1 Corinthians 9

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

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you 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 office of apostle in the Lord.

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

3 My defense to those who examine me is this.

My answer to those who examine me is this:

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Have we not the 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 the right to lead about a sister wife, as 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 I only, and Barnabas, no right to leave off 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?

What man ever serves as a soldier, at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and eats not of its fruit? Or who tends a flock, and eats not of the milk of the flock?

8 Do I say these things according to human authority? Or does not the Law also say the same thing?

Do I speak these things as a man? Or does not the law, also, say the same?

9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, "Do 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: You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain? Has God a 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 the hope of having a share.

or does he say it wholly for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, it was written: that he that plows should plow in hope, and that he that thrashes should thrash 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 have sown, for your benefit, things that are spiritual, is it a great thing that we reap your carnal things?

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 partake of this right over you, should not we rather? But we have not used this right: but we endure all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of the Christ.

13 Do you not 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 you not know that those who are engaged about sacred rites have their living from the temple? and that those who attend upon 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 has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.

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.

But I have availed myself of none of these things; nor do I write these things that it should be so done to me. For it would be better for me to die, than that any one should make my boasting vain.

16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the Good News.

For though I preach the gospel, I have no cause for boasting; for a necessity is laid upon me; yes, alas for me, if I preach not 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.

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, an apostolic stewardship has been intrusted to me.

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

What, then, is my reward? That, while I preach, I may make the gospel of Christ to be without charge, in order that I may not abuse my authority 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 men, yet have I made myself a servant to all, that I may 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, not being myself 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: to those who are under law, as under law, (not being myself under law, ) that I might gain those who are 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 who are without law, as without law, (not being myself without law to God, but under law to Christ, ) that I might gain those who are without law:

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

to the weak I became like one who was weak, that I might gain the weak: I have become all things to all men, that I may, by all means, save some.

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

And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may share its benefits with you.

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

Know you not that all the runners in the race-course run the race, but that one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain the prize.

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

Every combatant in the public games is temperate in all things: they, indeed, that they may obtain a corruptible, but we, that we may obtain an incorruptible crown.

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

I, therefore, so run, not as with uncertainty; I so aim my blows, not as one that beats 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 rejected.

but I put my body under severe discipline, and bring it into subjection, lest, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.