| New King James Version | New International 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? | 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, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal 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. |
| 3My defense to those who examine me is this: | 3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. |
| 4Do we have no right to eat and drink? | 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? |
| 5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, 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 is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? | 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work 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 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? |
| 8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? | 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, “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." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? |
| 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. | 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 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 a material harvest 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 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. |
| 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 get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? |
| 14Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from 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 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 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 nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is 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 willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. | 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. |
| 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? 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 though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; | 19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. |
| 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 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 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 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 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, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. |
| 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, that I may 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. | 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. |
| 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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