¹Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?

¹ Ndax awma ndogal ci li may def? Ndax duma ndawul Kirist? Ndax gisuma Yeesu sunu Boroom? Xanaa du yéena soqikoo ci liggéey, bi ma Boroom bi sant?

²If 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.

² Su ma ñenn ñi tegul ndaw, moom laa ci yéen, ndaxte yéenay firnde jiy wone ne, ndawul Boroom bi dëgg laa.

³My defence to them that examine me is this.

³ Nii laay tontoo ñi may àtte:

⁴Have we no right to eat and to drink?

⁴ Xanaa sañunoo lekk ak a naan?

⁵Have 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?

⁵ Xanaa sañunoo indaale jabar ju gëm Kirist, ni yeneen ndawul Kirist ak doomi ndeyu Boroom bi ak Sefas sax?

⁶Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?

⁶ Walla boog man ak Barnabas rekk noo war a daan sunu doole?

⁷What 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?

⁷ Kan moo mas a solu soldaar ci pexey boppam? Kan mooy bey tool te du ci jariñu? Walla kan mooy sàmm jur te du naan ca soow ma?

⁸Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same?

⁸ Lii may wax, du ci yëfi doom Aadama rekk laa ko jukkee; xanaa du yoon wi it moo ko santaane?

⁹For 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,

⁹ Ndaxte bind nañu ci yoonu Musaa ne: «Bul sunjuñ gémmiñu nag wu ñu takk ci bojjukaay.» Ndax mooy tekki nag ne, Yàlla dafa bàyyi xel nag yi?

¹⁰or 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.

¹⁰ Walla boog xanaa nun noo moom wax jooju? Waaw, noo tax ñu bind loolu. Noonu kuy bey war na am yaakaar, te kuy bojj di yaakaar a jot wàllam.

¹¹If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?

¹¹ Nu ji ci yéen yëfi Xelum Yàlla, ba noppi góobe ci yéen yëfi àddina, ndax loolu dafa ëpp li nu war a séentu?

¹²If others partake of [this] right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

¹² Ndegam ñeneen a am sañ-sañ boobu ci yéen, nun kon waxi-noppi. Waaye nag jariñoowunu sañ-sañ boobu. Danuy far muñ lépp, ngir bañ a indi ndog ci yoonu xebaar bu baax bu Kirist bi.

¹³Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat [of] the things of the temple, [and] they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?

¹³ Xanaa xamuleen ne, ñiy liggéeyal yëf yu sell yi, dañuy lekk ñam, wi ci kër Yàlla gi, te ñiy liggéey ci saraxalukaay bi, dañuy jot seen wàll ci sarax yi?

¹⁴Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

¹⁴ Naka noonu it Boroom bi digle na ne, ñiy yégle xebaar bu baax bi, nanu ci dund.

¹⁵But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorifying void.

¹⁵ Waaye man jariñoowuma benn ci sañ-sañ yooyu, te binduma yëf yooyu, ngir ngeen di ma defal yu ni mel. Dee sax moo ma ko gënal — kenn du jële ci man mbir moomu may kañoo!

¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.

¹⁶ Su may yégle xebaar bu baax bi, mënuma cee kañu. Sas la, wu ñu ma sas. Dinaa torox, su ma yéglewul xebaar bu baax bi!

¹⁷For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.

¹⁷ Su doon ci sama coobare laa yégle xebaar bu baax bi, man naa ci séentu yool. Waaye defuma ko ci sama coobare, ndaxte sas la, wu ñu ma sas.

¹⁸What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel.

¹⁸ Kon nag lan mooy sama yool? Xanaa di yégle xebaar bu baax bi ci dara, te bañ a jariñoo sañ-sañ boobu ma ci yelloo.

¹⁹For though I was free from all [men,] I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

¹⁹ Gor laa te kenn moomu ma; teewul def naa sama bopp jaamu ñépp, ngir man a gindi nit ñu bare ci Kirist.

²⁰And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

²⁰ Ci biir Yawut yi, sol naa melow Yawut yi, ngir gindi leen. Man ci sama bopp yoonu Musaa jiitalu ma, terewul bi ma nekkee ci biir ñiy sàmm yoonu Musaa, sàmm naa yoon wa, ngir gindi leen.

²¹to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.

²¹ Ci biir ñi nekkul ci yoonu Musaa, faalewuma woon yoon wi, ngir gindi leen; waxuma ne, ànduma ak yoonu Yàlla, waaye topp naa yoon ci sama bokk ak Kirist.

²²To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

²² Ci biir ñi néew ngëm, meloon naa ni ku néew ngëm, ngir gindi leen. Doon naa lépp ci ñépp, ngir def lépp lu ma man, ba ñenn mucc ci.

²³And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

²³ Damaa def loolu lépp ndax xebaar bu baax bi, ngir man it ma am wàll ci barkeem.

²⁴Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.

²⁴ Xanaa xamuleen ne, ñépp ñooy daw cib rawante, waaye kenn rekk ay jël ndam li? Dawleen nag ngir jël ko.

²⁵And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they [do it] to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

²⁵ Ñiy joŋante ci po muy waral tàggat yaram, dañuy xañ seen bopp lu bare. Dañu koy def, ngir am kaalag ndam gu dul yàgg; waaye nun danu koy def, ngir am kaalag ndam gu sax ba fàww.

²⁶I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air:

²⁶ Man nag noonu laay dawe, te duma dawantu. Noonu laay bëree, waaye duma def ni nit kuy dóor ci jaww ji.

²⁷but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

²⁷ Waaye damay noot sama yaram, ba moom ko, ngir ragal a yégal ñi ci des xebaar bu baax bi, ba noppi Yàlla xañ ma ndam li.