1 Corinthians 9 - New Testament in Braid Scots 1904 (William Wye Smith)

CHAPTIR NINE. Paul speaks oʼ his sel. The battlin and the prize.

¹ Walk I no at liberty? Am I no an Apostle? Hae I no seen Jesus Christ oor Lord? Are ye no yersels my wark iʼ the Lord?

² Gin to ither anes I am‐na an Apostle, yet nae doot I am to you: for the seal oʼ my apostleship are ye iʼ the Lord!

³ My defence to thae wha quaisten me is this:

⁴ Hae‐we‐na richt to eat and drink?

⁵ Hae‐we‐na richt to be leadin aboot a wife wha is a believer, as weel as the lave oʼ the Apostles, and the Lordʼs brethren, and Peter?

⁶ Or hae only I and Barnabas no the richt to lay doon wark?

⁷ Wha gies service as a sodger, at his ain expense at ony time? Wha plants a vine‐yaird, and eats‐na oʼ the frute? or wha herds a flock, and taks‐na oʼ the milk oʼ the flock?

⁸ Am I sayin thir things as a man wad say? Or isna the Lord sayin the same?

⁹ For iʼ the law oʼ Moses it is putten doon, “Ye sanna muzzle the threshin ox.” Isʼt for the owsen God has care?

¹⁰ Or, wasʼt for oor sakes aʼ thegither he said it? Aye! for oor sakes wasʼt putten doon: sae that hopin, the pleughman soud pleugh: and hopin to hae, ane soud thresh.

¹¹ Gin we sawed for you spiritual things, isʼt a muckle thing gin we reap oʼ yere fleshly things?

¹² Gin ithers use the richt ower ye, soudna raither we? But we grippit‐na this richt, but raither happit‐up things, that naething soud hinder the Joyfuʼ‐message oʼ Christ.

¹³ Ken‐ye‐na that they wha serʼ in holie things eat oʼ the things oʼ the holie place? and they wha at the altar staun, wiʼ the altar share?

¹⁴ Eʼen sae has the Lord ordeened, that they that declare the Gude‐word, sal hae their breid oʼ the Gude‐word.

¹⁵ Hoobeit, I haena taen ony oʼ thir things: and mair, I spak‐na oʼ thae things, that sae it soud be done to me; for I wad suner dee than that ony ane soud mak feckless my gloryin.

¹⁶ For, gin I declare the Joyfuʼ‐message, it isna for me a cause oʼ gloryin: for a necessity is lyin on me; for wae is me! gin aiblins I be‐na declarin the Joyfuʼ‐message.

¹⁷ For gin I follow this thing oʼ mysel, I hae my meed; but gin it isna oʼ mysel, than it is a factorship I hae been lippenʼd wiʼ.

¹⁸ And what, than, is my meed? this: That in declarin the Joyfuʼ‐message, I may mak it free, and withoot cost; that I may‐na ower muckle use my richt iʼ the Joyfuʼ‐message.

¹⁹ For eʼen free as I am frae aʼ, I am thirlman to aʼ, that I micht win the mair.

²⁰ To the Jews becam I as a Jew, sae as I micht win the Jews: to thae aneath the Law, as aneath the Law (no bein mysel ʼneath the Law) that I soud win thae under the Law.

²¹ To thae no haein the Law, as no haein the Law (no bein withoot law to God, but aneath Christʼs Law), sae as I micht win thae no haein the Law.

²² I becam to the weak, as weak mysel, that I soud win the weak; to aʼ men hae I become aʼ things, that by aʼ thir means I micht save some!

²³ But aʼ things div I for the sake oʼ the Joyfuʼ‐message, that a partaker oʼt wiʼ you I micht become.

²⁴ Ken‐ye‐na that they wha rin in a coorse aʼ rin, but that ane wins the gree? Sae be rinnin, that ye may win!

²⁵ But ilka ane strivin iʼ the games, is self‐governin in aʼ things. They do it to obteen a fadin croon; but we, ane unfadin!

²⁶ And sae I am rinnin, as no at a ventur: sae fecht I, as no baffin the air:

²⁷ But I am haudin my body under, and garrin it do service; least in onywise, haein proclaimed the Joyfuʼ‐message to ithers, I mysel soud be cuisten aside!