1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?

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

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

3 This is my answer to those who question my authority.

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 carry about with us a sister as a wife, as well as 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 am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?

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

7 Who ever serveth as a soldier at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard without eating its fruit? Or who tendeth a flock and doth 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 Is it on man's authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too say the same?

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

9 For it is written in the law of Moses: “Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain.” Is it for oxen that God careth?

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

10 Or doth he say it altogether on our account? On our account, no doubt, it was written, that he who plougheth ought to plough in hope, and that he who thrasheth should do it in the 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 to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap from you things for the body?

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

12 If others possess this right in relation to you, do not we still more? But we have not used this right; but we submit to all things, that we may occasion no 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 Christ.

13 Do ye not know, that they who minister in the offerings of the temple live from the temple? that they who serve at the altar share with 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 In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach the gospel should live from 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 no right of this kind; nor have I written thus that anything of this kind should be done for me; for it were better for me to die, than that any one should take from me what I glory in.

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 in preaching the gospel, I have nothing to glory in; for I am under a necessity to do so; yea, woe is to me, if I preach not 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, still I have been intrusted 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? It is that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel free of charge, that I use not to the full my right as a preacher of 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 men, yet I made myself a servant to all, that I might 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 might gain Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law, not being myself under the Law, that I might 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 the Law, as without the Law, being not without a law before God, but under the law of Christ, that I might gain those without the 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; I have become all things to all, that I might by all means 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 And I do all for the sake of the gospel, that I may with others partake of it.

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

24 Know ye not, that of those who run in the race-course all run, but one receiveth the prize? Thus run, that ye may obtain.

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 And every one who contendeth in the games is temperate in all things; they, however, to obtain a perishable crown, but we, an imperishable.

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 one uncertain; I so fight, not as one striking the air;

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

27 but I beat down my body, and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps, when I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected as unworthy.

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.