1 Corinthians 9

Wycliffe Bible

9 Whether I am not free? Am I not apostle? Whether I saw not Jesus Christ, our Lord? Whether ye be not my work in the Lord?

² And though to others I am not apostle, but nevertheless to you I am; for ye be the little sign of mine apostlehood [for why ye be the signal, or little sign, of mine apostlehood] in the Lord.

³ My defence to them that ask me, that is. [My defence to them that ask me, is this].

⁴ Whether we have not power to eat and drink?

⁵ Whether we have not power to lead about a woman, a sister, as also other apostles, and brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶ Or I alone and Barnabas have not power to work these things?

⁷ Who travaileth any time with his own wages? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of his fruit? Who keepeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?^[a]

⁸ Whether after man I say these things? whether also the law saith not these things?

⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not bind [up] the mouth of the ox that thresheth. Whether of oxen is charge to God?

¹⁰ Whether for us he saith these things? For why those be written for us [For why for us they be written]; for he that ploweth, oweth to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, in hope to take fruits.

¹¹ If we sow spiritual things to you, is it great, if we reap your fleshly things?

¹² If others be partners of your power, why not rather we? But we use not this power, but we suffer all things, that we give no hindering [that we give no letting] to the evangel of Christ.

¹³ Know ye not, that they that work in the temple, eat those things that be of the temple [Know ye not, that they that work in the sanctuary, eat those things that be of the sanctuary], and they that serve to the altar, be partners of the altar?

¹⁴ So [and] the Lord ordained to them that tell the gospel, to live of the gospel.

¹⁵ But I used none of these things; and I wrote not these things, that they be done so in me; for it is good rather for me to die, than that any man should make my rejoicing void [than that any man void my glory].

¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, glory is not to me, for need-like I must do it^[b]; for woe to me, if I preach not the gospel.

¹⁷ But if I do this thing willfully, I have meed; but if against my will, dispensing is betaken to me. [Forsooth if I willing do this thing, I have meed; soothly if against my will, dispensation is betaken to me.]

¹⁸ What then is my meed? That I preaching the gospel, put the gospel without others' cost, that I use not my power in the gospel.^[c]

¹⁹ For why when I was free of all men, I made me servant of all men, to win the more men [that I should win more men].

²⁰ And to Jews I am made as a Jew, to win the Jews [that I should win Jews]; to them that be under the law, as I were under the law, when I was not under the law, to win them that were under the law [that I should win them that were under the law];

²¹ to them that were without law, as I were without law, when I was not without [the] law of God, but I was in the law of Christ, to win them that were without law [that I should win them that were without law].

²² I am made frail to frail men, to win frail men; to all men I am made all things, to make all men safe. [I am made sick to sick men, that I should win sick men; to all men I am made all things, that I should make all men safe.]

²³ But I do all things for the gospel, that I [should] be made partner of it.

²⁴ Know ye not, that they that run in a furlong, all run, but one taketh the prize? So run ye, that ye catch.

²⁵ Each man that striveth in fight, abstaineth him from all things; and they [forsooth], that they take a corruptible crown, but we an uncorrupt.

²⁶ Therefore I run so, not as to an uncertain thing; thus I fight, not as beating the air;

²⁷ but I chastise my body, and bring it into servage; lest peradventure when I preach to others [lest peradventure when I have preached to others], I myself be made reprovable.