Chapter 9

¹Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord? ²if to others I am not an apostle -- yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord. ³My defence to those who examine me in this; ⁴have we not authority to eat and to drink? ⁵have we not authority a sister -- a wife -- to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority -- not to work? ⁷who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat? ⁸According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things? ⁹for in the law of Moses it hath been written, `thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;` for the oxen doth God care? ¹⁰or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope. ¹¹If we to you the spiritual things did sow -- great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap? ¹²if others do partake of the authority over you -- not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ. ¹³Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple -- of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar -- with the altar are partakers? ¹⁴so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live. ¹⁵And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void; ¹⁶for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and wo is to me if I may not proclaim good news; ¹⁷for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly -- with a stewardship I have been entrusted! ¹⁸What, then, is my reward? -- that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news; ¹⁹for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain; ²⁰and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain; ²¹to those without law, as without law -- (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) -- that I might gain those without law; ²²I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some. ²³And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become; ²⁴have ye not known that those running in a race -- all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain; ²⁵and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible; ²⁶I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air; ²⁷but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others -- I myself may become disapproved.