Corinthios I 9
1 Non sum liber? non sum Apostolus? nonne Christum Jesum Dominum nostrum vidi? nonne opus meum vos estis in Domino?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
2 Et si aliis non sum Apostolus, sed tamen vobis sum: nam signaculum apostolatus mei vos estis in Domino.
Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 Mea defensio apud eos qui me interrogant, hæc est:
This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
4 Numquid non habemus potestatem manducandi et bibendi?
Have we no right to food and to drink?
5 numquid non habemus potestatem mulierem sororem circumducendi sicut et ceteri Apostoli, et fratres Domini, et Cephas?
Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
6 aut ego solus, et Barnabas, non habemus potestatem hoc operandi?
Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7 Quis militat suis stipendiis umquam? quis plantat vineam, et de fructu ejus non edit? quis pascit gregem, et de lacte gregis non manducat?
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
8 Numquid secundum hominem hæc dico? an et lex hæc non dicit?
Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9 Scriptum est enim in lege Moysi: Non alligabis os bovi trituranti. Numquid de bobus cura est Deo?
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10 an propter nos utique hoc dicit? Nam propter nos scripta sunt: quoniam debet in spe qui arat, arare: et qui triturat, in spe fructus percipiendi.
Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
11 Si nos vobis spiritualia seminavimus, magnum est si nos carnalia vestra metamus?
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12 Si alii potestatis vestræ participes sunt, quare non potius nos? Sed non usi sumus hac potestate: sed omnia sustinemus, ne quod offendiculum demus Evangelio Christi.
If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Nescitis quoniam qui in sacrario operantur quæ de sacrario sunt, edunt: et qui altari deserviunt, cum altari participant?
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
14 Ita et Dominus ordinavit iis qui Evangelium annuntiant, de Evangelio vivere.
In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 Ego autem nullo horum usus sum. Non autem scripsi hæc ut ita fiant in me: bonum est enim mihi magis mori, quam ut gloriam meam quis evacuet.
But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
16 Nam si evangelizavero, non est mihi gloria: necessitas enim mihi incumbit: væ enim mihi est, si non evangelizavero.
Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 Si enim volens hoc ago, mercedem habeo: si autem invitus, dispensatio mihi credita est.
If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
18 Quæ est ergo merces mea? ut Evangelium prædicans, sine sumptu ponam Evangelium, ut non abutar potestate mea in Evangelio.
What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
19 Nam cum liber essem ex omnibus, omnium me servum feci, ut plures lucrifacerem.
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 Et factus sum Judæis tamquam Judæus, ut Judæos lucrarer:
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
21 iis qui sub lege sunt, quasi sub lege essem (cum ipse non essem sub lege) ut eos qui sub lege erant, lucrifacerem: iis qui sine lege erant, tamquam sine lege essem (cum sine lege Dei non essem: sed in lege essem Christi) ut lucrifacerem eos qui sine lege erant.
To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
22 Factus sum infirmis infirmus, ut infirmos lucrifacerem. Omnibus omnia factus sum, ut omnes facerem salvos.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23 Omnia autem facio propter Evangelium: ut particeps ejus efficiar.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24 Nescitis quod ii qui in stadio currunt, omnes quidem currunt, sed unus accipit bravium? Sic currite ut comprehendatis.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
25 Omnis autem qui in agone contendit, ab omnibus se abstinet, et illi quidem ut corruptibilem coronam accipiant: nos autem incorruptam.
Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
26 Ego igitur sic curro, non quasi in incertum: sic pugno, non quasi aërem verberans:
Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27 sed castigo corpus meum, et in servitutem redigo: ne forte cum aliis prædicaverim, ipse reprobus efficiar.
No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
