| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard 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? | 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, at least 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: |
| 4Don't we have the right to eat and drink? | 4We have the right to earn our food, don't we? |
| 5Don't we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, 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 do Barnabas and I alone 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 its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from 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? |
| 8Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn't the law also say the same thing? | 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, Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. Is God really concerned with oxen? | 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 isn't He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop. | 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 too much if we reap material benefits from you? | 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? |
| 12If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don't we even more? However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything so that we will not 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. |
| 13Don't you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in 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? |
| 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by 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 rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! | 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 no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to 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 unwillingly, I am 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 then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of 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. |
| 19Although I am a free man and not anyone's slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. | 19Although I am free from everyone's expectations, I have made myself a servant to all of them to win more people. |
| 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law--though I myself am not under the law--to win those 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 that law, like one without the law--not being without God's law but within Christ's law--to win those without the 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 weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible 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 I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits. | 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel in order to have a share in its blessings. |
| 24Don't you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. | 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. |
| 25Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. | 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 do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating 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. |
| 27Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be 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. |
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