Προς Κορινθιους Α΄ 9

1 ουκ ειμι αποστολος ουκ ειμι ελευθερος ουχι ιησουν χριστον τον κυριον ημων εωρακα ου το εργον μου υμεις εστε εν κυριω

Am I not free? Am I not an emissary? Haven’t I seen Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

2 ει αλλοις ουκ ειμι αποστολος αλλα γε υμιν ειμι η γαρ σφραγις της εμης αποστολης υμεις εστε εν κυριω

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

3 η εμη απολογια τοις εμε ανακρινουσιν αυτη εστιν

My defence to those who examine me is this:

4 μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν φαγειν και πιειν

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

5 μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν αδελφην γυναικα περιαγειν ως και οι λοιποι αποστολοι και οι αδελφοι του κυριου και κηφας

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

6 η μονος εγω και βαρναβας ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν του μη εργαζεσθαι

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

7 τις στρατευεται ιδιοις οψωνιοις ποτε τις φυτευει αμπελωνα και εκ του καρπου αυτου ουκ εσθιει η τις ποιμαινει ποιμνην και εκ του γαλακτος της ποιμνης ουκ εσθιει

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?

8 μη κατα ανθρωπον ταυτα λαλω η ουχι και ο νομος ταυτα λεγει

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

9 εν γαρ τω μωσεως νομω γεγραπται ου φιμωσεις βουν αλοωντα μη των βοων μελει τω θεω

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

10 η δι ημας παντως λεγει δι ημας γαρ εγραφη οτι επ ελπιδι οφειλει ο αροτριων αροτριαν και ο αλοων της ελπιδος αυτου μετεχειν επ ελπιδι

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

11 ει ημεις υμιν τα πνευματικα εσπειραμεν μεγα ει ημεις υμων τα σαρκικα θερισομεν

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

12 ει αλλοι της εξουσιας υμων μετεχουσιν ου μαλλον ημεις αλλ ουκ εχρησαμεθα τη εξουσια ταυτη αλλα παντα στεγομεν ινα μη εγκοπην τινα δωμεν τω ευαγγελιω του χριστου

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 Messiah.

13 ουκ οιδατε οτι οι τα ιερα εργαζομενοι εκ του ιερου εσθιουσιν οι τω θυσιαστηριω προσεδρευοντες τω θυσιαστηριω συμμεριζονται

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?

14 ουτως και ο κυριος διεταξεν τοις το ευαγγελιον καταγγελλουσιν εκ του ευαγγελιου ζην

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

15 εγω δε ουδενι εχρησαμην τουτων ουκ εγραψα δε ταυτα ινα ουτως γενηται εν εμοι καλον γαρ μοι μαλλον αποθανειν η το καυχημα μου ινα τις κενωση

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.

16 εαν γαρ ευαγγελιζωμαι ουκ εστιν μοι καυχημα αναγκη γαρ μοι επικειται ουαι δε μοι εστιν εαν μη ευαγγελιζωμαι

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

17 ει γαρ εκων τουτο πρασσω μισθον εχω ει δε ακων οικονομιαν πεπιστευμαι

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.

18 τις ουν μοι εστιν ο μισθος ινα ευαγγελιζομενος αδαπανον θησω το ευαγγελιον του χριστου εις το μη καταχρησασθαι τη εξουσια μου εν τω ευαγγελιω

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

19 ελευθερος γαρ ων εκ παντων πασιν εμαυτον εδουλωσα ινα τους πλειονας κερδησω

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

20 και εγενομην τοις ιουδαιοις ως ιουδαιος ινα ιουδαιους κερδησω τοις υπο νομον ως υπο νομον ινα τους υπο νομον κερδησω

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;

21 τοις ανομοις ως ανομος μη ων ανομος θεω αλλ εννομος χριστω ινα κερδησω ανομους

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

22 εγενομην τοις ασθενεσιν ως ασθενης ινα τους ασθενεις κερδησω τοις πασιν γεγονα τα παντα ινα παντως τινας σωσω

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.

23 τουτο δε ποιω δια το ευαγγελιον ινα συγκοινωνος αυτου γενωμαι

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

24 ουκ οιδατε οτι οι εν σταδιω τρεχοντες παντες μεν τρεχουσιν εις δε λαμβανει το βραβειον ουτως τρεχετε ινα καταλαβητε

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.

25 πας δε ο αγωνιζομενος παντα εγκρατευεται εκεινοι μεν ουν ινα φθαρτον στεφανον λαβωσιν ημεις δε αφθαρτον

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.

26 εγω τοινυν ουτως τρεχω ως ουκ αδηλως ουτως πυκτευω ως ουκ αερα δερων

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

27 αλλ υπωπιαζω μου το σωμα και δουλαγωγω μηπως αλλοις κηρυξας αυτος αδοκιμος γενωμαι

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.