1 Corinthians 9
Berean Standard BibleTranslation
Berean Standard Bible
Douay-Rheims Bible, American Edition (1899)
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
1Am not I free? Am not I an apostle? Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
2And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
3My defence with them that do examine me is this.
4Have we no right to food and to drink?
4Have not we power to eat and to drink?
5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
5Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
6Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this?
7Who 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?
7Who serveth as a soldier at any time, at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth the flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
8Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also say these things?
9For 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?
9For 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?
10Isn’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.
10Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope; and he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit.
11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?
12If 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.
12If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
13Do 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?
13Know you not, that they who work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar, partake with the altar?
14In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
14So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.
15But 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.
15But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written these things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void.
16Yet 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!
16For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.
17If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
17For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me:
18What 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.
18What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
19Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
19For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.
20To 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.
20And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews:
21To 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.
21To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law,) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that were without the law.
22To 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.
22To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all.
23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
23And I do all things for the gospel’s sake: that I may be made partaker thereof.
24Do 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.
24Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.
25Everyone 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.
25And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.
26Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
26I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air:
27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
27But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.
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