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 a free man? Or, am I not a legate? Or, have I not seen Jesus Messiah our Lord? Or, have ye not been my work in my 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.

And if I have not been a legate to others, yet I have been so to you; and ye are the seal of my legateship.

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

And my apology to my judgers, is this:

4 Have we not a right to eat and drink?

Have we not authority, 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?

Or have we not authority to carry about with us a sister as a wife; just as the other legates, and the brothers of our Lord, and as Cephas?

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

Or I only, and Barnabas, have we no right to forbear labor?

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?

Who, that serveth in war, doth so at his own expense? Or who, that planteth a vineyard, eateth not of its fruits? Or who, that tendeth sheep, eateth not of the milk of his flocks?

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

Is it as a man, I say these things? Behold, the law also saith them.

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, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that thresheth. Hath God regard for oxen?

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.

But manifest it is, for whose sake he said it. And indeed, for our sakes it was written: because the plougher ought to plough in hope, and the thresher in hope of fruit.

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

If we have sowed among you the things of the Spirit, is it a great matter, if we reap from you the things of the body?

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.

And if others have this prerogative over you, doth it not belong still more to us? Yet we have not used this prerogative; but we have endured every thing, that we might in nothing impede the announcement of the 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?

Know ye not, that they who serve in a temple, are fed from the temple? And they who serve at the altar, participate with the altar?

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

Thus also hath our Lord commanded, that they who proclaim his gospel, should live by his gospel.

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 write not, that it may be so done to me; for it would be better for me to actually die, than that any one should make void my glorying.

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 while I preach, I have no ground of glorying; because necessity is laid upon me, and woe to me, if I preach not.

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 voluntarily, there is a reward for me: but if involuntarily, a stewardship is intrusted 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? It is, that when I preach, I make the announcement of the Messiah without cost, and use not the prerogative given me in the gospel.

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

Being free from them all, I have made myself servant to every man; that I might gain many:

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;

and with the Jews, I was as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; and with those under the law, I was as under the law, that I might gain them 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.

and to those who have not the law, I was as without the law, (although I am not without law to God, but under the law of the Messiah, ) that I might gain them that are without the 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.

I was with the weak, as weak, that I might gain the weak: I was all things to all men, that I might vivify every one.

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

And this I do, that I may participate in the announcement.

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.

Know ye not that they who run in the stadium, run all of them; yet it is one who gaineth the victory. Run ye, so as to attain.

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

For every one who engageth in the contest, restraineth his desires in every thing. And they run, to obtain a crown that perisheth; but we, one that perisheth not.

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

I therefore so run, not as for something unknown; and I so struggle, not as struggling against 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 subdue my body, and reduce it to servitude; lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a reprobate.