1 Corinthians 9

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

Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

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

If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this.

My defence to them that examine me is this.

4 Have we no, not a right to eat and to drink?

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

5 Have we no, not a right to lead about a sister wife, as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6 Or have only I and Barnabas no right not to be occupied earning a living?

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

7 Who ever enlists in an army at his own wage? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from the fruit of it? Or who feeds a flock and does not eat from the milk of the flock?

What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

8 Do I say these things according to man, or does not the law also say these things?

Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same?

9 For it is written in the law of Moses thou shall not muzzle an ox threshing grain. Is God concerned about oxen,

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth,

10 or does he speak altogether for our sake? For our sake, for it was written, He who plows ought to plow with hope, and he who threshes with his hope, with hope to share.

or saith he it assuredly for our sake? Yea, for our sake 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 spiritual things to you, is it a great thing if we will reap your carnal things?

If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?

12 If others are partakers of the right from you, are not we more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we cover all things, so that we may not give any hindrance to the good news of the Christ.

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 gospel of Christ.

13 Know ye not that those being employed at the sacred things eat from the temple, and those who serve at the altar are partakers at the altar?

Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat [of] the things of the temple, [and] they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?

14 And so the Lord commanded those who proclaim the good news to live from the good news.

Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

15 But I have used none of these things, and I did not write these things so that it should be done to me this way. For it is good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my boasting empty.

But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

16 For if I preach the good news, it is not a source of pride for me, for an obligation is laid upon me. And woe is to me if I do not preach the good news.

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.

17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if involuntarily, I have been entrusted with a commission.

For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.

18 What then is my reward? That, while preaching the good news, I may make the good news of the Christ without charge, in order not to make full use of my right in the good news.

What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel.

19 For although being free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that I might gain the more.

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

20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews, to those under law, as under law, so that I might gain those under law,

And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21 to those without law, as without law (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ), so that I might gain men without law.

to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.

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

To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

23 And I do this for sake of the good news, so that I might become a fellow participant of it.

And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

24 Know ye not that those who run in an arena, indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run that ye may seize it.

Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.

25 And every man who strives for mastery exercises self-control in all things. Indeed therefore those men do it so that they might obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable.

And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they [do it] to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore run this way, not as aimlessly. I fight this way, not as flaying air.

I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air:

27 But I give my body a black eye and subdue it, lest somehow having preached to others, I myself might become disqualified.

but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.