1 Corinthians 6

1 Dare any one of you, having a matter with the other, go to be judged before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

When one of you has a dispute with another, does he dare to go to the civil court before an unbelieving judge, rather than before the saints?

2 have ye not known that the saints shall judge the world? and if by you the world is judged, are ye unworthy of the smaller judgments?

Do you not know that the believers will judge the world? If then, you will judge the world, are you not able to settle matters of little importance?

3 have ye not known that we shall judge messengers? why not then the things of life?

Do you not know that we will judge the angels? How much more, then, can we judge matters of this life?

4 of the things of life, indeed, then, if ye may have judgment, those despised in the assembly — these cause ye to sit;

If then you have to make judgments that pertain to daily life, why do you lay such cases as these before those who have no standing in the church?

5 unto your shame I speak: so there is not among you one wise man, not even one, who shall be able to discern in the midst of his brethren!

I say this to your shame. Is there no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between brothers?

6 but brother with brother doth go to be judged, and this before unbelievers!

But as it stands, one believer goes to court against another believer, and that case is placed before a judge who is an unbeliever!

7 Already, indeed, then, there is altogether a fault among you, that ye have judgments with one another; wherefore do ye not rather suffer injustice? wherefore be ye not rather defrauded?

The fact that there are any disputes at all between Christians is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer the wrong? Why not rather allow yourselves to be cheated?

8 but ye — ye do injustice, and ye defraud, and these — brethren!

But you have wronged and cheated others, and these are your own brothers!

9 have ye not known that the unrighteous the reign of God shall not inherit? be not led astray; neither whoremongers, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor sodomites,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not believe lies. The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, those who practice homosexuality,

10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, the reign of God shall inherit.

thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers, and swindlers—none of them will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And certain of you were these! but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were declared righteous, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

That is what some of you were like. But you have been cleansed, you have been sanctified, you have been made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

12 All things are lawful to me, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful to me, but I — I will not be under authority by any;

“Everything is lawful for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful for me,” but I will not be mastered by any of them.

13 the meats [are] for the belly, and the belly for the meats. And God both this and these shall make useless; and the body [is] not for whoredom, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body;

“Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food,” but God will do away with both of them. The body is not intended for sexual immorality. Instead, the body is for the Lord, and the Lord will provide for the body.

14 and God both the Lord did raise, and us will raise up through His power.

God both raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.

15 Have ye not known that your bodies are members of Christ? having taken, then, the members of the Christ, shall I make [them] members of an harlot? let it be not!

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and join them to a prostitute? May it not be!

16 have ye not known that he who is joined to the harlot is one body? 'for they shall be — saith He — the two for one flesh.'

Do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one flesh with her? As scripture says, “The two will become one flesh.”

17 And he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit;

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

18 flee the whoredom; every sin — whatever a man may commit — is without the body, and he who is committing whoredom, against his own body doth sin.

Run away from sexual immorality! Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

19 Have ye not known that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own,

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you, whom you have from God? Do you not know that you are not your own?

20 for ye were bought with a price; glorify, then, God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

For you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.