d Sy.

ened.

Your glorying is not praiseworthy.d Know ye not, that a little leaven leaveneth the whole mass? (7) Purge out from you the old leaven, that ye 7 may be a new mass, as ye are unleavened. For our passover is the Messiah, who was slain for us. (8) Therefore let us celebrate the festival, not with 8 the old leaven, nor with the leaven of wickedness e ali: unleav- and bitterness, but with the leavene of purity and sanctity.-(9) I wrote to you by letter, not to com- 9 mingle with whoremongers. (10) But I say not, 10 with the whoremongers who are in the world, nor [speak I] of the avaricious, or of the rapacious, or of the idol-worshippers, otherwise ye would be obliged to go out of the world. (11) But this is 11 what I wrote to you, that ye commingle not, if any one is called a brother, and is a whoremonger, or avaricious, or an idol-worshipper, or a railer, or a drunkard, or rapacious, with him who is such, not even to eat bread. (12) For what business 12 have I to judge them who are without? But those within the body, judge ye, (13) and those 13 without, God judgeth; and remove ye the wickednessf from among you.

for, wicked

son.

per

Sy. Kols

3

Dare any of you, when he hath a controversy VI. with his brother, litigate before the iniquitous, and not before the sanctified? (2) Or know ye not, 2 that the sanctified will judge the world?a And if the world will be judged by you, are ye unfit to decide trivial causes? (3) Know ye not, that we Sy. Lo shall judge angels ? How much more things that are of the world? (4) But if ye have a controversy 4 about a worldly matter, seat ye on the bench for you those who are contemned in the church! (5) For shame to you I say [it]. So, there is not 5 even one wise man among you, who is competent to do equity between a brother and his brother: (6) but a brother litigateth with his brother, and 6 also before them that believe not! (7) Now there- 7 fore ye condemn yourselves, in that ye have litigation one with another. For why do ye not rather suffer wrong? why not rather be defrauded? (8) But ye yourselves commit wrong, and ye de- 8 fraud even your brethren. (9) Or do ye not know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not mistake: neither whoremongers,

9

nor idol-worshippers, nor adulterers, nor debau10 chees, nor liers with males, (10) nor the avaricious, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extor11 tioners,--will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And these things have been in some of you: but ye are washed, and are sanctified, and made righteous, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, and by the Spirit of our God.

12

Every thing is in my power: but every thing is Sy. not profitable to me. Every thing is in my power; but none [of them] shall have dominion over me. 13 (13) Food is for the belly; and the belly is for food; but God will bring them both to naught. But the body is not for whoredom, but for our 14 Lord; and our Lord for the body. (14) And God hath raised up our Lord; and he will raise us up, 15 by his power. (15) Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of the Messiah? Shall one take a member of the Messiah, and make it the member 16 of a harlot? Far be it. (16) Or know ye not, that whoever joineth himself to a harlot, is one body [with her]? For it is said, They twain shall be 17 one body. (17) But he that joineth himself to our 18 Lord, is with him one spirit. (18) Flee whoredom. For every [other] sin which a man committeth, is external to his body; but he that committeth 19 whoredom, sinneth against his own body. (19) Or know ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who abideth in you, whom ye have received from God? And ye are not your own. 20 (20) For ye are bought with a price. Therefore, Sy. glorify ye God, with your body, and with your ?? spirit, which are God's.

VII. And concerning the things of which ye wrote to

d

e

a

me, it is praiseworthya for a man not to approach Sy. 2 a woman. (2) But, on account of whoredom, let each have his own wife; and let a woman have 3 her own husband. (3) And let the man render to his wife the kindness which is due; and so 4 also the woman to her husband. (4) The woman is not the sovereignb over her body, but her hus- Sy. band: so also the man is not the sovereign over 5 his body, but the wife. (5) Therefore, deprive not one another, except when ye both consent, at the time ye devote yourselves to fasting and prayer;

b

c Sy.

and return again to the same disposition, that Satan tempt you not because of the concupiscence of your body. (6) But this I say, as to weak per- 6 1000sons, not of positive precept.c (7) For I would 7 that all men might be like me in purity. But every man is endowed with his gift of God; one thus, and another so. (8) And I say to them who 8 have no wives, and to widows, that it is advantageous to them to remain as I am. (9) But if they 9 cannot endure [it], let them marry: for it is more profitable to take a wife, than to burn with concupiscence. (10) And on them who have wives, I 10 enjoin,-not 1, but my Lord, that the woman separate not from her husband. (11) And if she 11 separate, let her remain without a husband, or be reconciled to her husband; and let not the man put away his wife. (12) And to the rest, say I,- 12 I, not my Lord,--that if there be a brother, who hath a wife that believeth not, and she is disposed to dwell with him, let him not put her away. (13) And that woman, who hath a husband that 13 believeth not, and he is disposed to dwell with her, let her not forsake her husband. (14) For the 14 husband who believeth not, is sanctified by the wife that believeth; and the wife who believeth not, is sanctified by the husband that believeth: otherwise their children would be impure; but now are they pure.d (15) But if the unbeliever sepa- 15 rateth, let him separate: A brother or sister is not in bondage in such cases: it is to peace, God hath called us. (16) For how knowest thou, O wife, whether 16 thou wilt procure lifee to thy husband? Or, thou husband, knowest thou, whether thou wilt procure lifef to thy wife? (17) Every one, however, as 17 the Lord hath distributed to him, and every one as God hath called him, so let him walk. And also thus I enjoin upon all the churches. (18) Is a cir- 18 cumcised person called, let him not revert to uncir cumcision: and if one uncircumcised be called, let him not become circumcised. (19) For circum- 19 cision is nothing, neither is uncircumcision; but the keeping of God's commands. (20) Let every one 20 continue in the vocation, in which he was called. (21) If thou wert called, being a servant; let it not 21 trouble thee. But if thou canst be made free, choose it rather than to serve. (22) For he that 22

