Day 531 of 730

¹Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,

²by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain.

³For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

⁶Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.

⁷Then he appeared to Jacob, then to all the apostles,

⁸and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

⁹For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

¹¹Whether then it is I or they, so we proclaim, and so you believed.

¹²Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.

¹⁴If Christ has not been raised, then our proclaiming is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.

¹⁵Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he did not raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised.

¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised.

¹⁷If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.

¹⁸Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

¹⁹If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

²⁰But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

²¹For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.

²²For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

²³But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's, at his coming.

²⁴Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

²⁵For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

²⁶The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

²⁷For, "He put all things in subjection under his feet." But when he says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.

²⁸When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.

²⁹Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

³⁰Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

³¹I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

³²If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

³³Do not be deceived! "Evil companionships corrupt good morals."

³⁴Wake up righteously, and do not sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

³⁵But someone will say, "How are the dead raised?" and, "With what kind of body do they come?"

³⁶You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.

³⁷That which you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind.

³⁸But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

³⁹All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

⁴⁰There are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.

⁴¹There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.

⁴³It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

⁴⁵So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

⁴⁶However that which is spiritual is not first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.

⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is from heaven.

⁴⁸As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

⁴⁹As we have borne the image of those made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

⁵⁰Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

⁵¹Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

⁵⁴But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

⁵⁵"Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?"

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

¹Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob!

²Raise a song, and bring here the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.

³Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.

⁴For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

⁵He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I did not know.

⁶"I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket.

⁷You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah." Selah.

⁸"Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me!

⁹There shall be no strange god in you, neither shall you worship any foreign god.

¹⁰I am the Lord, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹But my people did not listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.

¹²So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels.

¹³Oh that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

¹⁴I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries.

¹⁵The haters of the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.

¹⁶But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock."

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.