1 Corinthians 9

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

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

2 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you. For you are the proof of my apostleship in the Lord.

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.

3 This is my defense to those who examine me:

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

4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?

Have we not a right to eat and drink?

5 Do we not have the right to take along with us a wife who is a believer, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

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?

6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who must work?

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

7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink milk from it?

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?

8 Do I say these things based on human authority? Does not the law also say this?

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

9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not put a muzzle on an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it really the oxen that God cares about?

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?

10 Is he not speaking about us? It was written for us, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in the expectation of sharing in the harvest.

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.

11 If we sowed spiritual things among you, is it too much for us to reap material things from you?

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?

12 If others exercised this right from you, do we not have even more? But we did not claim this right. Instead we endured everything rather than be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

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.

13 Do you not know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple? Do you not know that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?

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?

14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel.

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

15 But I have not claimed any of these rights. And I do not write this so something might be done for me. I would rather die than anyone deprive me of this boast.

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!

16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I must do this. And woe be to me if I do not preach the gospel!

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;

17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if not willingly, I still have a responsibility that was entrusted to me.

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!

18 What then is my reward? That when I preach, I may offer the gospel without charge and so not take full use of my right in the gospel.

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.

19 For though I am free from all, I became a servant to all, in order that I might win more.

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

20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law in order to win those under the law. I did this even though I myself was not under the law.

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;

21 To those outside the law, I became like one outside the law, although I was not outside the law of God myself, but under the law of Christ. I did this so that I may win those outside the law.

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.

22 To the weak I became weak, so that I may win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.

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.

23 I do all things for the gospel's sake, so that I may participate in its blessings.

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

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run the race, but that only one receives the prize? So run to win the prize.

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.

25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a wreath that is perishable, but we do it to receive one that is imperishable.

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!

26 Therefore I do not run without purpose or box by beating the air.

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

27 But I subdue my body and make it a slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself may not be disqualified.

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.