1 COR 4:8 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Are you all full already? Have you all already become rich? You think you’re kings already, and don’t need us—I wish you all were really reigning as kings, so we could reign with you,

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Already you are satisfied! Already you have become rich! You began to reign apart from us, and I wish you really did reign, so that we also might reign with you.

UST You are acting as if you currently have everything that you need spiritually. You are acting as if you currently have more spiritual blessings than you need. You are acting as if you have currently begun to rule with Christ, even though we who proclaim the good news are not ruling with Christ now. Indeed, I wish that you really were ruling with him, in order that we who proclaim the good news could be ruling with you.

BLB Already you are satiated; already you have been enriched; apart from us you reigned; and I wish that really you did reign, so that we also might reign with you.

AICNT Already you are filled, already you have become rich, apart from us you have begun to reign; and indeed, I wish you had begun to reign, so that we also might reign with you.

OEB Are you all so soon satisfied? Are you so soon rich? Have you begun to reign without us? Would indeed that you had, so that we also might reign with you!

WEBBE You are already filled. You have already become rich. You have come to reign without us. Yes, and I wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you!

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you!

LSV Already you are having been filled, already you were rich, apart from us you reigned, and I also wish you reigned, that we also may reign together with you,

FBV You think you have all you need. You think you're so wealthy. You think you're kings already, and don't need us.[fn] I wish you were really ruling as kings, so we could rule with you!

4:8 Literally, “without us.”

TCNT You are already full! You have already become rich! You have begun to reign without us! And how I wish that you really were reigning, so that we could reign with you!

T4T It is disgusting that you act as though [IRO] you have already received everything that you need spiritually. You act as though [IRO] you were spiritually rich (OR, you had received all the spiritual gifts you need). You act as though [IRO] you had already begun to rule as kings with Christ. Well, I wish that you really were ruling with him, in order that we apostles might also rule with you!

LEB Already you are satiated! Already you are rich! Apart from us you reign as kings! And would that indeed you reigned as kings, in order that we also might reign as kings with you!

BBE For even now you are full, even now you have wealth, you have been made kings without us: truly, I would be glad if you were kings, so that we might be kings with you.

Moff You Corinthians have your heart's desire already, have you? You have heaven's rich bliss already! You have come into your kingdom without us! I wish indeed you had come into your kingdom, so that we could share it with you!

Wymth Every one of you already has all that heart can desire; already you have grown rich; without waiting for us, you have ascended your thrones! Yes indeed, would to God that you had ascended your thrones, that we also might reign with you!

ASV Already are ye filled, already ye are become rich, ye have come to reign without us: yea and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

DRA You are now full; you are now become rich; you reign without us; and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

YLT Already ye are having been filled, already ye were rich, apart from us ye did reign, and I would also ye did reign, that we also with you may reign together,

Drby Already ye are filled; already ye have been enriched; ye have reigned without us; and I would that ye reigned, that we also might reign with you.

RV Already are ye filled, already ye are become rich, ye have reigned without us: yea and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
(Already are ye/you_all filled, already ye/you_all are become rich, ye/you_all have reigned without us: yea and I would that ye/you_all did reign, that we also might reign with you. )

SLT Already were ye satisfied, already were ye rich, without us ye reigned; and I would ye also reigned, that we also might reign together with you.

Wbstr Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I wish ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

KJB-1769 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
(Now ye/you_all are full, now ye/you_all are rich, ye/you_all have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye/you_all did reign, that we also might reign with you. )

KJB-1611 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye haue reigned as kings without vs, and I would to God ye did reigne, that we also might reigne with you.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Nowe ye are full, nowe ye are made ryche, ye raigne as kynges without vs, and I woulde to God ye dyd raigne, that we also myght raigne with you.
(Now ye/you_all are full, now ye/you_all are made ryche, ye/you_all reign as kings without us, and I would to God ye/you_all did reign, that we also might reign with you.)

