1 Corinthiens 9
1 Ne suis-je pas libre? Ne suis-je pas un apôtre? N'ai-je pas vu Jésus-Christ, notre Seigneur? N'êtes-vous pas mon œuvre dans le Seigneur?
I am certainly free [to do all the things that God allows me to do.] [RHQ] I am an apostle. [RHQ] [You] certainly [know that] I have seen Jesus our Lord. [RHQ] It is a result of my work that you [have believed in] the Lord [Jesus]. [RHQ]
2 Si je ne suis pas apôtre pour les autres, je le suis du moins pour vous, car vous êtes le sceau de mon apostolat dans le Seigneur.
And even though other people may think that I am not an apostle, you certainly should know that I am an apostle. [Remember that] your having become Christians [MET] [as a result of my telling you about] the Lord (confirms/shows that it is true) that I am an apostle.
3 Voici ma défense devant ceux qui m'examinent:
In order to defend myself, this [is what I say] to those who criticize me [by claiming that I do not act like an apostle].
4 N'avons-nous pas le droit de manger et de boire?
As for Barnabas and me, we certainly have the right [as apostles] to receive [from you and other congregations] food and drink [for our work]. [RHQ]
5 N'avons-nous pas le droit de prendre avec nous une femme croyante, comme les autres apôtres, les frères du Seigneur et Céphas?
[We have the] same right [that] the other apostles and the Lord Jesus’ [younger] brothers and [especially] Peter have. They all take along a wife who is a believer [when they travel various places in order to tell people about Christ. And they have a right that the people whom they work among will support their wives, too]. So Barnabas and I certainly have those same rights. [RHQ]
6 Ou bien n'avons-nous pas le droit, Barnabé et moi, de ne pas travailler?
It would be ridiculous to think that Barnabas and I are the only apostles who must work to earn money to pay our expenses [while we are doing God’s work! [RHQ]]
7 Quel soldat a jamais servi à ses propres frais? Qui plante une vigne, et ne mange pas de son fruit? Ou qui fait paître un troupeau, et ne boit pas le lait du troupeau?
Soldiers certainly do not pay their own wages. [RHQ] Those who plant a vineyard would certainly eat some of the grapes [when they become ripe]. [RHQ] Those who care for sheep would certainly drink the milk from those sheep. [RHQ] [Similarly, those who tell others about Christ certainly have a right to receive] ([financial help/food]) [from the people to whom they preach].
8 Est-ce que je dis ces choses selon la manière des hommes? Ou bien la loi ne dit-elle pas la même chose?
I am saying that, not only because people think that it is right. [RHQ] [No], I am [RHQ] saying it because it is what [God said] in the laws [that he gave to Moses].
9 Car il est écrit dans la loi de Moïse: « Tu ne muselleras pas le bœuf pendant qu'il foule le grain. » Est-ce pour les bœufs que Dieu s'inquiète,
Moses wrote in one of those laws, “While an ox is threshing [grain], you must not tie its mouth shut [so that it cannot eat the grain].” (God was not only concerned about oxen [when he gave that law]./Was God [only] concerned about oxen [when he gave that law]?) [RHQ]
10 ou bien est-ce pour nous qu'il le dit? Oui, c'est pour nous que cela a été écrit, car celui qui laboure doit labourer avec espérance, et celui qui bat avec espérance doit participer à son espérance.
[No], he was [RHQ] concerned about us, also! Yes, [God caused Moses to] write those words [because he is concerned] about us! Those who plow the ground confidently expect [to eat some of] the crop [that grows]. Those who thresh grain confidently expect [to eat some of the grain that they thresh. Similarly, we who proclaim the message about Christ have the right to confidently expect to receive financial help for our work].
11 Si nous vous avons semé des choses spirituelles, est-ce une grande chose si nous récoltons vos choses charnelles?
And because we have proclaimed God’s message to you, we certainly have the right to receive from you the things that we need for our bodies [MET]! [MET, RHQ]
12 Si d'autres ont part à ce droit sur vous, n'en avons-nous pas encore plus? Néanmoins, nous n'avons pas usé de ce droit, mais nous supportons tout, afin de ne pas faire obstacle à la Bonne Nouvelle de Christ.
Since other people [who preached to you] had that right, certainly Barnabas and I have the same right. [RHQ] However, neither of us insisted [that you give us the things that] we have a right [to receive from you]. Instead, we were willing to endure anything in order that we not hinder [anyone from believing] the message about Christ.
13 Ne savez-vous pas que ceux qui servent autour des choses sacrées mangent des choses du temple, et que ceux qui servent l'autel ont leur part avec l'autel?
You should keep in mind that [the priests and servants] in the Temple eat [some of the food that people bring to] the Temple. [RHQ] Specifically, the priests who work at the altar eat some of [the food that the people bring to sacrifice on] the altar.
14 De même, le Seigneur a voulu que ceux qui annoncent la Bonne Nouvelle vivent de cette Bonne Nouvelle.
So the Lord has commanded that those who proclaim the good message [about him] should receive from [those who hear that] message what they need to live on.
