1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in [the] Lord?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in [the] Lord.
Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defence to those who examine me is this:
This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
4 Have we not a right to eat and to drink?
Have we no right to food and to drink?
5 have we not a right to take round a sister [as] wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
6 Or I alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?
Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7 Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
8 Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things?
Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9 For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen,
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10 or does he say [it] altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of [it].
Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
11 If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if we shall reap your carnal things?
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12 If others partake of this right over you, should not rather we? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ.
If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that they who labour [at] sacred things eat of the [offerings offered in the] temple; they that attend at the altar partake with the altar?
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
14 So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.
In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast.
But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
16 For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings.
Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration.
If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
18 What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless [to others], so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in [announcing] the glad tidings.
What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
19 For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain the Jews: to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, in order that I might gain those under law:
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
21 to those without law, as without law, (not as without law to God, but as legitimately subject to Christ, ) in order that I might gain [those] without law.
To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
22 I became to the weak, [as] weak, in order that I might gain the weak. To all I have become all things, in order that at all events I might save some.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23 And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24 Know ye not that they who run in [the] race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
25 But every one that contends [for a prize] is temperate in all things: they then indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
26 I therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air.
Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27 But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest [after] having preached to others I should be myself rejected.
No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