Gnva Nowe ye are full: nowe ye are made rich: ye reigne as kings without vs, and would to God ye did reigne, that we also might reigne with you.
(Now ye/you_all are full: now ye/you_all are made rich: ye/you_all reign as kings without us, and would to God ye/you_all did reign, that we also might reign with you. )

Cvdl Now ye are full, now ye are made riche, ye raigne without vs, and wolde God ye dyd raigne, that we might raigne with you.
(Now ye/you_all are full, now ye/you_all are made rich, ye/you_all reign without us, and would God ye/you_all did reign, that we might reign with you.)

TNT Now ye are full: now ye are made rych: ye raygne as kinges with out vs: and I wold to god ye dyd raygne that we might raygne with you.
(Now ye/you_all are full: now ye/you_all are made rych: ye/you_all reign as kings with out us: and I wold to god ye/you_all did reign that we might reign with you. )

Wycl Nowe ye ben fyllid, now ye ben maad riche; ye regnen with outen vs; and Y wolde that ye regnen, that also we regnen with you.
(Now ye/you_all been fyllid, now ye/you_all been made riche; ye/you_all regnen without us; and I would that ye/you_all regnen, that also we regnen with you.)

Luth Ihr seid schon satt worden; ihr seid schon reich worden; ihr herrschet ohne uns. Und wollte GOtt, ihr herrschet, auf daß auch wir mit euch herrschen möchten.
(You(pl) are already full/fed_up been; you(pl)/their/her are already rich/wealthy been; you(pl)/their/her prevails without us/to_us/ourselves. And wanted God, you(pl)/their/her prevails, on/in/to that also we/us with you reign/prevail want.)

ClVg Jam saturati estis, jam divites facti estis: sine nobis regnatis: et utinam regnetis, ut et nos vobiscum regnemus.[fn]
(Now saturated you_are, already rich made you_are: without us kingdomstis: and utinam reignsis, as and us with_you(pl) regnemus. )

4.8 Jam saturati estis. Quasi: Inquiro a vobis, Quid gloriaris, etc.; sed non recte videor hoc facere; quia vos, jam saturati, jam divites, ironia est, ac si diceret: Non est ita. Irascentis enim verba sunt, non confirmantis. Regnetis. Vere regnare est de spe et promissis Dei securum esse, et in adversis gaudere.

4.8 Now saturated you_are. Quasi: Inquiro from to_you(pl), What to_boasts, etc.; but not/no correctly/straight I_seer this to_do; because you(pl), already saturated, already rich, ironia it_is, and when/but_if would_say: Not/No it_is so/thus. Irascentis because words are, not/no confirmantis. Regnetis. Vere to_reign it_is from/about with_hope and promises of_God securum to_be, and in/into/on adversity to_rejoice.

UGNT ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε, καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συνβασιλεύσωμεν.
(aʸdaʸ kekoresmenoi este, aʸdaʸ eploutaʸsate, ⱪōris haʸmōn ebasileusate, kai ofelon ge ebasileusate, hina kai haʸmeis humin sunbasileusōmen.)

SBL-GNT Ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε· καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν.
(Aʸdaʸ kekoresmenoi este, aʸdaʸ eploutaʸsate, ⱪōris haʸmōn ebasileusate; kai ofelon ge ebasileusate, hina kai haʸmeis humin sumbasileusōmen.)

RP-GNT Ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε· καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν.
(Aʸdaʸ kekoresmenoi este, aʸdaʸ eploutaʸsate, ⱪōris haʸmōn ebasileusate; kai ofelon ge ebasileusate, hina kai haʸmeis humin sumbasileusōmen.)

TC-GNT Ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε· καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν [fn]συμβασιλεύσωμεν.
(Aʸdaʸ kekoresmenoi este, aʸdaʸ eploutaʸsate, ⱪōris haʸmōn ebasileusate; kai ofelon ge ebasileusate, hina kai haʸmeis humin sumbasileusōmen. )

4:8 συμβασιλευσωμεν ¦ συνβασιλευσωμεν TH WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–21: The Corinthians should respect Paul as a servant of Christ

Paul continued to talk about how the Corinthian believers should think about their Christian leaders, especially himself. He said that Christian leaders are servants of Christ and should be judged only by Christ. Some Corinthian believers were saying that they did not have to listen to Paul’s teaching. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to respect and obey him as their spiritual father.

