Beginning
5 Yet all manner of fornication is heard among you, and such fornication, which is not among heathen men, so that some man have the wife of his father [so that one man have the wife of his father].
2 And ye be swollen with pride [And ye be blown with pride], and not more had wailing, that he that did this work, be taken away from the middle of you.
3 And I absent in body [Soothly I absent in body], but present in spirit, now have deemed as present him that hath thus wrought,
4 when ye be gathered together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and my spirit, with the virtue of the Lord Jesus,
5 to betake such a man to Satan, into the perishing of flesh, that the spirit be safe in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not, that a little sourdough impaireth all the gobbet [that a little sourdough corrupteth all the gobbet]?
7 Cleanse ye out the old sourdough, that ye be new sprinkling together, as ye be therf. For Christ offered is our pask. [Cleanse ye out old sourdough, that ye be new sprinkling together, as ye be therf, or without souring. Forsooth Christ is offered our pask.]
8 Therefore eat we, not in old sourdough, neither in sourdough of malice and waywardness, but in therf things of clearness and of truth [of clearness and truth].
9 I wrote to you in an epistle, that ye be not mixed with lechers, [I wrote to you in an epistle, that ye be not mingled, or commune not, with lechers,]
10 not with lechers of this world, nor with covetous men, nor raveners, nor with men serving to maumets[a], else ye should have gone out of this world.
11 But now I have written to you, that ye be not mixed [Now soothly I wrote to you, to be not mingled, or commune not with such]. If he that is named a brother among you, and is a lecher, or covetous, or serving to idols, or a curser, or full of drunkenness, or a ravener, to take no meat with such [with such neither to take meat].
12 For what is it to me to deem of them that be withoutforth? Whether ye deem not of things that be withinforth? [Forsooth what to me to deem of them that be withoutforth. Whether ye deem not of them that be withinforth?]
13 For God shall deem them that be withoutforth. Do ye away evil from yourselves.
6 Dare any of you that hath a cause against another, be deemed at wicked men, and not at holy men? [Dare any of you, having a cause against another, be deemed at wicked men, and not at saints, or holy men?]
2 Whether ye know not, that saints shall deem this world? And if the world shall be deemed by you, be ye unworthy to deem the least things?
3 Know ye not, that we shall deem angels? how much more worldly things?
4 Therefore if ye have worldly dooms, ordain ye those contemptible men [ordain ye those contemptible men, or of little reputation], that be in the church, to deem.
5 I say to make you ashamed. So there is not any wise man, that may deem betwixt a brother and his brother; [I say to your shame. So there is not any wise man, that may deem between a brother and his brother;]
6 but brother with brother striveth in doom, and that among unfaithful men.
7 And now trespass is always among you [Now forsooth trespass is all-gates in you], for ye have dooms among you. Why rather take ye not wrong? why rather suffer ye not deceit [why not more suffer ye fraud, or deceit]?
8 But also ye do wrong, and do fraud [and defraud], and that to brethren.
9 Whether ye know not, that wicked men shall not wield the kingdom of God? Do not ye err; neither lechers, neither men that serve maumets [neither men serving to idols], neither adulterers, neither lechers against kind, neither they that do lechery with men,
10 neither thieves, neither avaricious men [neither covetous men, or niggards], neither men full of drunkenness, neither cursers, neither raveners, shall wield the kingdom of God.
11 And ye were sometime these things [And these things ye were sometime]; but ye be washed, but ye be hallowed, but ye be justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.
12 All things be leaveful to me, but not all things be speedful. All things be leaveful to me, but I shall not be brought down under any man's power.
13 Meat to the womb, and the womb to meats; and God shall destroy both this and that. And the body not to fornication, but to the Lord, and the Lord to the body.
14 For God raised the Lord, and shall raise us by his virtue.
15 Know ye not, that your bodies be members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and shall I make them the members of a whore? God forbid [Far be it].
16 Whether ye know not, that he that cleaveth to a whore, is made one body? For he saith, There shall be twain in one flesh [There shall be two in one flesh].
17 And he that cleaveth to the Lord, is one spirit.
18 Flee ye fornication; all sin whatever sin a man doeth [all sin whatever a man shall do], is without the body; but he that doeth fornication, sinneth against his body.
19 Whether ye know not, that your members be the temple of the Holy Ghost, that is in you, whom ye have of God, and ye be not your own?
20 For ye be bought with great price. Glorify ye, and bear ye God in your body.
7 But of those things that ye have written to me, it is good to a man to touch not a woman [it is good to a man for to not touch a woman].
2 But for fornication each man have his own wife, and each woman have her own husband.
3 The husband yield debt to the wife, and also the wife to the husband.
4 The woman hath not power of her body, but the husband; [also forsooth] and the husband hath not power of his body, but the woman [but the wife].
5 Do not ye defraud each to other [Do not defraud together], but peradventure of consent for a time, that ye give attention to prayer; and again turn again to the same thing, lest Satan tempt you for your uncontinence.
6 But I say this thing as giving leave, not by commandment.[b]
7 For I will, that all men be as myself. But each man hath his proper gift of God; one thus, and another thus.
8 But I say to them, that be not wedded, and to widows [and widows], it is good to them, if they dwell so as I.
9 And if they contain not themselves, be they wedded; for it is better to be wedded, than to be burnt.
10 But to them that be joined in matrimony, I command, not I, but the Lord, that the wife depart not from the husband;
11 and that if she departeth, that she dwell unwedded, or be reconciled to her husband; and the husband forsake not the wife.
