1 Corinthians 9

1 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?

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?

2 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.

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.

3 My answer to those who examine me is this:

My defence to those who examine me is this:

4 Have we not the right to eat and drink?

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

5 Have we not the right to lead about a sister wife, as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

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?

6 Or, have I only, and Barnabas, no right to leave off working?

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

7 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?

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

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

9 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?

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,

10 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.

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 If we have sown, for your benefit, things that are spiritual, is it a great thing that we reap your carnal things?

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

12 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.

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.

13 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?

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 So, also, the Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.

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

15 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.

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 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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

19 For, though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself a servant to all, that I may gain the more.

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

20 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;

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 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:

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

22 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.

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

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

24 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.

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 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.

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

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

27 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.

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.