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?

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

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.

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

3 My defense to those who examine me in this:

My defense to those who examine me is this:

4 do we not have authority to eat and to drink?

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

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?

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

6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no authority not to work?

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

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?

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

8 Do I speak these things according to man? Or does the Law not also say these things?

Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing?

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?

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 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.

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 hope should partake of his hope.

11 If we sowed to you the spiritual things—[is it] great if we reap your fleshly things?

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

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.

If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

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?

Don’t you 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 directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news.

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

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;

But I have used none of these things, and I don’t 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 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;

For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.

17 for if I do this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly—I have been entrusted with a stewardship!

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 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;

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

19 for being free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that the more I might gain;

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 like a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under law as under law, that I might gain those under 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, that I might gain those who are under the law;

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;

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

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.

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

23 And I do this because of the good news, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it;

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

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;

Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.

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;

Every man who strives 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, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;

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

27 but I bruise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached 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 disqualified.