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? and are not ye 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 doubtless I am to you: for ye are in the Lord the seal of my apostleship.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

And this is my answer to them that call me to account: have we not power to eat and to drink?

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

have

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?

we not power to lead about with us a sister a wife as well as other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

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

Or is it I only and Barnabas, that have not power to forbear working?

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 goes a warfare at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and doth not eat of the fruit of it? or who feedeth a flock, and doth not eat of 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 speak these things as a man only?

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,

or saith not the law the same also? for it is written in the law of Moses, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn." Now doth God take care for 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 doth He say this indeed for our sakes? For it is certainly written for our sakes, that he, who ploweth, might plow in hope; and that he, who thresheth in hope, should partake of his hope.

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

If we then have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we 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 partake of this power over you, may not we rather? though we have not used this power; but we bear all things, least we should cause any hindrance to the gospel of 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?

Do ye not know, that they who are employed about the sacrifices have their food from the temple? and they, who attend at the altar, are partakers with the altar?

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

So also the Lord hath ordained, that those who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.

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 availed myself of none of these things. Nor have I written these things, that it might be so done as to me: for it were better for me to die, than that any one should make this my glorying void.

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 gospel, yet I have no ground for boasting; because I am under necessity to do it: and wo is me if I do not preach the Gospel.

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.

Now if I do this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly, yet I am intrusted with the commission, and I must execute it.

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 is my reward then but this? that when I preach I may make the gospel of Christ not expensive, that so I may not abuse my power in the gospel.

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

For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself a servant to all, 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, that I might gain the Jews; that is, to those, who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the 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.

and to those without the law as without the law, (not being without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain those who are without the 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 the weak, that I might gain the weak: I became all things to all men, that I might by every means save some.

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

And this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may be a fellow partaker 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 a race, do all indeed run, but one only receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.

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 one that enters the lists is temperate in all things: they indeed do it that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one.

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

I therefore so run, not as unobserved: I so fight, not as one that beateth the 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 mortify my body and bring it into subjection, least after having preached to others, I myself should be rejected.