1 Corinthians 9 Parallel Bible Translations

1 Corinthians 9 ▼
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1 AM I not a free man? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus Christ our LORD? are you not my work in my LORD? Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet to you I am: for you are the seal of my apostleship. If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 So my answer to those who criticize me is this, This is my defense to those who would examine me. This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.
4 Have we not the right to eat and to drink? Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to food and drink?
5 And have we not the right to travel with a Christian wife, just as the rest of the apostles, and as the brothers of our LORD, and as Cephas? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
6 Or only I and Barnabas, have not we the right to live without working? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?
7 What officer commands an army at his own expense? or who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruits? or who feeds sheep, and does not eat of the milk of his flock? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk?
8 I say these things as a man. Behold the law says them also. Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. Why? Is God concerned only for the ox? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 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 No. It is known that he said it for our sakes and it was written for our sakes because the ploughman must plough in hope, and he who threshes, threshes in hope of the crop. Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.
11 Now if we have sown among you spiritual things, is it too much that we should reap material things from you? If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
12 If others have this authority over you, have we not the more right? Nevertheless we have not used this authority; but we have endured all things so that we would not hinder the gospel of Christ. If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not know that those who work in the holy place are maintained out of the temple? And those who minister at the altar share the offerings with the altar? Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?
14 Even so has our LORD commanded that those who preach his gospel should live by his gospel. In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these privileges: neither have I written these things that it should be so done to me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should declare my pride in my teaching worthless. But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for I am under obligation; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel! For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have my reward: but if against my will, it is like a stewardship intrusted to me. For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.
18 What then is my wage? This is it. When I preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, I do it without thought of recompense, and I have not abused the power given to me in the gospel. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.
19 Because I am free from all these things, I have served all men that I may gain many. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 So with the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews; and with those who are under the law, I became as one who is under the law, in order to win those who are under the law. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 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), so as to win those under the law.
21 To those who are without law, I became like one who is without law, though I am not lawless before God because I am under the law of Christ, that I might win them who are without law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.
22 With the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak: I became everything to every man, that I might by all means save everyone. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 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 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker of it. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that the runners in a race, all run, but only one is victorious? So you must run, that you may obtain victory. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25 And every man who battles in the contest, frees his mind from every thing else. And yet they run to win a garland which is perishable; but we to win one which is everlasting. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
26 I therefore so run, not for something that is uncertain; and I so fight, not as one who beats the air: So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
27 But I conquer and subdue my body so that, by no chance, when I have preached to others, will I despise myself. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
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