| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. | 1This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. |
| 2Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. | 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. |
| 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. | 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. |
| 4For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. | 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. |
| 5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. | 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. |
| 6Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. | 6Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. |
| 7For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? | 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? |
| 8You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! | 8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign--and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! |
| 9For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. | 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. |
| 10We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! | 10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! |
| 11To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. | 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. |
| 12And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; | 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; |
| 13being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. | 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world--right up to this moment. |
| 14I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. | 14I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. |
| 15For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. | 15Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. |
| 16Therefore I urge you, imitate me. | 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. |
| 17For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. | 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. |
| 18Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. | 18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. |
| 19But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. | 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. |
| 20For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. | 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. |
| 21What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness? | 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? |
| 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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