1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Can it be denied that I have seen Jesus, our Lord? Are not you yourselves my work in the Lord?

Am I not a son of freedom? am I not an apostle? or have I not seen Jeshu Meshiha our Lord? or are not you my work in my Lord?

2 If to other men I am not an Apostle, yet at any rate I am one to you; for your very existence as a Christian Church is the seal of my Apostleship.

And if to others I be not an apostle, yet am I (such) to you; and the seal of my apostleship are you.

3 That is how I vindicate myself to those who criticize me.

My apology to them who judge me is this:

4 Have we not a right to claim food and drink?

Have we not authority to eat and to drink?

5 Have we not a right to take with us on our journeys a Christian sister as our wife, as the rest of the Apostles do--and the Lord's brothers and Peter?

or have we not authority a sister, a wife, to lead about with us, as the rest of the apostles, and as the brethren of our Lord, and as Kipha?

6 Or again, is it only Barnabas and myself who are not at liberty to give up working with our hands?

Or have I only, and Bar Naba, not authority to forbear from labour?

7 What soldier ever serves at his own cost? Who plants a vineyard and yet does not eat any of the grapes? Or who tends a herd of cattle and yet does not taste their milk?

Who serveth at service at the expenses of himself? or who planteth the vinery, and from the fruits thereof eateth not? or who pastureth sheep, and from the milk of the flock eateth not?

8 Am I making use of merely worldly illustrations? Does not the Law speak in the same tone?

Do I as a man speak these things? Behold, the law also saith these things.

9 For in the Law of Moses it is written, "Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain."

For it is written in the law of Musha, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out (the corn). But of oxen is Aloha careful?

10 Is God simply thinking about the oxen? Or is it really in our interest that He speaks? Of course, it was written in our interest, because it is His will that when a plough-man ploughs, and a thresher threshes, it should be in the hope of sharing that which comes as the result.

But it is evident that on our account this is said; for on our account it is written, because that in hope it behoveth the ploughman to plough, and him who thresheth, in hope of provision (to thresh).

11 If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest from you?

If we of the spirit have sown among you, is it a great thing if we from you of the body shall reap?

12 If other teachers possess that right over you, do not we possess it much more? Yet we have not availed ourselves of the right, but we patiently endure all things rather than hinder in the least degree the progress of the Good News of the Christ.

And if others have this power over you, much more have we. But we are not used in this power; but we bear all, lest in any thing we should hinder the gospel of the Meshiha.

13 Do you not know that those who perform the sacred rites have their food from the sacred place, and that those who serve at the altar all alike share with the altar?

KNOW you not that they who serve in the sanctuary from the sanctuary are sustained? And they who at the altar serve share with the altar?

14 In the same way the Lord also directed those who proclaim the Good News to maintain themselves by the Good News.

So also our Lord hath commanded, that they who his gospel preach, by his gospel shall live.

15 But I, for my part, have not used, and do not use, my full rights in any of these things. Nor do I now write with that object so far as I myself am concerned, for I would rather die than have anybody make this boast of mine an empty one.

But I am not used in one of these; nor on this account have I thus written, that so it should be done unto me: for it were better for me that dying I should die, than that any man my glorying should make void.

16 If I go on preaching the Good News, that is nothing for me to boast of; for the necessity is imposed upon me; and alas for me, if I fail to preach it!

Yet also in preaching I have no cause to glory: for necessity lieth upon me; for woe to me unless I preach!

17 And if I preach willingly, I receive my wages; but if against my will, a stewardship has nevertheless been entrusted to me.

For if with my will I do this, I have a reward. But if without my will, (yet) a stewardship is confided to me.

18 What are my wages then? The very fact that the Good News which I preach will cost my hearers nothing, so that I cannot be charged with abuse of my privileges as a Christian preacher.

What, then, is my reward? That while preaching without expenses I may perform the annunciation of the Meshiha, and not abuse the power that is given to me in the gospel.

19 Though free from all human control, I have made myself the slave of all in the hope of winning as many converts as possible.

For while free of all men, to all men I subject myself, that the many I may gain.

20 To the Jews I have become like a Jew in order to win Jews; to men under the Law as if I were under the Law--although I am not--in order to win those who are under the Law;

And I become with the Jihudoyee as a Jihudoya, that the Jihudoyee I may gain; and with them who are under the law, I become as one under the law, that them who are under the law I may gain;

21 to men without Law as if I were without Law--although I am not without Law in relation to God but am abiding in Christ's Law--in order to win those who are without Law.

and to those who have not the law I become as one without law, while I am not unto Aloha without law, but in the law of the Meshiha, that them also who have not law I may gain.

22 To the weak I have become weak, so as to gain the weak. To all men I have become all things, in the hope that in every one of these ways I may save some.

I become with the weak as weak, that the weak I may gain. To all men all become I, that every man I may save.

23 And I do everything for the sake of the Good News, that I may share with my hearers in its benefits.

But this I do that I may be a participator in the gospel.

24 Do you not know that in the foot-race the runners all run, but that only one gets the prize? You must run like him, in order to win with certainty.

Know you not, that they who run in the course, run all, but one taketh to him the victory? So run, that you may take hold.

25 But every competitor in an athletic contest practices abstemiousness in all directions. They indeed do this for the sake of securing a perishable wreath, but we for the sake of securing one that will not perish.

For every man who contendeth from every thing (besides with) holdeth his mind; and they who run (do it) that they may receive a crown that is corruptible, but we one that is incorruptible.

26 That is how I run, not being in any doubt as to my goal. I am a boxer who does not inflict blows on the air,

I therefore so run, not as about a thing unknown; and so smite I, as not smiting the air;

27 but I hit hard and straight at my own body and lead it off into slavery, lest possibly, after I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected.

but my body I subdue and make subservient, lest when to others I shall have preached, I my very self shall be rejected.