4 ⁿDo we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 ^oDo we not have the right to take along a ^pbelieving wife,¹ as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and ^qCephas? 6 Or is it only ^rBarnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? ^sWho plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

8 Do I say these things ^ton human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, ^u“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak ^vfor our sake? It was written for our sake, because ^wthe plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 ^xIf we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, ^ywe have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an ^zobstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

13 Do you not know that ^athose who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, ^bthe Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

15 But ^cI have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ^dground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. ^eFor necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still ^fentrusted with a ^gstewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel ^hfree of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

6 Nor did we ^gseek glory from people, whether from you or from others, ^hthough we could have made demands as ⁱapostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle¹ among you, ^jlike a ^knursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God ^lbut also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our ^mlabor and toil: we worked night and day, ⁿthat we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and ^flabor we worked night and day, ^gthat we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 ^hIt was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.