| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? | 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? |
| 2If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. | 2If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. |
| 3This is my defense to those who would examine me. | 3My defense to those who examine me is this: |
| 4Do we not have the right to eat and drink? | 4Do we not have a right to eat and drink? |
| 5Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? | 5Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? |
| 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? | 6Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? |
| 7Who 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? | 7Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? |
| 8Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? | 8I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? |
| 9For 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? | 9For it is written in the Law of Moses, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING." God is not concerned about oxen, is He? |
| 10Does 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. | 10Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. |
| 11If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? | 11If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? |
| 12If 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. | 12If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. |
| 13Do 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? | 13Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? |
| 14In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. | 14So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. |
| 15But 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. | 15But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. |
| 16For 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! | 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. |
| 17For 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. | 17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. |
| 18What 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. | 18What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. |
| 19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. | 19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. |
| 20To 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. | 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; |
| 21To 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. | 21to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. |
| 22To 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. | 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. |
| 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. | 23I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. |
| 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. | 24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. |
| 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. | 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. |
| 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. | 26Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; |
| 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. | 27but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
|
