{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/drb/1-corinthians/9","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-06-02T19:46:06.407Z"},"reference":{"translation":"DRB","book":"1 Corinthians","bookSlug":"1-corinthians","chapter":9,"testament":"NEW"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":8,"nextChapter":10,"totalChapters":16,"totalVerses":27},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"AM not I free? Am not I an apostle? Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord? "},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. "},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"My defence with them that do examine me is this. "},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"Have not we power to eat and to drink? "},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? "},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this? "},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"Who serveth as a soldier at any time, at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth the flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? "},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also say these things? "},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"For 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? "},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope; and he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit. "},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things? "},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ. "},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"Know you not, that they who work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar, partake with the altar? "},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel. "},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written these things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void. "},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. "},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me: "},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. "},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more. "},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: "},{"verseNumber":21,"text":"To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law,) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that were without the law. "},{"verseNumber":22,"text":"To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all. "},{"verseNumber":23,"text":"And I do all things for the gospel's sake: that I may be made partaker thereof. "},{"verseNumber":24,"text":"Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize ? So run that you may obtain. "},{"verseNumber":25,"text":"And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one. "},{"verseNumber":26,"text":"I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air: "},{"verseNumber":27,"text":"But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway. "}],"citation":{"inline":"1 Corinthians 9 (DRB)","markdown":"[1 Corinthians 9](https://primebible.com/drb/1-corinthians/9)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* DRB. https://primebible.com/drb/1-corinthians/9 (accessed 2026-06-02)."}}