1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord?

2 If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

If I am not an apostle to others, yet at least I am to you, for ye are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

My defense to those who examine me is this.

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Have we no, not a right to eat and to drink?

5 Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Have we no, not a right to lead about a sister wife, as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

6 Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

Or have only I and Barnabas no right not to be occupied earning a living?

7 What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?

Who ever enlists in an army at his own wage? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from the fruit of it? Or who feeds a flock and does not eat from the milk of the flock?

8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing?

Do I say these things according to man, or does not the law also say these things?

9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,

For it is written in the law of Moses thou shall not muzzle an ox threshing grain. Is God concerned about oxen,

10 or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.

or does he speak altogether for our sake? For our sake, for it was written, He who plows ought to plow with hope, and he who threshes with his hope, with hope to share.

11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

If we sowed spiritual things to you, is it a great thing if we will reap your carnal things?

12 If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

If others are partakers of the right from you, are not we more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we cover all things, so that we may not give any hindrance to the good news of the Christ.

13 Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

Know ye not that those being employed at the sacred things eat from the temple, and those who serve at the altar are partakers at the altar?

14 Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

And so the Lord commanded those who proclaim the good news to live from the good news.

15 But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

But I have used none of these things, and I did not write these things so that it should be done to me this way. For it is good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my boasting empty.

16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.

For if I preach the good news, it is not a source of pride for me, for an obligation is laid upon me. And woe is to me if I do not preach the good news.

17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if involuntarily, I have been entrusted with a commission.

18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

What then is my reward? That, while preaching the good news, I may make the good news of the Christ without charge, in order not to make full use of my right in the good news.

19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

For although being free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that I might gain the more.

20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews, to those under law, as under law, so that I might gain those under law,

21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.

to those without law, as without law (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ), so that I might gain men without law.

22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

To the weak I became as weak, so that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that by all means I might save some.

23 Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

And I do this for sake of the good news, so that I might become a fellow participant of it.

24 Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.

Know ye not that those who run in an arena, indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run that ye may seize it.

25 Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

And every man who strives for mastery exercises self-control in all things. Indeed therefore those men do it so that they might obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable.

26 I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,

I therefore run this way, not as aimlessly. I fight this way, not as flaying air.

27 but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

But I give my body a black eye and subdue it, lest somehow having preached to others, I myself might become disqualified.