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 free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen the Lord Jesus? 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 apostleship in the Lord.

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

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

My defence to those calling me in question 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 lead about a sister as a wife, as the other apostles also, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

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

Have I and Barnabas alone not the right 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?

Whoever goes to war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? or who shepherdizes a flock, and does 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?

Whether do I speak these things according to a man? or does not the law indeed 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 in the law of Moses it has been written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that plows. Is there a care to God 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 does he speak it altogether on account of us? For it was written on account of us, That the one plowing ought to plow in hope, and the one threshing 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 unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall 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 your bounty, shall not we the more? But we have not used this privilege, but we bear all things, in order that we may not give a 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 you not know that those working in the sacrifices eat those things of the temple; and those serving the altar partake of 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 commanded those preaching the gospel to 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 used none of these things. But I have not written these things that it may be so in me: for it is good for me rather to die than that any one shall make void my boasting.

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, there is no boasting to me; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I may 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.

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward: but if unwillingly, I have been intrusted with a dispensation.

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.

Then what is my reward? that preaching the gospel, I may render the gospel free from charge, in order that I may not use my right 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 being free from all, I rendered myself 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, that I might gain those who are under the law;

And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I may gain the Jews; to those under the law, as under the law, not myself being under law, that I may gain those 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.

to those without law, I became as without law, not being without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, that I may gain those 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, that I may gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I may indeed save some.

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

But I do all these things for the sake of the gospel, that I may be its fellow-partaker.

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.

Do you not know that those running in the stadium, indeed all run, and one receives the prize? So run, that you may receive 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.

But every one contesting is abstinent in all things, they indeed also that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

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

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, do I thus fight not as beating 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 keep my body under, and enslave it, lest having preached the gospel to others, I myself may become disapproved.