| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 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 I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the confirming sign of my apostleship in the Lord. |
| 3This is my defense to those who would examine me. | 3This is my defense to those who examine me. |
| 4Do we not have the right to eat and drink? | 4Do we not have the right to financial support? |
| 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 the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord's brothers 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 lack the right not to work? |
| 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 ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk? |
| 8Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? | 8Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well? |
| 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, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." God is not concerned here 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 not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest. |
| 11If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? | 11If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to 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 receive this right from you, are we not more deserving? But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a 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? | 13Don't you know that those who serve in the temple eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings? |
| 14In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. | 14In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by 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 not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. In fact, it would be better for me to die than--no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! |
| 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 no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to 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 I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility. |
| 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 free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights 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 since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. |
| 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 like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those 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 free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God's law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the 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 in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some. |
| 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. | 23I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in 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 all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. |
| 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. | 25Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. |
| 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. | 26So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. |
| 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. | 27Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified. |
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