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 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 any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in [the] Lord.

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

3 My defence to those who examine me is this:

This is my answer to those who question my authority.

4 Have we not a right to eat and to drink?

Have we not a right to eat and 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 not a right to carry about with us a sister as a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

6 Or I alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?

Or am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?

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 ever serveth as a soldier at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard without eating its fruit? Or who tendeth a flock and doth not eat of the milk of the flock?

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

Is it on man's authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too say the same?

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: “Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain.” Is it for oxen that God careth?

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].

Or doth he say it altogether on our account? On our account, no doubt, it was written, that he who plougheth ought to plough in hope, and that he who thrasheth should do it in the hope of partaking.

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 to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap from you things for the body?

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 possess this right in relation to you, do not we still more? But we have not used this right; but we submit to all things, that we may occasion no hindrance to 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 ye not know, that they who minister in the offerings of the temple live from the temple? that they who serve at the altar share with the altar?

14 So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.

In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach the gospel should live 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 used no right of this kind; nor have I written thus that anything of this kind should be done for me; for it were better for me to die, than that any one should take from me what I glory in.

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.

For in preaching the gospel, I have nothing to glory in; for I am under a necessity to do so; yea, woe is to me, if I preach not 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.

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, still I have been intrusted with a stewardship.

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? It is that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel free of charge, that I use not to the full my right as a preacher of the gospel.

19 For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].

For being free from all men, yet I made myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more;

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:

and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law, not being myself under the Law, that I might gain 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, as without the Law, being not without a law before God, but under the law of Christ, that I might gain 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, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all, that I might by all means save some.

23 And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.

And I do all for the sake of the gospel, that I may with others partake of it.

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.

Know ye not, that of those who run in the race-course all run, but one receiveth the prize? Thus run, that ye may obtain.

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.

And every one who contendeth in the games is temperate in all things; they, however, to obtain a perishable crown, but we, an imperishable.

26 I therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air.

I therefore so run, not as one uncertain; I so fight, not as one striking the air;

27 But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest [after] having preached to others I should be myself rejected.

but I beat down my body, and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps, when I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected as unworthy.