12 But to others I say, not the Lord. If any brother hath an unfaithful wife, and she consenteth to dwell with him, leave he her not [If any brother have an unfaithful, or heathen, wife, and she consent for to dwell with him, leave he, or forsake, her not].
13 And if any woman hath an unfaithful husband [And if the woman hath an husband unfaithful], and this consenteth to dwell with her, leave she not the husband.
14 For the unfaithful husband is hallowed by the faithful woman, and the unfaithful woman is hallowed by the faithful husband. Else your children were unclean, but now they be holy.
15 That if the unfaithful departeth, depart he. For why the brother or sister is not subject to servage in such; for God hath called us in peace.
16 And whereof knowest thou, woman, if thou shalt make the man safe; or whereof knowest thou, man, if thou shalt make the woman safe?
17 But as the Lord hath parted to each, and as God hath called each man, so go he, as I teach in all churches.[c]
18 A man circumcised is called, bring he not to prepuce. A man is called in prepuce, be he not circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nought, and prepuce is nought, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 Each man in what calling he is called, in that dwell he.
21 Thou servant art called, be it no charge to thee [Thou a servant art called, be it not charge to thee]; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22 He that is a servant, and is called in the Lord, is a free man of the Lord. Also [and] he that is a free man, and is called, is the servant of Christ.
23 With price ye be bought; do not ye be made servants of men.
24 Therefore each man in what thing he is called a brother, dwell he in this with God. [Each man therefore in what calling he is called, in that dwell he with God.]
25 But of virgins I have no commandment of God; but I give counsel, as he that hath gotten mercy of the Lord, that I be true.
26 Therefore I guess, that this thing is good for the present need; for it is good to a man to be so [for it is good for a man to be so].
27 Thou art bound to a wife, do not thou seek unbinding; thou art unbound from a wife, do not thou seek a wife.
28 But if thou hast taken a wife, thou hast not sinned; and if a maiden is wedded, she sinned not; nevertheless such shall have tribulation of flesh. But I spare you.
29 Therefore, brethren [And so, brethren], I say this thing, The time is short. Another is this, that they that have wives, be as though they had none;
30 and they that weep, as they wept not; and they that joy, as they joyed not; and they that buy, as they had not;
31 and they that use this world, as they that use [it] not. For why the figure of this world passeth.[d]
32 But I will, that ye be without busyness [Forsooth I will you to be without busyness], for he that is without wife, is busy what things be of the Lord, how he shall please God.
33 But he that is with a wife, is busy what things be of the world, how he shall please the wife [how he shall please his wife], and he is parted.
34 And a woman unwedded and [a] maiden thinketh what things be of the Lord, that she be holy in body and spirit. But she that is wedded, thinketh what things be of the world, how she shall please the husband [how she shall please her husband].
35 And I say these things to your profit, not that I cast to you a snare, but to that that is seemly, and that giveth easiness, without hindering to make prayers to the Lord. [Soothly I say these things to your profit, not that I cast to you a snare, but to that that is honest, and that giveth facility, or easiness, without letting to beseech to the Lord.]
36 And if any man guesseth himself to be seen foul on his virgin, that she is full waxen [that she is well old], and so it behooveth to be done, do she that that she will[e]; she sinneth not, if she be wedded[f].
37 For he that ordained stably in his heart [For why he that ordained stably, or steadfast, in his heart], not having need, but having power of his will, and hath deemed in his heart this thing, to keep his virgin [for to keep his virginity], doeth well.
38 Therefore he that joineth his virgin in matrimony, doeth well; and he that joineth not, doeth better.
39 The woman is bound to the law, as long time as her husband liveth; and if her husband is dead, she is delivered from the law of the husband [she is delivered from the law], be she wedded to whom she will, only in the Lord.
40 But she shall be more blessed, if she dwelleth thus [if she shall thus dwell], after my counsel; and I ween, that I have the Spirit of God.
8 But of these things that be sacrificed to idols, we know, for all we have knowing. But knowing bloweth, charity edifieth [Soothly science, or knowing, in-bloweth with pride, charity edifieth].
2 But if any man guesseth [Forsooth if any man guess, or deem], that he knoweth any thing, he hath not yet known how it behooveth him to know.
3 And if any man loveth God, this is known of him.
4 But of meats that be offered to idols, we know, that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.
5 For though there be some that be said gods [For why though there be that be said gods], either in heaven, either in earth, as there be many gods, and many lords;
6 nevertheless to us is one God, the Father, of whom be all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom be all things, and we by him.
7 But not in all men is knowing. For some men with conscience of idol till now eat as thing offered to idols; and their conscience is defouled, for it is frail [when it is sick].
8 [Forsooth] Meat commendeth us not to God; for neither we shall fail, if we eat not, neither if we eat, we shall have plenty [we shall abound, or have plenty].
9 But see ye, lest peradventure this your leave be made hurting to frail men. [See ye forsooth, lest peradventure this your license, or leave, be made hurting, or offence, to sick men, or frail.]
10 For if any man shall see him, that hath knowing, eating in a place where idols be worshipped, whether his conscience, since it is frail [since it is sick], shall not be edified to eat things offered to idols?
11 And the frail brother [And the sick brother], for whom Christ died, shall perish in thy knowing.
12 For thus ye sinning against brethren, and smiting their frail conscience [and smiting their sick conscience], sin against Christ.
13 Wherefore if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I shall never eat flesh, lest I cause my brother to stumble. [Wherefore if meat causeth my brother to offend, I shall not eat flesh into without end, lest I cause my brother to offend.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble