1 Corinthians 9

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

Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my worke in the Lord?

2 If, unto others, I am not an apostle, certainly at least, unto you, I am; for, the seal of my apostleship, ye, are in the Lord.

If I be not an Apostle vnto other, yet doutlesse I am vnto you: for ye are the seale of mine Apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defence, unto them who are examining me, is this:

My defence to them that examine mee, is this,

4 Have we not a right to eat and drink?

Haue we not power to eat and to drinke?

5 Have we not a right to take round, a sister wife, —as even the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister, as well as the rest of the Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6 Or have, only I and Barnabas, not a right to forbear working?

Or I only and Barnabas, haue not we power not to worke?

7 Who serveth as a soldier, at his own charges, at any time? Who planteth a vineyard, —and, the fruit thereof, doth not eat? [Or] who shepherdeth a flock, —and, of the milk of the flock, doth not eat?

Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne coste? who planteth a vineyarde, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke?

8 Is it, after the manner of men, that these things I am saying? Or doth not, even the law, the same things, say?

Say I these thinges according to man? saith not the Lawe the same also?

9 For, in the law of Moses, it is written—Thou shalt not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the corn: —Is it, for the oxen, God is caring?

For it is written in the Lawe of Moses, Thou shalt not mussell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doeth God take care for oxen?

10 Or, for our sakes altogether, is he saying it? For our sakes, it was written; because, he that ploweth, ought, to plow, in hope, —and, he that thresheth, [to thresh] in hope of partaking.

Either saith hee it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt it is written, that he which eareth, should eare in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope.

11 If, we, unto you, the things of the Spirit have sown, is it a great matter, if, we, of you, the things of the flesh shall reap?

If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall thinges, is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges?

12 If, others, of this right, over you, are partaking, [should] not rather, we? nevertheless, we used not this right; but, all [such] things, do we conceal, —lest we should cause any hindrance unto the glad message of the Christ.

If others with you bee partakers of this power, are not we rather? neuerthelesse, we haue not vsed this power: but suffer all things, that we should not hinder the Gospel of Christ.

13 Know ye not that, they who labour in the holy rites, do eat the provisions out of the holy place? They who at the altar wait, do, with the altar, share?

Doe ye not knowe, that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the Temple? and they which waite at the altar, are partakers with the altar?

14 Thus, also, hath the Lord, appointed—that, they who the glad message tell, should, of the glad-message, live.

So also hath the Lord ordeined, that they which preach ye Gospel, should liue of the Gospel.

15 I, however, have not used any of these things; and have not written these things, in order that, so it should be done, in my case; for it were, good for me, rather to die than——my boast, shall, no man, make void!

But I haue vsed none of these things: neither wrote I these things, that it should be so done vnto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man should make my reioycing vaine.

16 For, if I be telling the glad-message, it is, with me, no matter of boasting; for, necessity, upon me, lieth, —for it is, Woe to me, if I should not be telling the glad-message;

For though I preach the Gospel, I haue nothing to reioyce of: for necessitie is laid vpon me, and woe is vnto me, if I preach not the Gospel.

17 For, if, by choice, this thing I am doing, I have, a reward; but, if not by choice, with a stewardship, have I been entrusted!

For if I do it willingly, I haue a reward, but if I do it against my will, notwithstanding the dispensation is committed vnto me.

18 What, then, is my reward? that, in telling the glad-message, free of cost, I should put the glad-message, —to the end I should not use to the full my right in the glad-message.

What is my reward then? verely that when I preach the Gospel, I make the Gospel of Christ free, that I abuse not mine authoritie in ye Gospel.

19 For, though free from all, unto all, myself, I enslaved, —that, the larger number, I might win:

For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men, that I might winne the moe.

20 Therefore became I, to the Jews, as, a Jew, —that, Jews, I might win; to them who were under law, as, under law, not being, myself, under law, —that, them who were under law, I might win;

And vnto the Iewes, I become as a Iewe, that I may winne the Iewes: to them that are vnder the Lawe, as though I were vnder the Lawe, that I may winne them that are vnder the Lawe:

21 To them who were without law, as, without law, —not being without law to God, but lawfully subject to Christ, —that I might win them who were without law.

To them that are without Lawe, as though I were without Lawe, (when I am not without Lawe as pertaining to God, but am in the Lawe through Christ) that I may winne them that are without Lawe:

22 I became, unto the weak, weak, —that, the weak, I might win; —to all men, have I become all things, that, by all means, some, I might save.

To the weake I become as weake, that I may winne the weake: I am made all thinges to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some.

23 But, all things, am I doing, for the sake of the glad-message, that a joint-partaker thereof, I may become.

And this I doe for the Gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

24 Know ye not that, they who, in a racecourse, run, all, indeed, run, —but, one, receiveth the prize? So, be running, that ye may lay hold.

Knowe ye not, that they which runne in a race, runne all, yet one receiueth the price? so runne that ye may obtaine.

25 But, every man who striveth in the games, in all things, useth self-control; —they, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown, they may receive; but, we, an incorruptible!

And euery man that proueth masteries, abstaineth from all things: and they do it to obtaine a corruptible crowne: but we for an vncorruptible.

26 I, therefore, so, am running, as, not uncertainly, so, am boxing, as not thrashing air;

I therefore so runne, not as vncertainely: so fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre.

27 But am beating my body under, and leading it captive, lest, by any means, —unto others, having proclaimed, [the contest], I myself, should be rejected.

But I beate downe my body, and bring it into subiection, lest by any meanes after that I haue preached to other, I my selfe should be reproued.