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 our Lord? Are you not my workmanship 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, at least I am to you. For you are the proof of my apostleship in the Lord.

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

This is my defense to those who examine me:

4 Haue we not power to eat and to drinke?

Do we not have 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?

Do we not have the right to take along with us a wife who is a believer, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

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

Or is it only Barnabas and I who must work?

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 serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink milk from it?

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

Do I say these things based on human authority? Does not the law also say this?

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, “Do not put a muzzle on an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it really the oxen that God cares about?

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.

Is he not speaking about us? It was written for us, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in the expectation of sharing in the harvest.

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

If we sowed spiritual things among you, is it too much for us to reap material things from you?

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 exercised this right from you, do we not have even more? But we did not claim this right. Instead we endured everything rather than be a 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 you not know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple? Do you not know that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?

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

In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living 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 not claimed any of these rights. And I do not write this so something might be done for me. I would rather die than anyone deprive me of this boast.

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 if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I must do this. And woe be to me if I do not preach 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 not willingly, I still have a responsibility that was entrusted 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 when I preach, I may offer the gospel without charge and so not take full use of my right 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, I became a servant to all, in order that I might win 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:

To the Jews I became like a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law in order to win those under the law. I did this even though I myself was not 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 outside the law, I became like one outside the law, although I was not outside the law of God myself, but under the law of Christ. I did this so that I may win those outside 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, so that I may win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so 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.

I do all things for the gospel's sake, so that I may participate in its blessings.

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

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run the race, but that only one receives the prize? So run to win 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 athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a wreath that is perishable, but we do it to receive one that is imperishable.

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

Therefore I do not run without purpose or box by beating 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 subdue my body and make it a slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself may not be disqualified.