1 Corinthians 15
Wycliffe's Bible
1Soothly, brethren, I make the gospel known to you, which I have preached to you, which also ye have taken, in which ye stand, (Truly, brothers, I make the Good News known to you, which I have preached to you, and which ye have received, and in which ye stand,) 2by which also ye shall be saved; by which reason I have preached to you, if ye hold, if ye have not believed idly. (and by which ye shall be saved; for which reason I have preached to you, if ye will hold onto it, and if ye have not idly believed it.)

3For I betook to you at the beginning, (or in the first), that thing which also I have received; that Christ was dead for our sins, by the scriptures; (For I delivered to you, or I gave to you, from the beginning, that which also I have received; that the Messiah died for our sins, according to the Scriptures;) 4and that he was buried, and that he rose again in the third day, after [the] scriptures; (and that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;) 5and that he was seen to Cephas, and after these things to (the) eleven; (and that he was seen by Peter, and afterward by the Eleven;) 6afterward he was seen to more than five hundred brethren together, of which many live yet, but some be dead; (afterward he was seen by more than five hundred brothers together, of whom many still live, but some of whom have died;) 7afterward he was seen to James, and afterward to all the apostles. (afterward he was seen by James, and afterward by all the apostles.) 8And last of all he was seen also to me, as to a dead-born child. (And last of all he was also seen by me, as if to a dead-born child.) 9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not worthy to be called (an) apostle, for I pursued the church of God (for I persecuted God’s church). 10But by the grace of God I am that thing that I am; and his grace was not void in me. For I travailed more plenteously than all they; but not I, but the grace of God with me. (But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace was not given to me in vain. For I worked harder than all of them; but not me really, but the grace of God working through me.) 11But whether I, or they, so we have preached, and so ye have believed.

12And if Christ is preached, that he rose again from death [that he rose again from (the) dead], how say some men among you, that the again-rising of dead men is not? (And if it be preached, that the Messiah rose again from the dead, then how can some men among you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead?) 13And if the again-rising of dead men is not, neither Christ rose again from death. (And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah did not rise again from the dead.) 14And if Christ rose not, our preaching is vain, our faith is vain. (And if the Messiah did not rise again, then our preaching is in vain, and our faith is in vain.) 15And we be found false witnesses of God, for we have said witnessing against God, that he raised Christ, whom he raised not, if dead men rise not again. (And we be found to be false witnesses for God, for we have said false testimony about God, that he raised the Messiah, whom he did not raise, if the dead do not rise again.) 16For why if dead men rise not again, neither Christ rose again; (Because if the dead do not rise again, then neither did the Messiah rise again;) 17and if Christ rose not again, our faith is vain; and yet ye be in your sins. (and if the Messiah did not rise again, then our faith is in vain; and ye still be in your sins.) 18And then they that have died, (or that have slept), in Christ, have perished. 19If in this life only we be hoping in Christ, we be more wretches than all men. (If it is only for this life that we have hope in the Messiah, then we be greater wretches than anyone.)

20But now Christ hath risen again from death [Now forsooth Christ rose again from (the) dead], the first fruit(s) of dead men; (But the Messiah hath risen again from the dead, yea, he is the first fruits of the dead;) 21for death was by a man, and by a man is again-rising, (or the resurrection), from death. [+for soothly by a man (came) death, and by a man (the) again-rising of (the) dead.] 22And as in Adam all men die, so in Christ all men shall be quickened. (And so as in Adam all men die, so in the Messiah all men shall be enlivened, or shall be given life.) 23But each man in his order; the first fruit(s), Christ [(the) first fruits, Christ], afterward they that be of Christ, that believed in the coming of Christ; (But each one in the proper order; the first fruits, the Messiah, afterward they who be of the Messiah, yea, who believe at the coming of the Messiah;) 24afterward an end, when he shall betake the kingdom to God and to the Father, when he shall void all princehood, and power, and virtue. (and then the end, when he shall deliver the Kingdom to God the Father, when he shall make void, or shall do away, all princehood, and power, and authority.) 25But it behooveth him to reign, till he put all his enemies under his feet. 26And at the last, death the enemy shall be destroyed; 27for he hath made subject all things under his feet. And when he saith, all things be subject to him, without doubt except him that subjected all things to him. 28And when all things be subjected to him, then the Son himself shall be subject to him, that made all things subject to him, (so) that God be all things in all things.

