit, we all, into one body, have been immersed, - whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free, - and, all, of one Spirit, have been caused to drink.

If all the body were eye, how would we hear? If it were all ear, how could we have a sense of smell?

And the eye may not say to the hand, I have no need of you: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

And to those parts of the body which seem to have less honour we give all the more honour; and to those parts of the body which are a cause of shame to us we give the greater respect;

But those parts of the body which are beautiful have no need of such care: and so the body has been joined together by God in such a way as to give more honour to those parts which had need of it;

So that there might be no division in the body; but all the parts might have the same care for one another.

God has appointed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who help others, administrators, and those who speak various kinds of languages.

Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? have all the power of working wonders?

Have, all, gifts of healings? Do, all, with tongues, speak? Do, all, translate?

Although with the tongues of men, I be speaking, and of messengers, and have not, love, I have become resounding brass, or a clanging cymbal;

And, though I have the gift of prophesying, and know all sacred secrets, and all knowledge, - and though I have all faith, so as to be removing mountains, and have not, love, I am, nothing;

And, though I morsel out all my goods, - and though I deliver up my body, that I may boast, and have not, love, I am profited, nothing.

[Note: The following traits should be understood in the context of love for people]. Love is patient [with people], and is kind [to them]; love does not envy [what people are or have]; love does not boast [of being superior to others], it is not arrogant [in dealing with people].

Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.

For [now] we have partial knowledge and partial prophetic messages,

but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall have an end.

When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, to prefer as child, to reason as a child: now I have become a man, I have laid aside the things of the child!

now we do but indirectly see the faint images of things; but then the objects themselves will be before our eyes; now I have a partial knowledge, but then shall I know, even as I myself am known.

But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Go after love; still desiring to have the things which the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may have the prophet's power.

Now I would have you all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy: and greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

But as it is brothers, if I come back to you and speak ecstatically, what good will I do you, unless I have some revelation or special knowledge or message or teaching to give you?

And even inanimate instruments of sound, whether pipe or harp, except they have a distinct variety of notes, how can they express any significant tune?

Even so, likewise, when ye speak with tongues, except ye speak words that have signification, how shall it be understood what is spoken? For ye shall but speak in the air.

There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, and all have meaning.

Even so ye - forasmuch as ye covet spiritual gifts - seek that ye may have plenty unto the edifying of the congregation.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, the spirit which I have prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

For if you [ask God to] bless with your spirit [i.e., in a language supernaturally], how will the person there, who does not have the gift [i.e., of interpreting the language] be able to say, "May it be so," when you offer [a prayer of] thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?

But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.

For this reason tongues are for a sign, not to those who have faith, but to those who have not: but the prophet's word is for those who have faith, and not for the rest who have not.

So if the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and unbelievers or uninformed people enter, will they not say that you have lost your minds?

If there is any ecstatic speaking, let it be limited to two or three people at the most, and have one speak at a time and someone explain what he says.