d Sy.?

e

Sy

f Sy. Lu12

is called by our Lord, being a servant, is God's freedman: likewise, he that is called, being a free 23 man, is the Messiah's servant. (23) Ye are bought

with a price; become not the servants of men. 24 (24) Let every one, my Brethren, continue with God, in whatever [state] he was called.

25

wife? Seek not a release.

And concerning virginity, I have no precept from God; but I give counsel, as a man who hath obtained mercy from God to be a believer. 26 (26) And I think this is suitable,g on account of Sy. the necessity of the times; it is advantageous for a 27 man to remain as he is. (27) Art thou bound to a Art thou free from a 28 wife? Seek not a wife. (28) But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not. And if a maiden is given to a husband, she sinneth not. But they who are such, will have trouble in the body: but I am for29 bearing to you. (29) And this I say, my Brethren, that the time to come is short; so that they who 30 have wives, should be as if they had none; (30) and they who weep, as if they wept not; and they who rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they who buy, 31 as if they acquired not; (31) and those occupied with this world, not going beyond the just using: for the fashion of this world is passing away. 32 (32) And therefore I wish you to be without solícitude. For he who hath not a wife, considereth the things of his Lord, how he may please his 33 Lord. (33) And he who hath a wife, is anxious

about the world, how he may please his wife. 34 (34) There is a difference also between a wife and a maiden. She who is without a husband, thinketh of things pertaining to her Lord, that she may be holy in her body and in her spirit. But she who hath a husband, thinketh of things pertaining to the world, how she may please her husband. 35 (35) And this I say for your advantage; I am not laying a snare for you; but that ye may be faithful towards your Lord, in a suitable manner, while 36 not minding worldly things. (36) But if any one thinketh that there is reproach, on account of his maiden [daughter], because she hath passed her time, and he hath not presented her to a husband, [and] it be fitting that he present her; let him do what he desireth, he sinneth not; let her be mar37 ried. (37) But he who hath firmly determined

h

Sy.

iso.0

=Gr. σχῆμα

i Sy. paa‚

in his own mind, and nothing compelleth him, and he can act his own pleasure, and he so judgeth in his heart, that he keep his maiden [daughter], he doeth commendably. (38) And therefore, he 38 who presenteth his maiden [daughter], doeth comSy. A mendably; and he who presenteth not his maiden [daughter], doeth very commendably.k (39) A 39 woman, while her husband liveth, is bound by the law; but if her husband sleepeth [in death], she is free to marry whom she pleaseth, Lyet] only in the Lord. (40) But she is happier, in my opinion, if 40 she remain so: and I think also, that I have the Spirit of God.

, or,

more com

mendably.

3

4

And concerning sacrifices to idols, we know, VIII. that in all of us there is knowledge; and knowledge inflateth, but love edifieth. (2) And if any one 2 thinketh that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet, as he ought to know [it]. (3) But if any one loveth God, that man is known of him. (4) As to the eating of the sacrifices of idols, therefore, we know that an idol is nothing in the world; and that there is no other God, but one. (5) For 5 although there are what are called gods, whether in heaven, or on earth, (as there are gods many, and lords many,) (6) yet to us, on our part, there 6 is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, by whom are all things, and we also by him. (7) But there is not [this] knowledge in every 7 man; for there are some, who, to the present time, in their conscience, a eat [it] as an offering to idols; and because their conscience is weak, it is defiled. (8) But food doth not bring us near to God; for if 8 we eat, we do not abound; and if we eat not, we are not in want. (9) See to it, however, lest this 9 your authorityb become a stumbling-block to the 21 weak. (10) For if one should see thee in whom 10 there is knowledge, reclining in the temple of idols, will not his conscience, seeing he is a weak person, be encouraged to eat what is sacrified? (11) And 11 by thy knowledge, he who is feeble, and on account of whom the Messiah died, will perish. (12) And 12 if ye thus sin against your brethren, and wound the consciences of the feeble, ye sin against the Messiah. (13) Wherefore, if food is a stumbling- 13

ai. e. conscientiously.

b Sy.