[a](A)Do we not have a right to eat and drink? [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)Cephas? Or do only [d](E)Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Who at any time serves (F)as a soldier at his own expense? Who (G)plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not [e]use the milk of the flock?

I am not speaking these things (H)according to [f]human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “(I)You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about (J)oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, (K)for our sake it was written, because (L)the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing 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 [g]from the altar? 14 So also (S)the Lord directed those who proclaim the (T)gospel to (U)get their living from the gospel.

15 But I have (V)used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make (W)my boast an empty one. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for (X)I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach (Y)the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a (Z)reward; but if against my will, I have a (AA)stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my (AB)reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel (AC)without charge, so as (AD)not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:4 Lit It is not that we have no right to eat and drink, is it?
  2. 1 Corinthians 9:5 Lit It is not that we have no right to take along...Cephas, is it?
  3. 1 Corinthians 9:5 Lit sister, as wife
  4. 1 Corinthians 9:6 Lit I and Barnabas
  5. 1 Corinthians 9:7 Lit eat of
  6. 1 Corinthians 9:8 Lit man
  7. 1 Corinthians 9:13 Lit with

Don’t we have the right to food and drink?(A) Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife(B) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers(C) and Cephas[a]?(D) Or is it only I and Barnabas(E) who lack the right to not work for a living?

Who serves as a soldier(F) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard(G) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b](H) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?(I) 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,(J) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.(K) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?(L) 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.(M) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder(N) the gospel of Christ.

13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?(O) 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.(P)

15 But I have not used any of these rights.(Q) And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.(R) 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach.(S) Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward;(T) if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.(U) 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,(V) and so not make full use of my rights(W) as a preacher of the gospel.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:5 That is, Peter
  2. 1 Corinthians 9:9 Deut. 25:4

Or (A)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the (B)gospel of God to you (C)without charge? I robbed other churches by (D)taking wages from them to serve you; and when I was present with you and was in need, I was (E)not a burden to anyone; for when (F)the brethren came from (G)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from (H)being a burden to you, [a]and will continue to do so. 10 (I)As the truth of Christ is in me, (J)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of (K)Achaia. 11 Why? (L)Because I do not love you? (M)God knows I do!

12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, (N)so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be [b]regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:9 Lit and I will keep
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:12 Lit found

Was it a sin(A) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God(B) to you free of charge?(C) I robbed other churches by receiving support from them(D) so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.(E) I have kept myself from being a burden to you(F) in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,(G) nobody in the regions of Achaia(H) will stop this boasting(I) of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows(J) I do!(K)

12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

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14 Here (A)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I (B)will not be a burden to you; for I (C)do not seek what is yours, but (D)you; for (E)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but (F)parents for their children. 15 I will (G)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If (H)I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But be that as it may, I (I)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I (J)took you in by deceit. 17 (K)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18 I (L)urged (M)Titus to go, and I sent (N)the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not [a]conduct ourselves [b]in the same (O)spirit and walk (P)in the same steps?

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 12:18 Lit walk
  2. 2 Corinthians 12:18 Or by the same Spirit

14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,(A) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,(B) but parents for their children.(C) 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.(D) If I love you more,(E) will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.(F) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18 I urged(G) Titus(H) to go to you and I sent our brother(I) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

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For we never came [a]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with (A)a pretext for greed—(B)God is witness— nor did we (C)seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as (D)apostles of Christ [b]we might have [c]asserted our authority. But we [d]proved to be [e](E)gentle [f]among you, (F)as a nursing mother [g]tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to (G)impart to you not only the (H)gospel of God but also our own [h]lives, because you had become [i]very dear to us.

For you recall, brethren, our (I)labor and hardship, how (J)working night and day so as not to be a (K)burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the (L)gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is (M)God, (N)how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we [j]behaved toward you [k]believers; 11 just as you know how we were (O)exhorting and encouraging and [l](P)imploring each one of you as (Q)a father would his own children, 12 so that you would (R)walk in a manner worthy of the God who (S)calls you into His own kingdom and (T)glory.

13 For this reason we also constantly (U)thank God that when you received the (V)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it (W)not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, (X)which also performs its work in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became (Y)imitators of (Z)the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are (AA)in Judea, for (AB)you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, (AC)even as they did from the Jews, 15 (AD)who both killed the Lord Jesus and (AE)the prophets, and [m]drove us out. [n]They are not pleasing to God, [o]but hostile to all men, 16 (AF)hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles (AG)so that they may be saved; with the result that they always (AH)fill up the measure of their sins. But (AI)wrath has come upon them [p]to the utmost.

17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a [q]short while—(AJ)in [r]person, not in [s]spirit—were all the more eager with great desire (AK)to see your face. 18 [t]For (AL)we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, [u](AM)more than once—and yet (AN)Satan (AO)hindered us. 19 For who is our hope or (AP)joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His [v](AQ)coming? 20 For you are (AR)our glory and joy.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 Lit in a word of flattery
  2. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Lit being able to
  3. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 Or be burdensome
  4. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or became gentle
  5. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Three early mss read babes
  6. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Lit in the midst of you
  7. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Or cherishes
  8. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Or souls
  9. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Lit beloved
  10. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 Lit became
  11. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 Or who believe
  12. 1 Thessalonians 2:11 Or testifying to
  13. 1 Thessalonians 2:15 Or persecuted us
  14. 1 Thessalonians 2:15 Lit and
  15. 1 Thessalonians 2:15 Lit and
  16. 1 Thessalonians 2:16 Or forever or altogether; lit to the end
  17. 1 Thessalonians 2:17 Lit occasion of an hour
  18. 1 Thessalonians 2:17 Lit face
  19. 1 Thessalonians 2:17 Lit heart
  20. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 Or Because
  21. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 Lit both once and twice
  22. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 Or presence

You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed(A)—God is our witness.(B) We were not looking for praise from people,(C) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles(D) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.(E) Instead, we were like young children[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,(F) so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God(G) but our lives as well.(H) Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked(I) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone(J) while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses,(K) and so is God,(L) of how holy,(M) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,(N) 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy(O) of God, who calls(P) you into his kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God continually(Q) because, when you received the word of God,(R) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators(S) of God’s churches in Judea,(T) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people(U) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus(V) and the prophets(W) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles(X) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.(Y) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.[b]

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),(Z) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.(AA) 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan(AB) blocked our way.(AC) 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown(AD) in which we will glory(AE) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?(AF) Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory(AG) and joy.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some manuscripts were gentle
  2. 1 Thessalonians 2:16 Or them fully