哥林多前書 9
1 不是自自由的嗎？我不是宗徒嗎？我不是見過我們的主耶穌嗎？你們不是我在主內所建的工程嗎？
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my workmanship in the Lord?
2 縱然我為別人不是宗徒，為你們我總是，你們在主內正是我任宗徒職份的印證。
If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you. For you are the proof of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 這也就是我對那些質問我的人的答辨。
This is my defense to those who examine me:
4 難道我們沒有取取得飲食的權利嗎？
Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
5 難道我們沒有權利攜帶一位為姐妹的人，如其他的宗徒主的弟兄並刻法一樣嗎？
Do we not have the right to take along with us a wife who is a believer, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 或者惟有我和巴爾納伯沒有不勞作的權利嗎？
Or is it only Barnabas and I who must work?
7 誰當兵而自備糧餉呢？誰種葡萄園而不吃它的出產呢？或者誰不牧放羊群而不吃羊群的奶呢？
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink milk from it?
8 我說這話，難道是按人之常情？法律不是也這樣說嗎？
Do I say these things based on human authority? Does not the law also say this?
9 原來梅瑟法律上記載說：『牛在打埸的時候，不可籠住它的嘴。』難道天主關心的是牛嗎？
For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not put a muzzle on an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it really the oxen that God cares about?
10 豈不是完全為我們說的嗎？的確是為我們記載的，因為犁地的當懷著希望去犁，打埸的也當懷著有份的希望去打埸。
Is he not speaking about us? It was written for us, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in the expectation of sharing in the harvest.
11 若是我們給你們散播神聖恩的恩惠，而收割你們那屬物質的東西，還算什麼大事？
If we sowed spiritual things among you, is it too much for us to reap material things from you?
12 如別人在你們身上尚且分享權利，我們豈不更該嗎？可是我們沒有用過這權利，反倒忍受了一切，免得基督的福音受到妨礙。
If others exercised this right from you, do we not have even more? But we did not claim this right. Instead we endured everything rather than be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
13 你們豈不知道為聖事服務的，就靠聖殿生活；供職於祭壇的， 1分享祭壇上的物品嗎？
Do you not know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple? Do you not know that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?
14 主也這樣規定了，傳福音的人，應靠福音而生活。
In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel.
15 可是，這些權利我一樣也沒有用過；我寫這話，並非要人這樣對待我，因為我寧願死，也不願讓人使我這誇耀落了空。
But I have not claimed any of these rights. And I do not write this so something might be done for me. I would rather die than anyone deprive me of this boast.
16 我若傳福音，原沒有什麼可誇耀的，因為這是我不得已的事；我若不傳福音，我就有禍了。
For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I must do this. And woe be to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 假使我自願作這事，便有酬報；若不自願，可是責任已委托給我。
For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if not willingly, I still have a responsibility that was entrusted to me.
18 這樣看來，我的酬是什麼呢？就是傳福音時白白地去傳，不享用我在傳福音上所有的權利。
What then is my reward? That when I preach, I may offer the gospel without charge and so not take full use of my right in the gospel.
19 我原是自由的，不屬於任何人；但我卻使自己成了眾人的奴僕，為贏得更多的人。
For though I am free from all, I became a servant to all, in order that I might win more.
20 對猶太人，我就成為猶太人，為贏得猶太人；對於法律下的人，我雖不在法律下，仍成為在法律下的人，為贏得那在法律下的人；
To the Jews I became like a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law in order to win those under the law. I did this even though I myself was not under the law.
21 對那些法律以外的人，我就成為法律以外的人，為贏得那些法律以外的人；其實，我並不在天主的法律以外，而是在基督的法律之下。
To those outside the law, I became like one outside the law, although I was not outside the law of God myself, but under the law of Christ. I did this so that I may win those outside the law.
22 對軟弱的人，我就成為軟弱的，為贏得那軟弱的人；對一切人，我就成為一切，為的是總要救些人。
To the weak I became weak, so that I may win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.
23 我所行的一切，都是為了福音，為能與人共沾福音的恩許。
I do all things for the gospel's sake, so that I may participate in its blessings.
24 你們豈不知在運動埸上賽跑的，固然都跑，但只有一個得獎賞嗎？你們也應該這樣跑，好能得到獎賞。
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run the race, but that only one receives the prize? So run to win the prize.
25 凡比武競賽的，在一切事上都有節制；他們只是為得到可朽壞的花冠，而我們卻是為得到不朽壞的花冠。
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a wreath that is perishable, but we do it to receive one that is imperishable.
26 所以，我總是這樣跑，不是如同無定向的；我這樣打拳，不是如同打空氣的；
Therefore I do not run without purpose or box by beating the air.
27 我痛繫我身，使它為奴，免得我給別人報捷，自己反而落選。
But I subdue my body and make it a slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself may not be disqualified.
