³ My defense to those who examine me is this: ^4 [a](A)Do we not have a right to eat and drink? ^5 [b](B)Do we not have a right to take along a ^[c]believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the ^(C)brothers of the Lord, and ^[d](D)Cephas? ⁶ Or do only ^[e](E)Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from ^[f]working? ⁷ Who at any time serves ^(F)as a soldier at his own expense? Who ^(G)plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not ^[g]consume some of the milk of the flock?

⁸ I am not just asserting these things ^(H)according to human judgment, am I? Or does the Law not say these things as well? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “^(I)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.” God is not concerned about ^(J)oxen, is He? ¹⁰ Or is He speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written ^(K)for our sake, because ^(L)the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing in the crops. ^11 (M)If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹² If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we ^(N)did not use this right, but we endure all things ^(O)so that we will cause no hindrance to the ^(P)gospel of Christ. ^13 (Q)Do you not know that those who ^(R)perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share ^[h]from the altar? ¹⁴ So also ^(S)the Lord directed those who proclaim the ^(T)gospel to ^(U)get their living from the gospel.