Other possible section headings include:

Paul encouraged the Corinthians to respect him and Apollos

Paul and Apollos deserved respect as Christ’s servants

Paragraph 4:6–13

In this paragraph Paul rebuked the Corinthians for talking proudly about their abilities. Since all their abilities came from God, they had no reason to talk proudly about them. Paul talked about Apollos and himself to contrast the suffering that true workers of Christ were enduring with the proud, boastful attitudes of the Corinthians.

4:8a-c

Paul continued to rebuke the Corinthians because they felt satisfied, rich, and powerful. They thought of themselves as spiritually successful. In this verse Paul rebuked them in three short sentences. There are two ways to interpret the form of the Greek sentences:

They are ironic statements. Irony is a figure of speech that involves saying the opposite of what one means in order to criticize or rebuke others. For example:
Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! (NET) (BSB, NIV, RSV, NJB, NCV, KJV, NASB, REB, GW, NET, NLT, ESV)
They are rhetorical questions. For example:
Are you already satisfied? Are you now rich? Have you become kings while we are still nobodies? (CEV) (GNT, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This has the strongest support among the English versions. Paul was using irony to rebuke the Corinthians. He wanted them to change their proud thoughts about themselves. They thought of themselves as successful, as wise and rich and powerful in spiritual things. But actually, in the way God looked at things, their pride and lack of maturity were causing them to be foolish, poor, and weak.

In your translation, you will want to be sure that your readers do not understand these statements literally. There are several ways to translate them:

using irony or sarcasm. Consider how it might be natural to show this. One way in English is by the use of exaggerated or emphatic language and an exclamation point. For example:
You are already full to the brim! Already multi-millionaires! Already reigning without us!
How comfortable you are! How wealthy! How royal! You are not like us!
as statements implying rebuke. For example:
You think you already have everything you need. You think you are rich. You think you have become kings without us. (NCV)
as direct rebukes. For example:
You are wrong to act/think as though you already have all you need. You are not rich yet! You are (unlike us) already kings!

4:8a

Already you have all you want.

You are already so satisfied!
You seem to have everything you could desire.
You act as though you had everything you needed.

Already you have all you want: The Greek words that the BSB translates as you have all you want are more literally “you are filled,” as in the RSV. This refers to eating and drinking so much that a person does not want anything more to eat or drink. This is a figure of speech. Paul meant that the Corinthian believers thought that they were not lacking anything spiritually. They did not think that they needed any help or instruction from him. So there are several ways of translating this verse part:

with a metaphor. For example:
You have had enough to eat.
with a simile that is explained:
Just like people who have eaten so much that they feel satisfied, you act as if you know all you need to know.
without a figure of speech. For example:
You act as if you already have all you need spiritually.
You apparently think you have already learned all you need to know about God’s ways.

Translate this figure of speech in a way that is natural in your language. If possible, use language that can refer both to feeling content after having had enough to eat and to feeling content after having enough of something else. For example:

You are already satisfied/content.

4:8b

Already you have become rich.

You are already so wealthy/well-off!
You seem to have all the blessings there are!
You act as though you had every spiritual blessings.

Already you have become rich: Here Paul used a second figure of speech. It means almost the same as that in 4:8a. Paul was using the word rich as a metaphor for having many spiritual blessings, gifts, and abilities from the Holy Spirit. The Corinthians seemed to think that they had received all the spiritual blessings possible. So there are several ways to translate this figure of speech:

using a metaphor. For example:
you have come into your fortune already! (REB)
using and explaining a metaphor or simile. For example:
You are like rich men—you don’t need anything from anyone!
with no figure of speech. For example:
You already have all the spiritual blessings there are to have!

