1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the LORD?
不是自自由的嗎？我不是宗徒嗎？我不是見過我們的主耶穌嗎？你們不是我在主內所建的工程嗎？
2 If I am not an apostle to others—yet doubtless I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the LORD.
縱然我為別人不是宗徒，為你們我總是，你們在主內正是我任宗徒職份的印證。
3 My defense to those who examine me in this:
這也就是我對那些質問我的人的答辨。
4 do we not have authority to eat and to drink?
難道我們沒有取取得飲食的權利嗎？
5 Do we not have authority to lead about a sister—a wife—as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the LORD, and Cephas?
難道我們沒有權利攜帶一位為姐妹的人，如其他的宗徒主的弟兄並刻法一樣嗎？
6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no authority not to work?
或者惟有我和巴爾納伯沒有不勞作的權利嗎？
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense at any time? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
誰當兵而自備糧餉呢？誰種葡萄園而不吃它的出產呢？或者誰不牧放羊群而不吃羊群的奶呢？
8 Do I speak these things according to man? Or does the Law not also say these things?
我說這話，難道是按人之常情？法律不是也這樣說嗎？
9 For in the Law of Moses it has been written: “you will not muzzle an ox treading out grain”; does God care for the oxen?
原來梅瑟法律上記載說：『牛在打埸的時候，不可籠住它的嘴。』難道天主關心的是牛嗎？
10 Or by all means does He say [it] because of us? Yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.
豈不是完全為我們說的嗎？的確是為我們記載的，因為犁地的當懷著希望去犁，打埸的也當懷著有份的希望去打埸。
11 If we sowed to you the spiritual things—[is it] great if we reap your fleshly things?
若是我們給你們散播神聖恩的恩惠，而收割你們那屬物質的東西，還算什麼大事？
12 If others partake of the authority over you—[do] we not more? But we did not use this authority, but we bear all things, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.
如別人在你們身上尚且分享權利，我們豈不更該嗎？可是我們沒有用過這權利，反倒忍受了一切，免得基督的福音受到妨礙。
13 Have you not known that those working about the things of the temple eat of the temple, and those waiting at the altar are partakers with the altar?
你們豈不知道為聖事服務的，就靠聖殿生活；供職於祭壇的， 1分享祭壇上的物品嗎？
14 So also the LORD directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news.
主也這樣規定了，傳福音的人，應靠福音而生活。
15 And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that anyone may make my glorying void;
可是，這些權利我一樣也沒有用過；我寫這話，並非要人這樣對待我，因為我寧願死，也不願讓人使我這誇耀落了空。
16 for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid on me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news;
我若傳福音，原沒有什麼可誇耀的，因為這是我不得已的事；我若不傳福音，我就有禍了。
17 for if I do this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly—I have been entrusted with a stewardship!
假使我自願作這事，便有酬報；若不自願，可是責任已委托給我。
18 What, then, is my reward? That proclaiming good news, without charge I will make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;
這樣看來，我的酬是什麼呢？就是傳福音時白白地去傳，不享用我在傳福音上所有的權利。
19 for being free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that the more I might gain;
我原是自由的，不屬於任何人；但我卻使自己成了眾人的奴僕，為贏得更多的人。
20 and to the Jews I became like a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under law as under law, that I might gain those under law;
對猶太人，我就成為猶太人，為贏得猶太人；對於法律下的人，我雖不在法律下，仍成為在法律下的人，為贏得那在法律下的人；
21 to those without law, as without law—(not being without law to God, but within law to Christ)—that I might gain those without law;
對那些法律以外的人，我就成為法律以外的人，為贏得那些法律以外的人；其實，我並不在天主的法律以外，而是在基督的法律之下。
22 to the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.
對軟弱的人，我就成為軟弱的，為贏得那軟弱的人；對一切人，我就成為一切，為的是總要救些人。
23 And I do this because of the good news, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it;
我所行的一切，都是為了福音，為能與人共沾福音的恩許。
24 have you not known that those running in a race—all indeed run, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain;
你們豈不知在運動埸上賽跑的，固然都跑，但只有一個得獎賞嗎？你們也應該這樣跑，好能得到獎賞。
25 and everyone who is striving is temperate in all things; these, indeed, then, that they may receive a corruptible garland, but we an incorruptible;
凡比武競賽的，在一切事上都有節制；他們只是為得到可朽壞的花冠，而我們卻是為得到不朽壞的花冠。
26 I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;
所以，我總是這樣跑，不是如同無定向的；我這樣打拳，不是如同打空氣的；
27 but I bruise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others—I myself may become disapproved.
我痛繫我身，使它為奴，免得我給別人報捷，自己反而落選。
