1  Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in YHWH?

2  If I am not an apostle to others, yet indeed I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in YHWH.

2  If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

3  My defense to those who examine me is this

3  So my answer to those who criticize me is this,

3  Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

4  Do we not have [the] right to eat and drink?

4  Have we not power to eat and to drink?

5  Do we not have [the] right to take along a wife [who is] a sister, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of YHWH, and Cephas?

5  Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6  Or is it only Barnabas and I who must work for a living?

6  Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?

6  Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the authority to act in this way?

7  Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?

7  What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

7  Who 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?

8  Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say these things also?

8  I say these things as a man. Behold the law says them also.

9  For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it threshes."Is it oxen God is concerned about?

10  Or does He say [this] altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, for it is written, that he that plows should plow in hope, and he that threshes, in hope should partake of his hope.

10  Or is he saying this, indeed, for our sake? These things were written specifically for us, because he who plows, ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes, too, in hope of receiving the produce.

11  If we have sown spiritual things for you, [is it] a great thing if we reap your material things?

11  Now if we have sown among you spiritual things, is it too much that we should reap material things from you?

12  If others partake of this right over you, do not we even more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but bear all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.

13  Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat from the temple, and those who serve at the altar have a share in the altar?

13  Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat [of] the things of the temple, [and] they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?

13  Do 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?

14  Thus also YHWH commanded those who proclaim the gospel to live from the gospel.

14  Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

14  So, too, has the Lord ordained that those who announce the Gospel should live by the Gospel.

15  But I used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should become thus for me; for it is better for me rather to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.

15  But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorifying void.

15  Yet I have used none of these things. And I have not written so that these things may be done for me. For it is better for me to die, rather than to let anyone empty out my glory.

16  For if I preach the gospel, there is nothing for me to boast about, for necessity is pressed upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for I am under obligation; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel!

17  For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a commission.

17  For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.

18  What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ free of charge, so as not to exploit my rights in the gospel.

18  And what, then, would be my reward? So, when preaching the Gospel, I should give the Gospel without taking, so that I may not misuse my authority in the Gospel.

19  For being free from all [men], I have made myself a servant to all, in order that I might win the more;

19  For though I was free from all [men,] I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

19  Because I am free from all these things, I have served all men that I may gain many.

20  and to the Jews I became as a Jew, in order that I might win Jews; to those who are under law, as under law, in order that I might win those who are under law;

20  And so, to the Jews, I became like a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews.

21  to those outside the law, as [one] outside the law (not being outside the law toward God, but subject to [the ]law toward Christ), in order that I might win those outside the law;

21  to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.

21  To those who are under the law, I became as if I were under the law, (though I was not under the law) so that I might gain those who were under the law. To those who were without the law, I became as if I were without the law, (though I was not without the law of God, being in the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who were without the law.

22  to the weak I became as weak, in order that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some.

22  To the weak, I became weak, so that I might gain the weak. To all, I became all, so that I might save all.

22  With the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak: I became everything to every man, that I might by all means save everyone.

23  Now this I do for the sake of the gospel, in order that I may become a partaker of it [with you].

23  And I do all things for the gospel`s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

23  And this I do for the gospelÆs sake, that I might be partaker of it.

24  Do you not know that those running in a stadium all run, but one receives the prize? So run, in order that you may win.

24  Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.

24  Do you not know that, of those who run in a race, all of them, certainly, are runners, but only one achieves the prize. Similarly, you must run, so that you may achieve.

25  And everyone who competes exercises self-control [in] all things. Now they [compete] in order that they may receive a perishable crown, but we [compete] [for ]an imperishable crown.

25  And one who competes in a contest abstains from all things. And they do this, of course, so that they may achieve a corruptible crown. But we do this, so that we may achieve what is incorruptible.

26  Therefore I run thus: not as without a goal, thus I box: not as one beating the air.

26  I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air

26  And so I run, but not with uncertainty. And so I fight, but not by flailing in the air.

27  But I treat my body roughly, and I bring it into subjection, lest, having preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

27  but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

27  Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast.