1 Corinthians 9

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?	1 Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
2 Although I may not be an apostle for others, certainly I am for you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.	2 And if I am not an Apostle to others, yet still I am to you. For you are the seal of my Apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense against those who would pass judgment on me is this.	3 My defense with those who question me is this:
4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?	4 Do we not have the authority to eat and to drink?
5 Do we not have the right to take along a Christian wife, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Kephas?	5 Do we not have the authority to travel around with a woman who is a sister, just as do the other Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the right not to work?	6 Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the authority to act in this way?
7 Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating its produce? Or who shepherds a flock without using some of the milk from the flock?	7 Who has ever served as a soldier and paid his own stipend? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from its produce? Who pastures a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?
8 Am I saying this on human authority, or does not the law also speak of these things?	8 Am I saying these things according to man? Or does the law not also say these things?
9 It is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is God concerned about oxen,	9 For it is written in the law of Moses: “You shall not bind the mouth of an ox, while it is treading out the grain.” Is God here concerned with the oxen?
10 or is he not really speaking for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of receiving a share.	10 Or is he saying this, indeed, for our sake? These things were written specifically for us, because he who plows, ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes, too, in hope of receiving the produce.
11 If we have sown spiritual seed for you, is it a great thing that we reap a material harvest from you?	11 If we have sown spiritual things in you, is it important if we harvest from your worldly things?
12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more? Yet we have not used this right. On the contrary, we endure everything so as not to place an obstacle to the gospel of Christ.	12 If others are sharers in this authority over you, why are we not more entitled? And yet we have not used this authority. Instead, we bear all things, lest we give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not know that those who perform the temple services eat (what) belongs to the temple, and those who minister at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?	13 Do you not know that those who work in the holy place eat the things that are for the holy place, and that those who serve at the altar also share with the altar?
14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.	14 So, too, has the Lord ordained that those who announce the Gospel should live by the Gospel.
15 I have not used any of these rights, however, nor do I write this that it be done so in my case. I would rather die. Certainly no one is going to nullify my boast.	15 Yet I have used none of these things. And I have not written so that these things may be done for me. For it is better for me to die, rather than to let anyone empty out my glory.
16 If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!	16 For if I preach the Gospel, it is not glory for me. For an obligation has been laid upon me. And woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel.
17 If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.	17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if I do this reluctantly, a dispensation is granted to me.
18 What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.	18 And what, then, would be my reward? So, when preaching the Gospel, I should give the Gospel without taking, so that I may not misuse my authority in the Gospel.
19 Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.	19 For when I was a free man to all, I made myself the servant of all, so that I might gain all the more.
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law--though I myself am not under the law--to win over those under the law.	20 And so, to the Jews, I became like a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews.
21 To those outside the law I became like one outside the law--though I am not outside God's law but within the law of Christ--to win over those outside the law.	21 To those who are under the law, I became as if I were under the law, (though I was not under the law) so that I might gain those who were under the law. To those who were without the law, I became as if I were without the law, (though I was not without the law of God, being in the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who were without the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.	22 To the weak, I became weak, so that I might gain the weak. To all, I became all, so that I might save all.
23 All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.	23 And I do everything for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become its partner.
24 Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win.	24 Do you not know that, of those who run in a race, all of them, certainly, are runners, but only one achieves the prize. Similarly, you must run, so that you may achieve.
25 Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.	25 And one who competes in a contest abstains from all things. And they do this, of course, so that they may achieve a corruptible crown. But we do this, so that we may achieve what is incorruptible.
26 Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.	26 And so I run, but not with uncertainty. And so I fight, but not by flailing in the air.
27 No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.	27 Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast.