Now I praise you that you remember me in all things, and just as I handed over to you the traditions, you hold fast to them. But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies while[a] having something[b] on his head dishonors his head, but every woman who prays or prophesies with uncovered head dishonors her head, for she is one and the same with the one whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover herself, let her hair be shorn off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her head[c] shorn or shaved, let her cover her head.[d] For indeed a man ought not to cover his head, because he[e] is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. For indeed man was not created for the sake of the woman, but woman for the sake of the man. 10 Because of this, the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, on account of the angels.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 11:4 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“having”) which is understood as temporal
  2. 1 Corinthians 11:4 Here the direct object must be supplied from context, but the exact nature of the object is not clear from the context, so “something” is used in the English translation
  3. 1 Corinthians 11:6 Literally “to be”
  4. 1 Corinthians 11:6 Literally “herself”
  5. 1 Corinthians 11:7 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as causal

On Covering the Head in Worship

I praise you(A) for remembering me in everything(B) and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.(C) But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,(D) and the head of the woman is man,[a](E) and the head of Christ is God.(F) Every man who prays or prophesies(G) with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies(H) with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.(I) For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

A man ought not to cover his head,[b] since he is the image(J) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;(K) neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.(L) 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own[c] head, because of the angels.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Or of the wife is her husband
  2. 1 Corinthians 11:7 Or Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering of hair dishonors her head—she is just like one of the “shorn women.” If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair; but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. A man ought not to have long hair
  3. 1 Corinthians 11:10 Or have a sign of authority on her