| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? | 1Am 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? |
| 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. | 2Even 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. |
| 3This is my defense to those who examine me. | 3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. |
| 4Do we not have the right to financial support? | 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? |
| 5Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? | 5Don'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? |
| 6Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work? | 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? |
| 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? | 7Who 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? |
| 8Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well? | 8Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? |
| 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? | 9For 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? |
| 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. | 10Surely 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. |
| 11If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you? | 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? |
| 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. | 12If 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. |
| 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? | 13Don'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? |
| 14In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel. | 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. |
| 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! | 15But 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. |
| 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! | 16For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! |
| 17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility. | 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. |
| 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. | 18What 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. |
| 19For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. | 19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. |
| 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. | 20To 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. |
| 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. | 21To 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. |
| 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. | 22To 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. |
| 23I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it. | 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. |
| 24Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. | 24Do 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. |
| 25Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. | 25Everyone 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. |
| 26So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. | 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. |
| 27Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified. | 27No, 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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