| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? | 1I am free, am I not? I am an apostle, am I not? I have seen Jesus our Lord, haven't I? You are the result of my work in the Lord, aren't you? |
| 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. | 2If I am not an apostle to other people, surely I am one to you, for you are the evidence of my apostolic authority from the Lord. |
| 3My defense to those who examine me is this: | 3This is my defense to those who would examine me: |
| 4Do we have no right to eat and drink? | 4We have the right to earn our food, don't we? |
| 5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? | 5We have the right to take a believing wife with us like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas, don't we? |
| 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? | 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to keep on working for a living? |
| 7Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? | 7Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of its grapes? Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink any of its milk? |
| 8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? | 8I am not saying this on human authority, am I? The Law says the same thing, doesn't it? |
| 9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? | 9For in the Law of Moses it is written, "You must not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." God is not only concerned about oxen, is he? |
| 10Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. | 10Isn't he really speaking for our benefit? Yes, this was written for our benefit, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. |
| 11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? | 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? |
| 12If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. | 12If others enjoy this right over you, don't we have a stronger claim? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we tolerate everything in order not to put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of the Messiah. |
| 13Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? | 13You know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who serve at the altar get their share of its offerings, don't you? |
| 14Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. | 14In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who proclaim the gospel should make their living from the gospel. |
| 15But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. | 15But I have not used any of these rights, and I'm not writing this so that they may be applied in my case. I would rather die than let anyone deprive me of my reason for boasting. |
| 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! | 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for this obligation has been entrusted to me. How terrible it would be for me if I didn't preach the gospel! |
| 17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. | 17For if I preach voluntarily, I get a reward, but if I am unwilling to do it, I am still entrusted with that obligation. |
| 18What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. | 18What, then, is my reward? It is to be able to preach the gospel free of charge, and so I never resort to demanding my rights when I'm preaching the gospel. |
| 19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; | 19Although I am free from everyone's expectations, I have made myself a servant to all of them to win more people. |
| 20and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; | 20To the Jews I became like a Jew in order to win Jews. To those under the Law I became like a man under the Law, in order to win those under the Law (although I myself am not under the Law). |
| 21to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; | 21To those who do not have the Law, I became like a man who does not have the Law in order to win those who do not have the Law. However, I am not free from God's Law, but I'm subject to the Messiah's law. |
| 22to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. | 22To the weak I became weak in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some of them. |
| 23Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. | 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel in order to have a share in its blessings. |
| 24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. | 24You know that in a race all the runners run but only one wins the prize, don't you? You must run in such a way that you may be victorious. |
| 25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. | 25Everyone who enters an athletic contest practices self-control in everything. They do it to win a wreath that withers away, but we run to win a prize that never fades. |
| 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. | 26That is the way I run, with a clear goal in mind. That is the way I fight, not like someone shadow boxing. |
| 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. | 27No, I keep on disciplining my body, making it serve me so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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