1 Corinthians 9 Parallel Bible Translations

1 Corinthians 9 ▼
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WEY
Weymouth New Testament
ESV
English Standard Version
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New International Version
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1 Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Can it be denied that I have seen Jesus, our Lord? Are not you yourselves my work in the 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 to other men I am not an Apostle, yet at any rate I am one to you; for your very existence as a Christian Church is 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 That is how I vindicate myself to those who criticize me. 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 a right to claim food and drink? Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to food and drink?
5 Have we not a right to take with us on our journeys a Christian sister as our wife, as the rest of the Apostles do--and the Lord's brothers and Peter? 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 again, is it only Barnabas and myself who are not at liberty to give up working with our hands? 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 soldier ever serves at his own cost? Who plants a vineyard and yet does not eat any of the grapes? Or who tends a herd of cattle and yet does not taste their milk? 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 Am I making use of merely worldly illustrations? Does not the Law speak in the same tone? 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 in the Law of Moses it is written, "Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." 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 Is God simply thinking about the oxen? Or is it really in our interest that He speaks? Of course, it was written in our interest, because it is His will that when a plough-man ploughs, and a thresher threshes, it should be in the hope of sharing that which comes as the result. 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 If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest 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 other teachers possess that right over you, do not we possess it much more? Yet we have not availed ourselves of the right, but we patiently endure all things rather than hinder in the least degree the progress of the Good News of the 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 perform the sacred rites have their food from the sacred place, and that those who serve at the altar all alike share 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 In the same way the Lord also directed those who proclaim the Good News to maintain themselves by the Good News. 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, for my part, have not used, and do not use, my full rights in any of these things. Nor do I now write with that object so far as I myself am concerned, for I would rather die than have anybody make this boast of mine an empty one. 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 If I go on preaching the Good News, that is nothing for me to boast of; for the necessity is imposed upon me; and alas for me, if I fail to preach it! 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 And if I preach willingly, I receive my wages; but if against my will, a stewardship has nevertheless been entrusted 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 are my wages then? The very fact that the Good News which I preach will cost my hearers nothing, so that I cannot be charged with abuse of my privileges as a Christian preacher. 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 Though free from all human control, I have made myself the slave of all in the hope of winning as many converts as possible. 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 To the Jews I have become like a Jew in order to win Jews; to men under the Law as if I were under the Law--although I am not--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 men without Law as if I were without Law--although I am not without Law in relation to God but am abiding in Christ's Law--in order to win those 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 To the weak I have become weak, so as to gain the weak. To all men I have become all things, in the hope that in every one of these ways I may save some. 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 I do everything for the sake of the Good News, that I may share with my hearers in its benefits. 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 in the foot-race the runners all run, but that only one gets the prize? You must run like him, in order to win with certainty. 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 But every competitor in an athletic contest practices abstemiousness in all directions. They indeed do this for the sake of securing a perishable wreath, but we for the sake of securing one that will not perish. 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 That is how I run, not being in any doubt as to my goal. I am a boxer who does not inflict blows on 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 hit hard and straight at my own body and lead it off into slavery, lest possibly, after I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected. 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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