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? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work 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 unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

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

Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

4 Have we not a right to eat and drink?

Have we not power to eat and to drink?

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?

Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other 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, have not we power to forbear working?

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 own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

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 things as a man? or saith not the law 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 law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth 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.

Or saith he [it] altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, [this] is written: that he that ploweth should plow 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 we have sown unto you spiritual things, [is it] a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

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 be partakers of [this] power over you, [are] not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should 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?

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live [of the things] of the temple? and they which wait 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.

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live 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 have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for [it were] better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

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 have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto 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 this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation [of the gospel] is committed unto 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? [Verily] that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

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

For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

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 unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

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 law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, ) that I might gain them that are without law.

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 weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save 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 do for the gospel’s 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.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

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 every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

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

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

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 keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.