1 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 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, 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 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.