1 Corinthians 15

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

عَلَى أَنِّي أُذَكِّرُكُمْ، أَيُّهَا الإِخْوَةُ بِالإِنْجِيلِ الَّذِي بَشَّرْتُكُمْ بِهِ، وَقَبِلْتُمُوهُ وَمَازِلْتُمْ قَائِمِينَ فِيهِ،

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

وَبِهِ أَيْضاً أَنْتُمْ مُخَلَّصُونَ، إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَتَمَسَّكُونَ بِالْكَلِمَةِ الَّتِي بَشَّرْتُكُمْ بِها، إِلّا إِذَا كُنْتُمْ قَدْ آمَنْتُمْ عَبَثاً.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

فَالْوَاقِعُ أَنِّي سَلَّمْتُكُمْ، فِي أَوَّلِ الأَمْرِ، مَا كُنْتُ قَدْ تَسَلَّمْتُهُ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ مَاتَ مِنْ أَجْلِ خَطَايَانَا وَفْقاً لِمَا فِي الْكُتُبِ،

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

وَأَنَّهُ دُفِنَ، وَأَنَّهُ قَامَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ وَفْقاً لِمَا فِي الْكُتُبِ،

and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b] and then to the Twelve.

وَأَنَّهُ ظَهَرَ لِبُطْرُسَ، ثُمَّ لِلاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

وَبَعْدَ ذلِكَ ظَهَرَ لأَكْثَرَ مِنْ خَمْسِ مِئَةِ أَخٍ مَعاً مَازَالَ مُعْظَمُهُمْ حَيًّا، فِي حِينِ رَقَدَ الآخَرُونَ.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

ثُمَّ ظَهَرَ لِيَعْقُوبَ، وَبَعْدَ ذلِكَ لِلرُّسُلِ جَمِيعاً.

and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

وَآخِرَ الْجَمِيعِ، ظَهَرَ لِي أَنَا أَيْضاً، وَكَأَنِّي طِفْلٌ وُلِدَ فِي غَيْرِ أَوَانِهِ!

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

فَإِنِّي أَنَا أَصْغَرُ الرُّسُلِ شَأْناً، وَلَسْتُ أَهْلاً لأَنْ أُدْعَى رَسُولاً لأَنِّي اضْطَهَدْتُ كَنِيسَةَ اللهِ.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

وَلكِنْ، بِنِعْمَةِ اللهِ صِرْتُ عَلَى مَا أَنَا عَلَيْهِ الآنَ، وَنِعْمَتُهُ الْمَوْهُوبَةُ لِي لَمْ تَكُنْ عَبَثاً، إِذْ عَمِلْتُ جَاهِداً أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ الآخَرِينَ جَمِيعاً. إِلّا أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَنَا الْعَامِلَ، بَلْ نِعْمَةُ اللهِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ مَعِي.

Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

وَسَوَاءٌ أَكُنْتُ أَنَا أَمْ كَانُوا هُمْ، فَهكَذَا نُبَشِّرُ، وَهكَذَا آمَنْتُمْ.

قيامة الأموات

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

وَالآنَ، مَادَامَ يُبَشَّرُ بِأَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ قَامَ مِنْ بَيْنِ الأَمْوَاتِ، فَكَيْفَ يَقُولُ بَعْضُكُمْ إِنَّهُ لَا قِيَامَةَ لِلأَمْوَاتِ؟

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

فَإِنْ كَانَتْ قِيَامَةُ الأَمْوَاتِ غَيْرَ مَوْجُودَةٍ، فَمَعْنَى ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ لَمْ يَقُمْ أَيْضاً!

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنِ الْمَسِيحُ قَدْ قَامَ، لَكَانَ تَبْشِيرُنَا عَبَثاً وَإِيمَانُكُمْ عَبَثاً،

More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

وَلَكَانَ تَبَيَّنَ عِنْدَئِذٍ أَنَّنَا شُهُودُ زُورٍ عَلَى اللهِ، إِذْ إِنَّنَا شَهِدْنَا عَلَى اللهِ أَنَّهُ أَقَامَ الْمَسِيحَ، وَهُوَ لَمْ يُقِمْهُ لَوْ صَحَّ أَنَّ الأَمْوَاتَ لَا يُقَامُونَ.

