1 Corinthians 9

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
2 Even if to others I am not an apostle, to you at any rate I am, for you are the seal of my apostolate inthe 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.
3 To those who want to interrogate me, this is my answer.	3 My defense against those who would pass judgment on me is this.
4 Have we not every right to eat and drink?	4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
5 And every right to be accompanied by a Christian wife, like the other apostles, like the brothers of theLord, and like Cephas?	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?
6 Are Barnabas and I the only ones who have no right to stop working?	6 Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the right not to work?
7 What soldier would ever serve in the army at his own expense? And who is there who would plant avineyard and never eat the fruit from it; or would keep a flock and not feed on the milk from his flock?	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?
8 Do not think that this is merely worldly wisdom. Does not the Law say exactly the same? It is written inthe Law of Moses:	8 Am I saying this on human authority, or does not the law also speak of these things?
9 You must not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the corn. Is it about oxen that God is concernedhere,	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,
10 or is it not said entirely for our sake? Clearly it was written for our sake, because it is right thatwhoever ploughs should plough with the expectation of having his share, and whoever threshes should threshwith the expectation of having his share.	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.
11 If we have sown the seed of spiritual things in you, is it too much to ask that we should receive fromyou a crop of material things?	11 If we have sown spiritual seed for you, is it a great thing that we reap a material harvest from you?
12 Others have been given such rights over you and do we not deserve more? In fact, we have neverexercised this right; on the contrary, we have put up with anything rather than obstruct the gospel of Christ in anyway.	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.
13 Do you not realise that the ministers in the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those whoserve at the altar can claim their share from the altar?	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?
14 In the same way, the Lord gave the instruction that those who preach the gospel should get their livingfrom the gospel.	14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.
15 However, I have never availed myself of any rights of this kind; and I have not written this to securesuch treatment for myself; I would rather die than that . . . No one shal take from me this ground of boasting.	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.
16 In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should bein trouble if I failed to do it.	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!
17 If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simplyaccepting a task entrusted to me.	17 If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
18 What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using therights which the gospel al ows 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.
19 So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to al people, to win as manyas I could.	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.
20 To the Jews I made myself as a Jew, to win the Jews; to those under the Law as one under the Law(though I am not), in order to win those under the Law;	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.
21 to those outside the Law as one outside the Law, though I am not outside the Law but under Christ'slaw, to win those outside the Law.	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.
22 To the weak, I made myself weak, to win the weak. I accommodated myself to people in all kinds ofdifferent situations, so that by al possible means I might bring some to salvation.	22 To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
23 Al this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others.	23 All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
24 Do you not realise that, though al the runners in the stadium take part in the race, only one of themgets the prize? Run like that -- to win.	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.
25 Every athlete concentrates completely on training, and this is to win a wreath that wil wither, whereasours wil never wither.	25 Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
26 So that is how I run, not without a clear goal; and how I box, not wasting blows on air.	26 Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
27 I punish my body and bring it under control, to avoid any risk that, having acted as herald for others, Imyself may be disqualified.	27 No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.