15 Mais je n'ai usé d'aucune de ces choses, et je n'écris pas ces choses pour qu'il en soit ainsi dans mon cas; car j'aime mieux mourir que de voir quelqu'un annuler ma vantardise.
However, I have not requested that you [give me] those things that I have a right [to receive from you]. Furthermore, I am writing this to you, not in order to request you to begin [giving me financial help now]. I would rather die than to [receive help from you]. I do not want anyone to prevent me from boasting [about my proclaiming God’s message to you without receiving financial help from you].
16 Car si je prêche la Bonne Nouvelle, je n'ai pas à me vanter, car la nécessité m'en est imposée; mais malheur à moi si je ne prêche pas la Bonne Nouvelle.
When I proclaim the message about Christ, I cannot boast [about doing it], because [Christ] has commanded me [to do it]. I would be very miserable (OR, [I am afraid that] God would punish me) if I did not proclaim that message.
17 Car si je fais cela de ma propre volonté, j'ai une récompense. Mais si ce n'est pas de ma propre volonté, c'est une charge qui m'est confiée.
If I had decided by myself to proclaim it, [God] would reward me. But I did not decide by myself to do that. I am simply doing the work that [God] entrusted to me.
18 Quelle est donc ma récompense? Que, lorsque je prêche la Bonne Nouvelle, je puisse présenter la Bonne Nouvelle du Christ sans frais, afin de ne pas abuser de mon autorité dans la Bonne Nouvelle.
So perhaps you wonder what my reward is. [RHQ] [I will tell you]. When I proclaim the good message [about Christ], I do not ask people for financial help. It [makes me very happy not to ask for help, and being happy is the] reward I get. I do not want to use the rights that I have [when I proclaim] the gospel.
19 Car, bien que je sois libre à l'égard de tous, je me suis rendu esclave de tous, afin de gagner le plus grand nombre.
I am not obligated to do what anyone else thinks that I should do. Nevertheless, when I have been with any group of people, I have made myself [do what they believed that I should do, just like a slave does what his master wants him to do]. I have done that in order that I might convince more people [to trust in Christ].
20 Pour les Juifs, je me suis fait Juif, afin de gagner les Juifs; pour les esclaves de la loi, comme esclaves de la loi, afin de gagner les esclaves de la loi;
Specifically, when I was with fellow Jews, I did the things that Jews [think that people should do]. I did that in order that I might convince some of them [to trust in Christ]. Although I am now not obligated to obey the Jewish laws and rituals, when I was with those who believe that they are obligated to obey those laws, I did the things that they [think that people should do]. I did that in order to convince some of them [to trust in Christ].
21 pour les sans loi, comme sans loi (n'étant pas sans loi envers Dieu, mais sous loi envers Christ), afin de gagner les sans loi.
When I was with (non-Jews/those who do not know those laws), I did the things that non-Jews [think that people should do], in order that I might convince some of them [to trust in Christ]. I do not mean that I disobey God’s laws. No, I obey the things that Christ commanded us to do.
22 Pour les faibles, je me suis fait faible, afin de gagner les faibles. Je suis devenu tout à tous les hommes, afin d'en sauver quelques-uns par tous les moyens.
When I was with those who doubt [whether God will permit them to do certain things that others] ([disapprove of/think it is not right to do]), I [avoided doing those things], in order that I might convince some of them [to trust in Christ]. In summary, I have done all the things [that the people I have been with think that others should do], in order that by every possible means I might convince some of them [to trust in Christ].
23 Or, je fais cela à cause de la Bonne Nouvelle, afin d'y avoir part en commun.
I do all these things in order that [more people will believe] the message about Christ, and in order that I, along with other believers, may receive the good things [that God promises to give us].
24 Ne savez-vous pas que ceux qui courent dans une course courent tous, mais qu'un seul reçoit le prix? Courez ainsi, afin de gagner.
When people run in a race, they all run, but only one of them wins the race and as a result gets a prize. You certainly know that [RHQ]. So, [just like] runners [exert themselves fully to win a race] [MET], [you should exert yourselves fully to do the things that God wants you to do], in order that you may receive the reward [that God wants to give you].
25 Tout homme qui s'efforce dans les jeux s'exerce à la maîtrise de soi en toutes choses. Ils le font pour recevoir une couronne corruptible, mais nous, une incorruptible.
All athletes exercise their bodies strenuously in many ways. They do that in order to receive a wreath [as a reward to wear on their heads]. Those wreaths fade, but we will receive a reward that will last forever [LIT].
26 C'est pourquoi je cours comme cela, non sans but. Je combats comme cela, non pas en battant l'air,
For that reason, I [try hard to please God] [MET], [like a] runner who runs toward the goal [LIT]. I [try hard to accomplish what God wants me to accomplish, like] a boxer tries hard to hit his opponent, not to miss hitting him.
27 mais en battant mon corps et en le soumettant, de peur que, après avoir prêché aux autres, je ne sois moi-même disqualifié.
I beat my body [to make it do what I want it to do] [MET], [as] slaves [obey their masters], in order that, after I have proclaimed [God’s message] to others, he will not [say that I do] not deserve to receive a reward.
