| 章 |
| 9:1 |
Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not *ye* my work in [the] Lord?
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| 9:2 |
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.
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| 9:3 |
My defence to those who examine me is this:
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| 9:4 |
Have we not a right to eat and to drink?
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| 9:5 |
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?
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| 9:6 |
Or *I* alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?
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| 9:7 |
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?
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| 9:8 |
Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things?
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| 9:9 |
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,
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| 9:10 |
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].
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| 9:11 |
If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if *we* shall reap your carnal things?
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| 9:12 |
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.
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| 9:13 |
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?
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| 9:14 |
So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.
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| 9:15 |
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.
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| 9:16 |
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.
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| 9:17 |
For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration.
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| 9:18 |
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.
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| 9:19 |
For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].
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| 9:20 |
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:
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| 9:21 |
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.
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| 9:22 |
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.
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| 9:23 |
And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.
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| 9:24 |
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.
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| 9:25 |
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.
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| 9:26 |
*I* therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air.
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| 9:27 |
But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest [after] having preached to others I should be myself rejected.
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