Read the Bible

¹ Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not *ye* my work in [the] Lord?

² If I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are *ye* in [the] Lord.

³ My defence to those who examine me is this:

⁴ Have we not a right to eat and to drink?

⁵ have we not a right to take round a sister [as] wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶ Or *I* alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?

⁷ Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?

⁸ Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things?

⁹ For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen,

¹⁰ or does he say [it] altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of [it].

¹¹ If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if *we* shall reap your carnal things?

¹² If others partake of this right over you, should not rather *we*? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ.

¹³ Do ye not know that they who labour [at] sacred things eat of the [offerings offered in the] temple; they that attend at the altar partake with the altar?

¹⁴ So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.

¹⁵ But *I* have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast.

¹⁶ For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings.

¹⁷ For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration.

¹⁸ What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless [to others], so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in [announcing] the glad tidings.

¹⁹ For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].

²⁰ And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain the Jews: to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, in order that I might gain those under law:

²¹ to those without law, as without law, (not as without law to God, but as legitimately subject to Christ,) in order that I might gain [those] without law.

²² I became to the weak, [as] weak, in order that I might gain the weak. To all I have become all things, in order that at all events I might save some.

²³ And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.

²⁴ Know ye not that they who run in [the] race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain.

²⁵ But every one that contends [for a prize] is temperate in all things: *they* then indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown, but *we* an incorruptible.

²⁶ *I* therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air.

²⁷ But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest [after] having preached to others I should be myself rejected.