9 Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 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 defence to them that examine me is this. ⁴ Have we no right to eat and to drink? ⁵ Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a ^[a]believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶ Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working? 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? ⁸ Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same? ⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, ^[b]Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth, ¹⁰ or saith he it ^[c]assuredly for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was written: because he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, to thresh in hope of partaking. ¹¹ If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things? ¹² If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the ^[d]gospel of Christ. 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? ¹⁴ Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the ^[e]gospel should live of the ^[f]gospel. 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 glorying void. ¹⁶ For if I ^[g]preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I ^[h]preach not the gospel. 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 ^[i]preach the gospel, I may make the ^[j]gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the ^[k]gospel. ¹⁹ For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. ²⁰ And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under 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. ²² To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. ²³ And I do all things for the ^[l]gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof. ²⁴ Know ye not that they that run in a ^[m]race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. ²⁵ And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. ²⁶ I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so ^[n]fight I, as not beating the air: ²⁷ but I ^[o]buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I ^[p]have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.