1 Corinthians 9

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

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?

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

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.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this.

My defense to those who examine me in this:

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

do we not have authority to eat and to drink?

5 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 Kipha?

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?

6 Or have only Bar-Naba and I no right to not work?

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

7 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?

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?

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

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

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

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?

10 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.

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.

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

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

12 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 Meshikha.

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.

13 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?

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?

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

So also the LORD directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news.

15 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.

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;

16 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.

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;

17 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.

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

18 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.

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;

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

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

20 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;

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;

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

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;

22 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.

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.

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

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

24 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.

have you not known that those running in a race—all indeed run, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain;

25 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.

and everyone who is striving is temperate in all things; these, indeed, then, that they may receive a corruptible garland, but we an incorruptible;

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

I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;

27 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.

but I bruise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others—I myself may become disapproved.