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.

إِذَنْ، لَوْ كَانَ الأَمْوَاتُ لَا يُقَامُونَ، لَكَانَ الْمَسِيحُ لَمْ يَقُمْ أَيْضاً.

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنِ الْمَسِيحُ قَدْ قَامَ، لَكَانَ إِيمَانُكُمْ عَبَثاً، وَلَكُنْتُمْ بَعْدُ فِي خَطَايَاكُمْ،

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

وَلَكَانَ الَّذِينَ رَقَدُوا فِي الْمَسِيحِ قَدْ هَلَكُوا!

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

وَلَوْ كَانَ رَجَاؤُنَا فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَقْتَصِرُ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةِ، لَكُنَّا أَشْقَى النَّاسِ جَمِيعاً!

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

أَمَّا الآنَ فَالْمَسِيحُ قَدْ قَامَ مِنْ بَيْنِ الأَمْوَاتِ بِكْراً لِلرَّاقِدِينَ.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

فَبِمَا أَنَّ الْمَوْتَ كَانَ بِإِنْسَانٍ، فَإِنَّ قِيَامَةَ الأَمْوَاتِ أَيْضاً تَكُونُ بِإِنْسَانٍ.

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

فَإِنَّهُ، كَمَا يَمُوتُ الْجَمِيعُ فِي آدَمَ، فَكَذَلِكَ سَيَحْيَى الْجَمِيعُ فِي الْمَسِيحِ،

But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

عَلَى أَنَّ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ رُتْبَتَهُ: فَأَوَّلاً الْمَسِيحُ بِصِفَتِهِ الْبِكْرَ؛ وَبَعْدَهُ خَاصَّتُهُ لَدَى رُجُوعِهِ،

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الآخِرَةُ حِينَ يُسَلِّمُ الْمَسِيحُ الْمُلْكَ لِلهِ الآبِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدْ أَبَادَ كُلَّ رَئَاسَةٍ وَكُلَّ سُلْطَةٍ وَكُلَّ قُوَّةٍ.

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

فَإِنَّهُ لابُدَّ أَنْ يَمْلِكَ «إِلَى أَنْ يَضَعَ جَمِيعَ الأَعْدَاءِ تَحْتَ قَدَمَيْهِ».

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

وَآخِرُ عَدُوٍّ يُبَادُ هُوَ الْمَوْتُ،

For he “has put everything under his feet.”^[c] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ قَدْ «أَخْضَعَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ تَحْتَ قَدَمَيْهِ». وَلَكِنْ، فِي قَوْلِهِ إِنَّ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قَدْ أُخْضِعَ، فَمِنَ الْوَاضِحِ أَنَّهُ يَسْتَثْنِي اللهَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَاضِعاً لِلابْنِ.

When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

وَعِنْدَمَا يَتِمُّ إِخْضَاعُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ لِلابْنِ، فَإِنَّ الابْنَ نَفْسَهُ سَيَخْضَعُ لِلَّذِي أَخْضَعَ لَهُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، لِكَيْ يَكُونَ اللهُ هُوَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ!

Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?

وَالآنَ، إِنْ صَحَّ أَنَّ الأَمْوَاتَ لَا يَقُومُونَ أَبَداً، فَمَا مَعْنَى مَا يَفْعَلُهُ الَّذِينَ يَعْتَمِدُونَ بَدَلَ الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ؟ لِمَاذَا إِذَنْ يَعْتَمِدُونَ بَدَلاً مِنْهُمْ؟

And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?

وَلِمَاذَا نُعَرِّضُ نَحْنُ أَنْفُسَنَا لِلْخَطَرِ كُلَّ سَاعَةٍ؟

I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

فَبِحَسَبِ افْتِخَارِي بِكُمْ فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ رَبِّنَا، أَشْهَدُ أَيُّهَا الإِخْوَةُ أَنِّي أَمُوتُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ!

