| King James Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? | 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord? |
| 2If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. | 2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. |
| 3Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, | 3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me: |
| 4Have we not power to eat and to drink? | 4Have we no right to food and to drink? |
| 5Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? | 5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? |
| 6Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? | 6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living? |
| 7Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? | 7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk? |
| 8Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? | 8Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? |
| 9For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? | 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 saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. | 10Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest. |
| 11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? | 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you? |
| 12If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. | 12If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. |
| 13Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? | 13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings? |
| 14Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. | 14In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. |
| 15But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. | 15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast. |
| 16For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! | 16Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! |
| 17For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. | 17If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility. |
| 18What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. | 18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it. |
| 19For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. | 19Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. |
| 20And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that 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), to win those under the law. |
| 21To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. | 21To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law. |
| 22To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made 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. |
| 23And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. | 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. |
| 24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. | 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. |
| 25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. | 25Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. |
| 26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: | 26Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. |
| 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. | 27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. |
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