| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 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? | 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 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 others, at least I am to you, for you are the confirming sign of my apostleship in the Lord. |
| 3My defense to those who examine me is this: | 3This is my defense to those who examine me. |
| 4Do we have no right to eat and drink? | 4Do we not have the right to financial support? |
| 5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, 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? | 6Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work? |
| 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 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 as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? | 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 while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? | 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? |
| 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. | 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 for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? | 11If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things 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 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 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? | 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? |
| 14Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. | 14In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by 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 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, 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 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 willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been 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 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? 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 men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; | 19For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even 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 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 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 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 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 gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some. |
| 23Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. | 23I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it. |
| 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. | 24Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. |
| 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. | 25Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. |
| 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. | 26So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. |
| 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become 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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