1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my worke in the Lord?

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?

2 If I be not an Apostle vnto other, yet doutlesse I am vnto you: for ye are the seale of mine Apostleship in the Lord.

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.

3 My defence to them that examine mee, is this,

My answer to those who examine me is this:

4 Haue we not power to eat and to drinke?

Have we not the right to eat and drink?

5 Or haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister, as well as the rest of the Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

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

6 Or I only and Barnabas, haue not we power not to worke?

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

7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne coste? who planteth a vineyarde, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke?

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?

8 Say I these thinges according to man? saith not the Lawe the same also?

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

9 For it is written in the Lawe of Moses, Thou shalt not mussell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doeth God take care for oxen?

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?

10 Either saith hee it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt it is written, that he which eareth, should eare in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope.

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.

11 If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall thinges, is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges?

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

12 If others with you bee partakers of this power, are not we rather? neuerthelesse, we haue not vsed this power: but suffer all things, that we should not hinder the Gospel of Christ.

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.

13 Doe ye not knowe, that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the Temple? and they which waite at the altar, are partakers with the altar?

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?

14 So also hath the Lord ordeined, that they which preach ye Gospel, should liue of the Gospel.

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

15 But I haue vsed none of these things: neither wrote I these things, that it should be so done vnto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man should make my reioycing vaine.

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.

16 For though I preach the Gospel, I haue nothing to reioyce of: for necessitie is laid vpon me, and woe is vnto me, if I preach not the Gospel.

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.

17 For if I do it willingly, I haue a reward, but if I do it against my will, notwithstanding the dispensation is committed vnto me.

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

18 What is my reward then? verely that when I preach the Gospel, I make the Gospel of Christ free, that I abuse not mine authoritie in ye Gospel.

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.

19 For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men, that I might winne the moe.

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

20 And vnto the Iewes, I become as a Iewe, that I may winne the Iewes: to them that are vnder the Lawe, as though I were vnder the Lawe, that I may winne them that are vnder the Lawe:

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;

21 To them that are without Lawe, as though I were without Lawe, (when I am not without Lawe as pertaining to God, but am in the Lawe through Christ) that I may winne them that are without Lawe:

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:

22 To the weake I become as weake, that I may winne the weake: I am made all thinges to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some.

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.

23 And this I doe for the Gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

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

24 Knowe ye not, that they which runne in a race, runne all, yet one receiueth the price? so runne that ye may obtaine.

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.

25 And euery man that proueth masteries, abstaineth from all things: and they do it to obtaine a corruptible crowne: but we for an vncorruptible.

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.

26 I therefore so runne, not as vncertainely: so fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre.

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

27 But I beate downe my body, and bring it into subiection, lest by any meanes after that I haue preached to other, I my selfe should be reproued.

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.