I Corinthians 9

¹Whether Y am not fre? Am Y not apostle? Whether Y saiy not `Crist Jhesu, `oure Lord? Whether ye ben not my werk in the Lord?

²And thouy to othere Y am not apostle, but netheles to you Y am; for ye ben the litle signe of myn apostlehed in the Lord.

³My defense to hem that axen me, that is.

⁴Whether we han not power to ete and drynke?

⁵Whether we han not power to lede aboute a womman a sistir, as also othere apostlis, and britheren of the Lord, and Cefas?

⁶Or Y aloone and Barnabas han not power to worche these thingis?

⁷Who traueilith ony tyme with hise owne wagis? Who plauntith a vynyerd, and etith not of his fruyt? Who kepith a flok, and etith not of the mylk of the flok?

⁸Whether aftir man Y sey these thingis? whether also the lawe seith not these thingis?

⁹For it is writun in the lawe of Moises, Thou schalt not bynde the mouth of the ox threischynge. Whethir of oxun is charge to God?

¹⁰Whether for vs he seith these thingis? For whi tho ben writun for vs; for he that erith, owith to ere in hope, and he that threischith, in hope to take fruytis.

¹¹If we sowen spiritual thingis to you, is it grete, if we repen youre fleischli thingis?

¹²If othere ben parteneris of youre power, whi not rathere we? But we vsen not this power, but we suffren alle thingis, that we yyuen no lettyng to the euangelie of Crist.

¹³Witen ye not, that thei that worchen in the temple, eten tho thingis that ben of the temple, and thei that seruen to the auter, ben partyneris of the auter?

¹⁴So the Lord ordeynede to hem that tellen the gospel, to lyue of the gospel.

¹⁵But Y vside noon of these thingis; sotheli Y wroot not these thingis, that tho be don so in me; for it is good `to me rather to die, than that ony man `auoyde my glorie.

¹⁶For if Y preche the gospel, glorie is not to me, for nedelich Y mot don it; for wo to me, if Y preche not the gospel.

¹⁷But if Y do this thing wilfuli, Y haue mede; but if ayens my wille, dispending is bitakun to me.

¹⁸What thanne is my mede? That Y prechynge the gospel, putte the gospel with outen otheris cost, that Y vse not my power in the gospel.

¹⁹Forwhi whanne Y was fre of alle men, Y made me seruaunt of alle men, to wynne the mo men.

²⁰And to Jewis Y am maad as a Jew, to wynne the Jewis; to hem that ben vndur the lawe,

²¹as Y were vndur the lawe, whanne Y was not vndur the lawe, to wynne hem that weren vndur the lawe; to hem that weren with out lawe, as Y were with out lawe, whanne Y was not with out the lawe of God, but Y was in the lawe of Crist, to wynne hem that weren with out lawe.

²²Y am maad sijk to sike men, to wynne sike men; to alle men Y am maad alle thingis, to make alle men saaf.

²³But Y do alle thingis for the gospel, that Y be maad partener of it.

²⁴Witen ye not, that thei that rennen in a furlong, alle rennen, but oon takith the prijs? So renne ye, that ye catche.

²⁵Ech man that stryueth in fiyt, absteyneth hym fro alle thingis; and thei, that thei take a corruptible coroun, but we an vncorrupt.

²⁶Therfor Y renne so, not as `in to vncerteyn thing; thus Y fiyte, not as betynge the eir;

²⁷but Y chastise my bodi, and bryng it in to seruage; lest perauenture whanne Y preche to othere, Y my silf be maad repreuable.

I Corinthians 9

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

²If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

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

⁴Have we not power to eat and to drink?

⁵Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

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

⁷Who 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?

⁸Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

¹⁰Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

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

¹²If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

¹³Do 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?

¹⁴Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

¹⁵But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

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

¹⁷For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

¹⁸What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

¹⁹For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

²⁰And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

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

²²To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

²³And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

²⁵And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

²⁶I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

²⁷But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.