1 Corinthians 9

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

Am not free? Am I not an apostle? Jesus our Lord, have I not seen? 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, unto others, I am not an apostle, certainly at least, unto you, I am; for, the seal of my apostleship, ye, are in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

My defence, unto them who are examining me, is this:

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Have we not a right to eat and 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 not a right to take round, a sister wife, —as even the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

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

Or have, only I and Barnabas, not a right to forbear working?

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

Who serveth as a soldier, at his own charges, at any time? Who planteth a vineyard, —and, the fruit thereof, doth not eat? [Or] who shepherdeth a flock, —and, of the milk of the flock, doth not eat?

8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or does not the law also say the same thing?

Is it, after the manner of men, that these things I am saying? Or doth not, even the law, the same things, say?

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, in the law of Moses, it is written—Thou shalt not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the corn: —Is it, for the oxen, God is caring?

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, for our sakes altogether, is he saying it? For our sakes, it was written; because, he that ploweth, ought, to plow, in hope, —and, he that thresheth, [to thresh] in hope of partaking.

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

If, we, unto you, the things of the Spirit have sown, is it a great matter, if, we, of you, the things of the flesh shall reap?

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

If, others, of this right, over you, are partaking, [should] not rather, we? nevertheless, we used not this right; but, all [such] things, do we conceal, —lest we should cause any hindrance unto the glad message of the Christ.

13 Do not 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, they who labour in the holy rites, do eat the provisions out of the holy place? They who at the altar wait, do, with the altar, share?

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

Thus, also, hath the Lord, appointed—that, they who the glad message tell, should, of the glad-message, live.

15 But I have used none of these things, and I do not 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.

I, however, have not used any of these things; and have not written these things, in order that, so it should be done, in my case; for it were, good for me, rather to die than——my boast, shall, no man, make 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 do not preach the Good News.

For, if I be telling the glad-message, it is, with me, no matter of boasting; for, necessity, upon me, lieth, —for it is, Woe to me, if I should not be telling the glad-message;

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, by choice, this thing I am doing, I have, a reward; but, if not by choice, with a stewardship, have I been entrusted!

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, in telling the glad-message, free of cost, I should put the glad-message, —to the end I should not use to the full my right in the glad-message.

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

For, though free from all, unto all, myself, I enslaved, —that, the larger number, I might win:

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;

Therefore became I, to the Jews, as, a Jew, —that, Jews, I might win; to them who were under law, as, under law, not being, myself, under law, —that, them who were under law, I might win;

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 them who were without law, as, without law, —not being without law to God, but lawfully subject to Christ, —that I might win them who were 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.

I became, unto the weak, weak, —that, the weak, I might win; —to all men, have I become all things, that, by all means, some, I might save.

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

But, all things, am I doing, for the sake of the glad-message, that a joint-partaker thereof, I may become.

24 Do not 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, they who, in a racecourse, run, all, indeed, run, —but, one, receiveth the prize? So, be running, that ye may lay hold.

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.

But, every man who striveth in the games, in all things, useth self-control; —they, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown, they may receive; but, we, an incorruptible!

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

I, therefore, so, am running, as, not uncertainly, so, am boxing, as not thrashing 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 am beating my body under, and leading it captive, lest, by any means, —unto others, having proclaimed, [the contest], I myself, should be rejected.