1 Corinthians 11 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

1Co 11:1And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.[fn]

Instructions for Public Worship

1Co 11:2I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you.

1Co 11:3

1Co 11:3But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.[fn]

1Co 11:4

1Co 11:4A man dishonors his head[fn] if he covers his head while praying or prophesying.

1Co 11:5

1Co 11:5But a woman dishonors her head[fn] if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head.

1Co 11:6

1Co 11:6Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.[fn]

1Co 11:7

1Co 11:7A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory.

1Co 11:8

1Co 11:8For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man.

1Co 11:9

1Co 11:9And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man.

1Co 11:10

1Co 11:10For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.[fn]

1Co 11:11

1Co 11:11But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women.

1Co 11:12

1Co 11:12For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.

1Co 11:13

1Co 11:13Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head?

1Co 11:14

1Co 11:14Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?

1Co 11:15

1Co 11:15And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering.

1Co 11:16

1Co 11:16But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.

Order at the Lord’s Supper

1Co 11:17

1Co 11:17But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.

1Co 11:18

1Co 11:18First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.

1Co 11:19

1Co 11:19But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!

1Co 11:20

1Co 11:20When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.

1Co 11:21

1Co 11:21For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.

1Co 11:22

1Co 11:22What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

(Mat 26:26–29; Mar 14:22–25; Luk 22:14–23 )

1Co 11:23

1Co 11:23For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread

1Co 11:24

1Co 11:24and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.[fn] Do this to remember me.”

1Co 11:25

1Co 11:25In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.”

1Co 11:26

1Co 11:26For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

1Co 11:27

1Co 11:27So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against[fn] the body and blood of the Lord.

1Co 11:28

1Co 11:28That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

1Co 11:29

1Co 11:29For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ,[fn] you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.

1Co 11:30

1Co 11:30That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

1Co 11:31

1Co 11:31But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.

1Co 11:32

1Co 11:32Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

1Co 11:33

1Co 11:33So, my dear brothers and sisters,[fn] when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.

1Co 11:34

1Co 11:34If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.

See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NLT Footnotes

(11:1)

In print editions of the NLT, 11:1 is set as the last sentence of the final paragraph in chapter 10.

(11:3)

Or to know: The source of every man is Christ, the source of woman is man, and the source of Christ is God. Or to know: Every man is responsible to Christ, a woman is responsible to her husband, and Christ is responsible to God.

(11:4)

Or dishonors Christ.

(11:5)

Or dishonors her husband.

(11:6)

Or should have long hair.

(11:10)

Greek should have an authority on her head.

(11:24)

Greek which is for you; other manuscripts read which is broken for you.

(11:27)

Or is responsible for.