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 an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye 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 surely I am to you; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.

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

This is my answer to those who question my authority.

4 Haue we not power to eat and to drinke?

Have we not a 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 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 only and Barnabas, haue not we power not to worke?

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

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?

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

Is it on man's authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too 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: “Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain.” Is it for oxen that God careth?

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

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

In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach the gospel should live from 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 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 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 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 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, still I have been intrusted with a stewardship.

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

For being free from all men, yet I made myself a servant to all, that I might 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 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 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 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 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 weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all, that I might by all means save some.

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

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

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

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

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