1 Corinthians 9

1 Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye 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 to others I am not an apostle — yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.

Even if I am not an apostle to others, to you at least I am; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defence to those who examine me in this;

This is my reply to my critics.

4 have we not authority to eat and to drink?

Have I no right to claim food and drink?

5 have we not authority a sister — a wife — to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Have I no right to take a believing wife with me on my journey, as the rest of the apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Peter do?

6 or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority — not to work?

Are we the only ones, Barnabas and I, who have no right to give up manual labor?

7 who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?

What soldier ever serves at his own expense? What farmer ever plants a vineyard and his flock and does not taste the milk?

8 According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?

Am I saying this on human authority only, or does not the Law also say the same?

9 for in the law of Moses it hath been written, 'thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;' for the oxen doth God care?

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

10 or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.

Is it the oxen that God is thinking about, or is it really said for our sakes? It was written for us; because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of getting a share of the crop.

11 If we to you the spiritual things did sow — great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap?

If I have sown for you the seeds of spiritual good, is it a great thing if I reap from you temporal goods?

12 if others do partake of the authority over you — not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.

If others share this authority over you, do not I far more? Yet I have not availed myself of it, but am patiently enduring; so that I may not in any way hinder the progress of Christ’s gospel.

13 Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple — of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar — with the altar are partakers?

You know, do you not, that those who minister in the temple, and those who serve at the altar, get their portion of the sacrifices?

14 so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

15 And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void;

But for my part, I have never availed myself of any of these rights. I do not say this to bring it about in my own case. I would rather die than let any one make void this boast of mine.

16 for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news;

Proclaiming the gospel gives me no ground of boasting; for necessity is laid upon me; woe is me if I preach not the gospel.

17 for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly — with a stewardship I have been entrusted!

For if I do this of my own accord, I have my pay; but if unwilling, I have at least discharged my stewardship.

18 What, then, is my reward? — that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;

What then is my wage? This, that I can make the gospel free where I carry it; and that I can refrain from using my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

19 for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;

Though free from all men, I make myself the slave of all, that I may win the more.

20 and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;

To the Jews I am become like a Jew, that I may win Jews; to those under the Law, like one under the Law, though I am not under the Law, myself;

21 to those without law, as without law — (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) — that I might gain those without law;

to those outside the Law, as one outside the Law, to win those outside the Law (though I am not outside the law of God, but inside the law of Christ).

22 I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.

I am become weak to the weak, to win the weak. I am become all these things to all men that, by any and by all means, I may save some.

23 And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;

And I am doing it all for the gospel’s sake, that I may become a copartner in it.

24 have ye not known that those running in a race — all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;

Do you not know that in a foot-race, though all run, only one receives the prize? So run that you may win.

25 and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;

Every man who contends in the games continually trains himself by all manner of self-restraint. Now they do it to get a fading garland, but we, one that is unfading.

26 I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;

For my part, then, I run with no wavering to the goal. I box not as one beating the air,

27 but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others — I myself may become disapproved.

but I bruise my body and keep it in subjection, lest having called others to the contest, I should myself be disqualified.