29Else what shall they do, that be baptized for dead men, if in no wise dead men rise again? whereto be they baptized for them? (Or else what shall they do, who be baptized for the dead, if in no way the dead rise again? why then be they baptized for them?) 30And whereto be we in peril every hour? (And why be we in danger every hour?) 31Each day I die for your glory, brethren, which glory I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Every day I die for your glory, brothers, which glory I have in the Messiah Jesus our Lord.) 32If after man I have fought to beasts, (or I have fought against beasts), at Ephesus, what profiteth it to me, if dead men rise not again? (what is the benefit to me, if the dead do not rise again?) Eat we, and drink we, for we shall die tomorrow. 33Do not ye be deceived; for evil speeches destroy good conduct. [+Do not ye be deceived by false teaching; forsooth evil speeches, or false doctrine, corrupt good virtues.] 34Awake ye, just men, and do not ye do sin [and do not ye sin]; for some men have ignorance of God, but to reverence, that is, to your shame, I speak to you (I speak about you).

35But some man saith, How shall dead men rise again (How can the dead rise again), or in what manner body shall they come? 36[O!] Unwise man, that thing that thou sowest, is not quickened, [no] but it die first; (O! unwise man, that which thou sowest, is not brought back to life, unless it first die;) 37and that thing that thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that is to come, but a naked corn, (or a kernel, or a grain), as of wheat, or of some other seeds; 38and God giveth to it a body, as he will, and to each of (the) seeds a proper body. (and God giveth it a body, as he so desireth, yea, to each seed its own body.) 39Not each flesh is the same flesh (All flesh is not the same flesh), but one is of men, another is of beasts, another is of birds, another is of fishes. 40And there be heavenly bodies, and there be earthly bodies; but one glory is of heavenly bodies, and another is of earthly [bodies]. (And there be heavenly bodies, and there be earthly bodies; but one beauty, or one splendour, is for heavenly bodies, and another beauty, or another splendour, is for earthly bodies.) 41Another clearness is of the sun, another clearness is of the moon, and another clearness is of the stars; and a star diverseth from a star in clearness. (And there is one beauty, or one splendour, for the sun, another beauty, or another splendour, is for the moon, and another beauty, or another splendour, is for the stars; and a star diverseth from a star in its beauty, or its splendour.)

42And so the again-rising of dead men (And so the resurrection of the dead). It is sown in corruption, it shall rise in uncorruption; 43it is sown in unnobleness, it shall rise in glory; it is sown in infirmity, it shall rise in virtue (it is sown in frailty and weakness, it shall rise in power); 44it is sown a beastly body, it shall rise a spiritual body (it is sown as a fleshly body, it shall rise as a spiritual body). If there is a beastly body, (then) there is also a spiritual body; 45as it is written, The first man Adam was made into a soul living, the last Adam into a spirit quickening. (as it is written, The first Adam was made into a living soul, the last Adam into the enlivening, or the life-giving, Spirit.) 46But the first is not that [body] that is spiritual, but that that is beast-like, (or that is fleshly), afterward that that is spiritual. 47The first man of earth is earthly; the second man of heaven is heavenly. (The first man from earth is earthly; the second Man from heaven is heavenly.) 48Such as the earthly man is, such be the earthly men; and such as the heavenly man is, such be also the heavenly men. 49Therefore as we have borne the image of the earthly man, bear we also the image of the heavenly man. (And so as we have worn the image of the earthly man, let us also wear the image of the heavenly Man.)

50Brethren, I say this thing, that flesh and blood may not wield the kingdom of God, neither corruption shall wield uncorruption, (or incorruption). (Brothers, I say this, that flesh and blood cannot possess the Kingdom of God, nor shall that which is corrupted, or that which is mortal, possess incorruption, or immortality.) 51Lo! I say to you (a) private, (or a mystery), of holy things (Lo! I shall tell you a secret about the holy things). And all we shall rise again, but not all we shall be changed to the state of glory; 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trump; for the trump shall sound, and dead men shall rise again, without corruption, (or incorrupt), and we shall be changed. (in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise again, without corruption, or incorrupt, and immortal, and so we shall be changed.) 53For it behooveth this corruptible thing to clothe uncorruption, (or incorruption), and this deadly thing to put away, (or to clothe), undeadliness. (For it behooveth that this corruptible thing be clothed with incorruption, yea, that this mortal thing put on, or be clothed, with immortality.) 54But when this deadly thing shall clothe undeadliness, then shall the word be done, (or be fulfilled), that is written, Death is sopped up in victory. (But when this mortal thing shall be clothed with immortality, then shall the word be fulfilled that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory!) 55Death, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy prick? (Death, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy prod?) 56But the prick of death is sin; and the virtue of sin is the law. (And the prod of death is sin; and the power of sin cometh from the Law.) 57But do we thankings to God, that gave to us victory by our Lord Jesus Christ. (But we give thanks to God, who gave us victory by our Lord Jesus Christ.)

58Therefore, my dearworthy brethren, be ye steadfast, and unmoveable, being plenteous in (the) work of the Lord, (for)evermore witting that your travail is not idle in the Lord (always knowing that your labour is never in vain, or futile, in the Lord).

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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