| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 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? | 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 other people, surely I am one to you, for you are the evidence of my apostolic authority from 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. |
| 3This is my defense to those who would examine me: | 3This is my defense to those who examine me. |
| 4We have the right to earn our food, don't we? | 4Do we not have the right to financial support? |
| 5We have the right to take a believing wife with us like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas, don't we? | 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 to keep on working for a living? | 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 any of its grapes? Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink any of its milk? | 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? |
| 8I am not saying this on human authority, am I? The Law says the same thing, doesn't it? | 8Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well? |
| 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? | 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? |
| 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. | 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 seed among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? | 11If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you? |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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? | 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? |
| 14In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who proclaim the gospel should make their living 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 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. | 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 about, for this obligation has been entrusted to me. How terrible it would be for me if I didn't 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 preach voluntarily, I get a reward, but if I am unwilling to do it, I am still entrusted with that obligation. | 17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 19Although I am free from everyone's expectations, I have made myself a servant to all of them to win more people. | 19For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. |
| 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). | 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 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel in order to have a share in its blessings. | 23I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in 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. | 24Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. |
| 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. | 25Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. |
| 26That is the way I run, with a clear goal in mind. That is the way I fight, not like someone shadow boxing. | 26So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. |
| 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. | 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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