As in the previous verse part, it may be possible to use language that has both a figurative and a non-figurative meaning. For example:

You are indeed very successful/well-off!

You already have all there is to have!

4:8c

Without us, you have become kings.

You are reigning already! But you are reigning without us.
We^(excl) are not yet kings, but you act as if you were kings already!
Apparently you think that you are already as strong/prosperous/powerful as kings. But we^(excl) evangelists/apostles are not yet in that position.

Without us: There are two ways to interpret the phrase Without us:

It means “and we are not kings like you.” For example:
even though we are not (GNT) (GNT, CEV)
It means “apart from our help.” For example:
without any help from us (NJB) (NJB, probably the NRSV)

Many English versions are ambiguous (BSB, NIV, RSV, NET, REB, NLT, NCV, GW, NASB, KJV, ESV). It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This fits better with the context of 4:8e.

you have become kings: This is another figure of speech. The Corinthians felt themselves to be as prosperous, strong, and powerful as kings. There are two ways to translate this metaphor:

using a metaphor. For example:
you have come into your kingdom (REB)
you are already reigning!
explaining the metaphor. For example:
you are as prosperous/powerful as kings!

In this verse part, it is not recommended that you remove the metaphor altogether. The New Testament frequently uses this metaphor to speak of the spiritual blessings Christians will enjoy after Christ returns. See, for example, 2 Timothy 2:12.

kings: A king is a legal, hereditary ruler. If kings are not common in your area, it may be natural to use a more general word for leaders, such as “rulers.”

General Comment on 4:8c

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of these phrases. For example:

You have become kings—and that without us! (NIV)

4:8d

How I wish you really were kings,

I wish that you really had begun to reign
I would be happy if you really were as strong/prosperous/powerful as kings.

How I wish you really were kings: This is a wish for something to be true that was not true. Paul wished the time for the Corinthians to reign as kings were already here. But the Corinthians were not already kings. They were not as prosperous and powerful as they supposed they were.

Other ways to translate this include:

How I wish you had indeed come into your kingdom. (REB)

Well, I wish you were kings. (NJB)

I wish you really were on your thrones already. (NLT)

4:8e

so that we might be kings with you!

so that we^(excl) also could be ruling/reigning with you.
That way we^(excl) could be spiritually powerful/prosperous along with you.

so that we might be kings with you: This verse part indicates Paul’s purpose for wishing that the Corinthians were already kings. If the Corinthians were already enjoying the spiritual blessing of reigning with Christ, then so would he and the other apostles.

Other ways to translate this:

so that we could reign with you (NET)

so we^(excl) could be on our thrones as well

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / irony

ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε

already (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε χωρίς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε καί ὄφελον γέ ἐβασιλεύσατε ἵνα καί ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν)

With these statements, Paul is stating what he thinks the Corinthians would say about themselves. He does not mean that he believes that these things are true. If it would be helpful in your language, you could include some words that clarify that Paul is speaking from the Corinthians’s perspective, such as “it is as if” or “you say.” Alternate translation: [Already it is as if you are satisfied! Already it is as if you have become rich! It is as if you began to reign apart from us] or [Already you say that you are satisfied! Already you say that you have become rich! You say that you have begun to reign apart from us]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ

˓having_been˒_satiated ˱you_all˲_are

Here Paul speaks as if the Corinthians have had more than enough food to eat and beverages to drink. By this, he means that (they think that) they have so many spiritual blessings that there are no more that they can receive. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning of satisfied with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [you are stuffed with blessings] or [you have every spiritual gift]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐπλουτήσατε

˱you_all˲_became_rich

Here Paul speaks as if the Corinthians have become wealthy people. He speaks in this way to again emphasize that (they think that) they have more spiritual blessings than they need. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the meaning of become richwith a comparable metaphor or plainly. Alternate translation: [you have become fat] or [you have an excess of spiritual gifts]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἡμῶν & ἡμεῖς

us & we

Here, us and we refer to Paul and others who proclaim the gospel. It does not include the Corinthians.

Parallel 1 COR 4:8