1 Corinthians 11

1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Imitate me, as I myself imitate Christ.

2 Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.

I praise you, indeed, because you never forget me, and are keeping my injunctions in mind, exactly as I laid them on you.

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

But I am anxious that you should understand that the Christ is the head of every man, that man is the head of woman, and that God is the head of the Christ.

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonours his head.

Any man who keeps his head covered, when praying or preaching in public, dishonours him who is his head;

5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonours her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.

while any woman, who prays or preaches in public bare-headed, dishonours him who is her head; for that is to make herself like one of the shameless women who shave their heads.

6 For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered.

Indeed, if a woman does not keep her head covered, she may as well cut her hair short. But, since to cut her hair short, or shave it off, marks her as one of the shameless women, she should keep her head covered.

7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.

A man ought not to have his head covered, for he has been from the beginning the likeness of God and the reflection of his glory, but woman is the reflection of man’s glory.

8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man;

For it was not man who was taken from woman, but woman who was taken from man.

9 for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man.

Besides, man was not created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.

10 For this cause the woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.

And, therefore, a woman ought to wear on her head a symbol of her subjection, because of the presence of the angels.

11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord.

Still, when in union with the Lord, woman is not independent of man, or man of woman;

12 For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God.

for just as woman came from man, so man comes by means of woman; and all things come from God.

13 Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled?

Judge for yourselves. Is it fitting that a woman should pray to God in public with her head uncovered?

14 Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonour to him?

Does not nature herself teach us that, while for a man to wear his hair long is degrading to him,

15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.

a woman’s long hair is her glory? Her hair has been given her to serve as a covering.

16 But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies.

If, however, anyone still thinks it right to contest the point – well, we have no such custom, nor have the churches of God.

17 But in giving you this command I don’t praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.

In giving directions on the next subject, I cannot praise you; because your meetings do more harm than good.

18 For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist amongst you, and I partly believe it.

To begin with, I am told that when you meet together as a church there are divisions among you. In part I believe this,

19 For there also must be factions amongst you, that those who are approved may be revealed amongst you.

indeed, there must be parties among you, so that the people of real worth become known.

20 When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.

When you meet together, as I understand, it is not possible to eat the Lord’s Supper;

21 For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken.

for, as you eat, each of you tries to secure his own supper first, with the result that one has too little to eat, and another has too much to drink!

22 What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly and put them to shame who don’t have enough? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you.

Have you no houses in which you can eat and drink? Or are you trying to show your contempt for the church of God, and to humiliate the poor? What can I say to you? Should I praise you? In this matter I cannot praise you.

23 For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.

For I myself received from the Lord the account which I have in turn given to you – how the Lord Jesus, on the very night of his betrayal, took some bread,

24 When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”

and, after saying the thanksgiving, broke it and said ‘This is my own body given on your behalf. Do this in memory of me.’

25 In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”

And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying ‘This cup is the new covenant made by my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in memory of me.’

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

For whenever you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death – until he comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread, or drinks the Lord’s cup, in an irreverent spirit, will have to answer for an offence against the Lord’s body and blood.

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

Let everyone look into their own heart, and only then eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgement to himself if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.

For the person who eats and drinks brings a judgment on themselves by their eating and drinking, when they do not discern the body.

30 For this cause many amongst you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.

That is why so many among you are weak and ill, and why some are sleeping.

31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged.

But, if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.

32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

Yet, in being judged by the Lord, we are undergoing discipline, so that we may not have judgment passed on us with the rest of the world.

33 Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

Therefore, my friends, when you meet together to eat the Supper, wait for one another.

34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgement. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.

If anyone is hungry, they should eat at home, so that your meetings may not bring a judgment on you. The other details I will settle when I come.