If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

وَلَوْ كُنْتُ بِمَنْطِقِ الْبَشَرِ قَدْ تَعَرَّضْتُ لِلْمَوْتِ فِي أَفَسُسَ بَيْنَ مَخَالِبِ الْوُحُوشِ، فَأَيُّ نَفْعٍ يَعُودُ عَلَيَّ إِنْ كَانَ الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ لَا يَقُومُونَ؟ وَلِمَ لَا «نَأْكُلُ وَنَشْرَبُ، لأَنَّنَا غَداً نَمُوتُ؟»

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”^[e]

لَا تَنْقَادُوا إِلَى الضَّلالِ: إِنَّ الْمُعَاشَرَاتِ الرَّدِيئَةَ تُفْسِدُ الأَخْلاقَ الْجَيِّدَةَ!

Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

عُودُوا إِلَى الصَّوَابِ كَمَا يَجِبُ وَلا تُخْطِئُوا، فَإِنَّ بَعْضاً مِنْكُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ اللهَ تَمَاماً أَقُولُ هَذَا لِكَيْ تَخْجَلُوا!

جسد القيامة

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”

وَلَكِنَّ أَحَداً قَدْ يَقُولُ: «كَيْفَ يُقَامُ الأَمْوَاتُ؟ وَبِأَيِّ جِسْمٍ يَعُودُونَ؟»

How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

يَا غَافِلُ! إِنَّ مَا تَزْرَعُهُ لَا يَحْيَا إِلّا بَعْدَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ.

When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

وَمَا تَزْرَعُهُ لَيْسَ هُوَ الْجِسْمَ الَّذِي سَيَطْلُعُ بَلْ مُجَرَّدُ حَبَّةٍ مِنَ الْحِنْطَةِ مَثَلاً أَوْ غَيْرِهَا مِنَ البُزُورِ.

But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.

ثُمَّ يُعْطِيهَا اللهُ الْجِسْمَ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ، كَمَا يُعْطِي كُلَّ نَوْعٍ مِنَ الْبُزُورِ جِسْمَهُ الْخَاصَّ.

Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.

وَلَيْسَ لِلأَجْسَادِ كُلِّهَا شَكْلٌ وَاحِدٌ بَلْ لِلنَّاسِ جَسَدٌ وَلِلْحَيَوَانَاتِ جَسَدٌ آخَرُ وَلِلسَّمَكِ آخَرُ وَلِلطَّيْرِ آخَرُ.

There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.

ثُمَّ إِنَّ هُنَاكَ أَجْسَاماً سَمَاوِيَّةً وَأَجْسَاماً أَرْضِيَّةً. وَلَكِنَّ الأَجْسَامَ السَّمَاوِيَّةَ لَهَا بَهَاءٌ، وَالأَرْضِيَّةَ لَهَا بَهَاءٌ مُخْتَلِفٌ.

The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

فَالشَّمْسُ لَهَا بَهَاءٌ، وَالْقَمَرُ لَهُ بَهَاءٌ آخَرُ، وَالنُّجُومُ لَهَا بَهَاءٌ مُخْتَلِفٌ، لأَنَّ كُلَّ نَجْمٍ يَخْتَلِفُ عَنِ الآخَرِ بِبَهَائِهِ.

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;

وَهَكَذَا الْحَالُ فِي قِيَامَةِ الأَمْوَاتِ: يُزْرَعُ الْجَسَدُ مُنْحَلًّا، وَيُقَامُ غَيْرَ مُنْحَلٍّ،

it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

يُزْرَعُ مُهَاناً، وَيُقَامُ مَجِيداً، يُزْرَعُ ضَعِيفاً، وَيُقَامُ قَوِيًّا،

it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

يُزْرَعُ جِسْماً مَادِّيًّا، وَيُقَامُ جِسْماً رُوحِيًّا. فَبِمَا أَنَّ هُنَاكَ جِسْماً مَادِّيًّا، فَهُنَاكَ أَيْضاً جِسْمٌ رُوحِيٌّ.

