| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Think of us as servants of the Messiah and as servant managers entrusted with God's secrets. | 1A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God's mysteries. |
| 2Now it is required of servant managers that each one should prove to be trustworthy. | 2In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful. |
| 3It is a very small thing to me that I should be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I don't even evaluate myself. | 3It is of little importance to me that I should be evaluated by you or by any human court. In fact, I don't even evaluate myself. |
| 4For my conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who examines me. | 4For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord. |
| 5Therefore, stop judging prematurely, before the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness and reveal the motives of our hearts. Then each person will receive his praise from God. | 5Therefore don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God. |
| 6Brothers, I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what the Scriptures say. Then you will stop boasting about one person at the expense of another. | 6Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: "Nothing beyond what is written." The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another. |
| 7For who makes you superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not receive it? | 7For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it? |
| 8You already have all you want! You have already become rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you really were kings so that we could be kings with you! | 8You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us--and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! |
| 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display in last place, like men condemned to death. We have become a spectacle for the world, for angels, and for people to stare at. | 9For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. |
| 10We are fools for the Messiah's sake, but you are wise in the Messiah. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. | 10We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! |
| 11We are hungry, thirsty, dressed in rags, brutally treated, and homeless, right up to the present. | 11Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; |
| 12We wear ourselves out from working with our own hands. When insulted, we bless. When persecuted, we endure. | 12we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; |
| 13When slandered, we answer with kind words. Even now we have become the filth of the world, the scum of the universe. | 13when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the world's garbage, like the dirt everyone scrapes off their sandals. |
| 14I'm not writing this to make you feel ashamed, but to warn you as my dear children. | 14I'm not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. |
| 15You may have 10,000 mentors who work for the Messiah, but not many fathers. For in the Messiah Jesus I became your father through the gospel. | 15For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can't have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. |
| 16So I urge you to imitate me. | 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. |
| 17That's why I sent Timothy to you. He is my dear and dependable son in the Lord and will help you remember how I live for the Messiah Jesus as I teach everywhere in every church. | 17This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church. |
| 18Some of you have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to evaluate you. | 18Now some are inflated with pride, as though I were not coming to you. |
| 19But I will come to you soon if it's the Lord's will. Then I'll discover not only what these arrogant people are saying but also what power they have, | 19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk but the power of those who are inflated with pride. |
| 20for the kingdom of God isn't just talk, but also power. | 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. |
| 21Which do you prefer? Should I come to you with a stick, or with love and a gentle spirit? | 21What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness? |
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