1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen the Lord Jesus? are you not my work in the Lord?

Am I not free? Am I not an emissary? Have I not seen Yeshua our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

2 If I am not an apostle to others, but I am to you at least: for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

If to others I am not an emissary, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my office of emissary in the Lord.

3 My defence to those calling me in question is this.

My defense to those who examine me is this.

4 Have we not a right to eat and drink?

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

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

Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the emissaries, and the brothers of the Lord, and Kefa?

6 Have I and Barnabas alone not the right to forbear working?

Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

7 Whoever goes to war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? or who shepherdizes a flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock?

What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and does not drink from the flock's milk?

8 Whether do I speak these things according to a man? or does not the law indeed say these things?

Do I say these things according to human authority? Or does not the Law also say the same thing?

9 For in the law of Moses it has been written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that plows. Is there a care to God for oxen,

For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it for the oxen that God cares,

10 or does he speak it altogether on account of us? For it was written on account of us, That the one plowing ought to plow in hope, and the one threshing in hope of partaking.

or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in the hope of having a share.

11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

12 If others partake of your bounty, shall not we the more? But we have not used this privilege, but we bear all things, in order that we may not give a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Messiah.

13 Do you not know that those working in the sacrifices eat those things of the temple; and those serving the altar partake of the altar?

Do you not know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

14 So also the Lord has commanded those preaching the gospel to live of the gospel.

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

15 But I have used none of these things. But I have not written these things that it may be so in me: for it is good for me rather to die than that any one shall make void my boasting.

But I have used none of these things, and I do not write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

16 For if I preach the gospel, there is no boasting to me; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I may not preach the gospel.

For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the Good News.

17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward: but if unwillingly, I have been intrusted with a dispensation.

For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

18 Then what is my reward? that preaching the gospel, I may render the gospel free from charge, in order that I may not use my right in the gospel.

What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

19 For being free from all, I rendered myself servant to all, that I may gain the more.

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I may gain the Jews; to those under the law, as under the law, not myself being under law, that I may gain those under the law;

To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

21 to those without law, I became as without law, not being without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, that I may gain those without law.

to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Messiah), that I might win those who are without law.

22 To the weak I became as weak, that I may gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I may indeed save some.

To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I may by all means save some.

23 But I do all these things for the sake of the gospel, that I may be its fellow-partaker.

Now I do all things for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

24 Do you not know that those running in the stadium, indeed all run, and one receives the prize? So run, that you may receive it.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

25 But every one contesting is abstinent in all things, they indeed also that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

Now everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, do I thus fight not as beating the air:

I therefore run like that, as not uncertainly. I fight like that, as not beating the air,

27 but I keep my body under, and enslave it, lest having preached the gospel to others, I myself may become disapproved.

but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.