So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”^[f]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

فَهكَذَا أَيْضاً قَدْ كُتِبَ: «صَارَ الإِنْسَانُ الأَوَّلُ، آدَمُ، نَفْساً حَيَّةً» وَأَمَّا آدَمُ الأَخِيرُ فَهُوَ روحٌ بَاعِثٌ لِلْحَيَاةِ.

The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.

عَلَى أَنَّ الرُّوحِيَّ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَوَّلاً، بَلْ جَاءَ الْمَادِّيُّ أَوَّلاً ثُمَّ الرُّوحِيُّ:

The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.

الإِنْسَانُ الأَوَّلُ مِنَ الأَرْضِ وَقَدْ صُنِعَ مِنَ التُّرَابِ؛ أَمَّا الإِنْسَانُ الثَّانِي فَهُوَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ.

As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.

فَعَلَى مِثَالِ الْمَصْنُوعِ مِنَ التُّرَابِ، سَيَكُونُ الْمَصْنُوعُونَ مِنَ التُّرَابِ، وَعَلَى مِثَالِ السَّمَاوِيِّ سَيَكُونُ السَّمَاوِيُّونَ.

And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we^[g] bear the image of the heavenly man.

وَمِثْلَمَا حَمَلْنَا صُورَةَ الْمَصْنُوعِ مِنَ التُّرَابِ، سَنَحْمِلُ أَيْضاً صُورَةَ السَّمَاوِيِّ.

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

ثُمَّ إِنِّي، أَيُّهَا الإِخْوَةُ، أُؤَكِّدُ لَكُمْ أَنَّ الأَجْسَامَ ذَاتَ اللَّحْمِ وَالدَّمِ لَا يُمْكِنُهَا أَنْ تَرِثَ مَلَكُوتَ اللهِ، كَمَا لَا يُمْكِنُ لِلْمُنْحَلِّ أَنْ يَرِثَ غَيْرَ الْمُنْحَلِّ.

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

وَهَا أَنَا أَكْشِفُ لَكُمْ سِرّاً: إِنَّنَا لَنْ نَرْقُدَ جَمِيعاً، وَلَكِنَّنَا سَنَتَغَيَّرُ جَمِيعاً،

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

فِي لَحْظَةٍ، بَلْ فِي طَرْفَةِ عَيْنٍ عِنْدَمَا يُنْفَخُ فِي الْبُوقِ الأَخِيرِ. فَإِنَّهُ سَوْفَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الْبُوقِ، فَيَقُومُ الأَمْوَاتُ بِلا انْحِلالٍ. وَأَمَّا نَحْنُ، فَسَنَتَغَيَّرُ.

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

فَلابُدَّ لِهَذَا الْجِسْمِ الْقَابِلِ لِلانْحِلالِ أَنْ يَلْبَسَ عَدَمَ انْحِلالٍ، وَلِهَذَا الْفَانِي أَنْ يَلْبَسَ خُلُوداً.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^[h]

فَأَيْنَ، يَا مَوْتُ، شَوْكَتُكَ؟ وَأَيْنَ، يَا مَوْتُ نَصْرُكَ؟

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

وَشَوْكَةُ الْمَوْتِ إِنَّمَا هِيَ الْخَطِيئَةُ، وَقُوَّةُ الْخَطِيئَةِ إِنَّمَا هِيَ الشَّرِيعَةُ.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

وَلَكِنِ الشُّكْرُ لِلهِ الَّذِي يَمْنَحُنَا النَّصْرَ بِرَبِّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ!

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

إِذَنْ، يَا إِخْوَتِي الأَحِبَّاءَ، كُونُوا رَاسِخِينَ غَيْرَ مُتَزَحْزِحِينَ، كَثِيرِي الاجْتِهَادِ فِي عَمَلِ الرَّبِّ دَائِماً، عَالِمِينَ أَنَّ جَهْدَكُمْ فِي الرَّبِّ لَيْسَ عَبَثاً!