1 Corinthians, 9

1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

1. As for me, am I not free? I am an apostle and I have seen Jesus, the Lord, and you are my work in the Lord.

2. If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

2. Although I may not be an apostle for others, at least I am one for you. You are, in the Lord, evidence of my apostleship.

3. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

3. Now this is what I answer to those who criticize me:

4. Have we not power to eat and to drink?

4. Have we not the right to be fed?

5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and [as] the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

5. Have we not the right to bring along with us a sister as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

6. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

6. Am I the only one, with Barnabas, bound to work? What soldier goes to war at his own expense?

7. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

7. What farmer does not eat from the vineyard he planted? Who tends a flock and does not drink from its milk?

8. Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

8. Are these rights only accepted human practice? No. The Law says the same. In the law of Moses it is written: Do not muzzle the ox which threshes grain.

9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

9. Does this mean that God is concerned with oxen,

10. Or saith he [it] altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, [this] is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

10. or rather with us? Of course it applies to us. For our sake it was written that no one plows without expecting a reward for plowing, and no one threshes without hoping for a share of the crop.

11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, [is it] a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

11. Then, if we have sown spiritual riches among you, would it be too much for us to reap some material reward?

12. If others be partakers of [this] power over you, [are] not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

12. If others have had a share among you, we could have it all the more. Yet we made no use of this right and we prefer to endure everything rather than put any obstacle to the Gospel of Christ.

13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live [of the things] of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

13. Do you not know that those working in the sacred service eat from what is offered for the temple? And those serving at the altar receive their part from the altar.

14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

14. The Lord ordered, likewise, that those announcing the Gospel live from the Gospel.

15. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for [it were] better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

15. Yet I have not made use of my rights, and now I do not write to claim them: I would rather die! No one will deprive me of this glory of mine.

16. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

16. Because I cannot boast of announcing the Gospel: I am bound to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!

17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation [of the gospel] is committed unto me.

17. If I preached voluntarily, I could expect my reward, but I have been trusted this office against my will.

18. What is my reward then? [Verily] that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

18. How can I, then, deserve a reward? In announcing the Gospel, I will do it freely without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel.

19. For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

19. So, feeling free with everybody, I have become everybody's slave in order to gain a greater number.

20. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

20. To save the Jews I became a Jew with the Jews, and because they are under the Law, I myself submitted to the Law, although I am free from it.

21. To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

21. With the pagans, not subject to the Law, I became one of them, although I am not without a law of God, since Christ is my Law. Yet I wanted to gain those strangers to the Law.

22. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some.

22. With people of unformed conscience I acted as if I were sharing their scruples in order to gain those who are still weak.

23. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you].

23. So I made myself all things to all people in order to save, by all possible means, some of them. This I do for the Gospel, so that I too have a share of it.

24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

24. Have you not learned anything from the stadium? Many run, but only one gets the prize. Run, therefore, intending to win it,

25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

25. as athletes who impose upon themselves a rigorous discipline. Yet for them the wreath is of laurels which wither, while for us, it does not wither.

26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

26. So, then, I run knowing where I go. I box but not aimlessly in the air.

27. But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

27. I punish my body and control it, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be rejected.