| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 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 not the result of my work 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 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. |
| 3Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, | 3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. |
| 4Have we not power to eat and to drink? | 4Don't we have the right to food and 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? | 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 I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? | 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not 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 its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? |
| 8Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law 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, 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. | 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 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 if we 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 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 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? | 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 hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of 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: 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 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 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! | 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 thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. | 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? 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? 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 be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain 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 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), so as 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 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 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, 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 gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get 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 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. |
| 26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: | 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer 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 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. |
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