1 Corinthians 11

1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ.

You should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered [them] to you.

I'm grateful that you always remember me and that you are keeping to the teachings just as I passed them on to you.

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.

I do want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having [his] head covered, dishonoureth his head.

A man's head is dishonored if he prays or prophesies with his head covered.

5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with [her] head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

A woman's head is dishonored if she prays or prophesies with her head uncovered—it's just as if she had her hair shaved off.

6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

If a woman's head is not covered, then she should have her head shaved. If it's scandalous for a woman to be shorn or shaven, then she should have her head covered.

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover [his] head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

A man shouldn't cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God, while the woman is the glory of the man.

8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

Man didn't come from woman, but woman came from man;

9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

and man was not created for the woman, but the woman was created for the man.

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on [her] head because of the angels.

That's why the woman should have this sign of authority on her head out of respect for the watching angels.

11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

Even so, from the Lord's perspective, the woman is as essential as the man, and the man as essential as the woman.

12 For as the woman [is] of the man, even so [is] the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

As the woman came from the man, so the man comes from the woman—but more importantly everything comes from God.

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

Judge for yourselves: is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

Doesn't nature itself indicate that a man with long hair disgraces himself?

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for [her] hair is given her for a covering.

However, a woman with long hair brings herself glory, because her hair is given to her as a covering.

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

But if anyone wants to argue about this, we don't have any other custom than this, and neither do any other of God's churches.

17 Now in this that I declare [unto you] I praise [you] not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

Now in giving you the instructions that follow I can't commend you, because when you meet together you cause more harm than good!

18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

First of all, I hear that when you have church meetings that you are split into different factions, and I believe there's some truth to this.

19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Of course such splits among you must happen so those who are genuine can prove themselves by their evidence!

20 When ye come together therefore into one place, [this] is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

When you meet together you're not really celebrating the Lord's Supper at all.

21 For in eating every one taketh before [other] his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

Some want to eat first before everyone else, leaving others hungry. Still others get drunk.

22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise [you] not.

Don't you have your own houses to eat and drink in? Do you look down on God's church, and humiliate those who are poor? What should I tell you? That you're doing really well? I have nothing good to say about you for doing this!

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread:

For I received from the Lord what I passed on to you: the Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took some bread.

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After giving thanks, he broke the bread into pieces and said, “This bread is my body, which is given for you. Remember me by doing this.”

25 After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.

In the same way he took the cup, after the meal, and said, “This cup is the new agreement sealed with my blood. Remember me when you drink it.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

For every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup you announce the Lord's death, until he returns.”

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

So anyone who eats the bread or drinks from the Lord's cup in a dishonorable way will be guilty of doing wrong against the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup.

Let each person examine themselves, and then let them eat the bread and drink from the cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

Those who eat and drink bring judgment on themselves if they don't recognize their relationship with the body of the Lord.

30 For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

That's the reason why many of you are weak and sick, and some even have died.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

However, if we really examined ourselves, we would not be judged like this.

32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

But when we are judged, we are being disciplined by the Lord so that we won't be condemned along with the world.

33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

So my brothers and sisters, when you meet together to eat the Lord's Supper, wait for each other.

34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

If anyone is hungry, then eat at home so that when you meet together you won't bring condemnation on yourselves. I'll give you more directions when I visit.