Προς Κορινθιους Α΄ 9
1 ουκ ειμι αποστολος ουκ ειμι ελευθερος ουχι ιησουν χριστον τον κυριον ημων εωρακα ου το εργον μου υμεις εστε εν κυριω
Am I not an Apostle? Am I not a freeman? Have I not seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
2 ει αλλοις ουκ ειμι αποστολος αλλα γε υμιν ειμι η γαρ σφραγις της εμης αποστολης υμεις εστε εν κυριω
If to others I am not an Apostle, yet, to you, at least, I am; for the seal of my apostleship, are you, in the Lord.
3 η εμη απολογια τοις εμε ανακρινουσιν αυτη εστιν
My answer to them who condemn me, is this:
4 μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν φαγειν και πιειν
Have we not liberty to eat, and to drink?
5 μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν αδελφην γυναικα περιαγειν ως και οι λοιποι αποστολοι και οι αδελφοι του κυριου και κηφας
Have we not liberty to lead about a sister wife, as the other Apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 η μονος εγω και βαρναβας ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν του μη εργαζεσθαι
Or, have I, only, and Barnabas, not liberty to forbear working?
7 τις στρατευεται ιδιοις οψωνιοις ποτε τις φυτευει αμπελωνα και εκ του καρπου αυτου ουκ εσθιει η τις ποιμαινει ποιμνην και εκ του γαλακτος της ποιμνης ουκ εσθιει
Who, at any time, serves in the wars, on his own charges? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who feeds a flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
8 μη κατα ανθρωπον ταυτα λαλω η ουχι και ο νομος ταυτα λεγει
Do I speak these things as a man? Or does not the law also say these things?
9 εν γαρ τω μωσεως νομω γεγραπται ου φιμωσεις βουν αλοωντα μη των βοων μελει τω θεω
For, in the law of Moses it is written, "You shall not muzzle the ox treading out the corn." Does God take care of the oxen?
10 η δι ημας παντως λεγει δι ημας γαρ εγραφη οτι επ ελπιδι οφειλει ο αροτριων αροτριαν και ο αλοων της ελπιδος αυτου μετεχειν επ ελπιδι
Or, does he command this chiefly for our sakes? For our sakes, certainly, it is written: because, he who plows, ought to plough in hope; and he who threshes in hope, ought to partake of his own hope.
11 ει ημεις υμιν τα πνευματικα εσπειραμεν μεγα ει ημεις υμων τα σαρκικα θερισομεν
If we have sown for you spiritual things, is it a great matter, if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 ει αλλοι της εξουσιας υμων μετεχουσιν ου μαλλον ημεις αλλ ουκ εχρησαμεθα τη εξουσια ταυτη αλλα παντα στεγομεν ινα μη εγκοπην τινα δωμεν τω ευαγγελιω του χριστου
If others partake of this authority over you, ought not we, rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power; but we bear all things, that we may not give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
13 ουκ οιδατε οτι οι τα ιερα εργαζομενοι εκ του ιερου εσθιουσιν οι τω θυσιαστηριω προσεδρευοντες τω θυσιαστηριω συμμεριζονται
Do you not know that they who perform sacred offices, eat from the temple? Do not they who wait at the altar share with the altar?
14 ουτως και ο κυριος διεταξεν τοις το ευαγγελιον καταγγελλουσιν εκ του ευαγγελιου ζην
So also, the Lord has appointed them who announce the gospel, to live by the gospel.
15 εγω δε ουδενι εχρησαμην τουτων ουκ εγραψα δε ταυτα ινα ουτως γενηται εν εμοι καλον γαρ μοι μαλλον αποθανειν η το καυχημα μου ινα τις κενωση
But I have used none of these privileges; neither have I written these things that it should be done to me: for it were good for me rather to die, than that any one should make my boasting void.
16 εαν γαρ ευαγγελιζωμαι ουκ εστιν μοι καυχημα αναγκη γαρ μοι επικειται ουαι δε μοι εστιν εαν μη ευαγγελιζωμαι
For when I declared the gospel, I have nothing to boast of; because necessity is laud upon me: yes, woe awaits me if I declare not the gospel.
17 ει γαρ εκων τουτο πρασσω μισθον εχω ει δε ακων οικονομιαν πεπιστευμαι
Now, if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but, if against my will, still I am intrusted with the stewardship.
18 τις ουν μοι εστιν ο μισθος ινα ευαγγελιζομενος αδαπανον θησω το ευαγγελιον του χριστου εις το μη καταχρησασθαι τη εξουσια μου εν τω ευαγγελιω
What, then, is my reward? that, when declaring the gospel, I shall exhibit the gospel of Christ without charge, in order that I may not abuse my power in the gospel.
19 ελευθερος γαρ ων εκ παντων πασιν εμαυτον εδουλωσα ινα τους πλειονας κερδησω
For, though I be a freeman, with respect to all; I have made myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more.
20 και εγενομην τοις ιουδαιοις ως ιουδαιος ινα ιουδαιους κερδησω τοις υπο νομον ως υπο νομον ινα τους υπο νομον κερδησω
So, to the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: to those under the law, (though not under the law) as under the law, that I might gain those under the law:
21 τοις ανομοις ως ανομος μη ων ανομος θεω αλλ εννομος χριστω ινα κερδησω ανομους
to those without law, as without law, (not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, ) that I might gain those that are without law.
22 εγενομην τοις ασθενεσιν ως ασθενης ινα τους ασθενεις κερδησω τοις πασιν γεγονα τα παντα ινα παντως τινας σωσω
To the weak, I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. To all, I have become all things, that, by all means, I might same some.
23 τουτο δε ποιω δια το ευαγγελιον ινα συγκοινωνος αυτου γενωμαι
Now, this I do for the sake of the gospel, and that I may become a joint partaker of its rewards.
24 ουκ οιδατε οτι οι εν σταδιω τρεχοντες παντες μεν τρεχουσιν εις δε λαμβανει το βραβειον ουτως τρεχετε ινα καταλαβητε
Do you not know that they who run a race, all run, but one only receives the prize? So run, that you may lay hold of the prize?
25 πας δε ο αγωνιζομενος παντα εγκρατευεται εκεινοι μεν ουν ινα φθαρτον στεφανον λαβωσιν ημεις δε αφθαρτον
Now, every one who contends is temperate in all things: they, indeed, that they may receive a fading crown; but we, one that does not fade.
26 εγω τοινυν ουτως τρεχω ως ουκ αδηλως ουτως πυκτευω ως ουκ αερα δερων
I, therefore, so run, as not out of view. So I fight, not as beating the air:
27 αλλ υπωπιαζω μου το σωμα και δουλαγωγω μηπως αλλοις κηρυξας αυτος αδοκιμος γενωμαι
but, I mortify my body, and keep it in subjection; lest, perhaps, having proclaimed to others, I myself should not be accepted.
