| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 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 the result of 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. | 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. |
| 3This is my defense to those who would examine me: | 3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. |
| 4We have the right to earn our food, don't we? | 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? |
| 5We have the right to take a believing wife with us like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas, don't we? | 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 to keep on working for a living? | 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 any of its grapes? Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink any of its milk? | 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? |
| 8I am not saying this on human authority, am I? The Law says the same thing, doesn't it? | 8Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? |
| 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." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? |
| 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. | 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 seed among 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 a material harvest 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 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. |
| 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 get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? |
| 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 has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from 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 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 about, for this obligation has been entrusted to me. How terrible it would be for me if I didn't 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 preach voluntarily, I get a reward, but if I am unwilling to do it, I am still entrusted with that obligation. | 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. |
| 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? 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. |
| 19Although I am free from everyone's expectations, I have made myself a servant to all of them to win more people. | 19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. |
| 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 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 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 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 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, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. |
| 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel in order to have a share in its blessings. | 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. |
| 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 in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 26That is the way I run, with a clear goal in mind. That is the way I fight, not like someone shadow boxing. | 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the 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. | 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: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | 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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