1 Ŵakolinto 4
1 Mundu atuŵalanje kuti tuli achikatumetume ŵa Kilisito ŵatupegwilwe masengo ga kwalalichila ŵandu mitemela ja Akunnungu.
So, people ought to consider us [apostles] (OR, Apollos and me) to be [merely] servants of Christ. God has given to us [(exc) the work of] telling others the message that God has now revealed to us.
2 Pelepo kwa jwalijose jwapegwilwe masengo go ikusachilwa aŵeje jwakukulupichika.
With respect to doing that, those who are given work are required {give others some work to do require them} to do that work faithfully.
3 Nambo kwa une ngaŵa chindu, nalamulikwaga ni ŵanyamwe pane ni mundu jwalijose, ni une ngangulilamula nansyene.
I am not concerned whether you or [the judges in] some court decide whether I have done my work faithfully or not. I do not even judge myself [about that].
4 Mu ntima mwangu ngangulamulikwa ni chindu chachilichose, nambo chindu cho ngachikulosya kuti nganingola chileŵo, Ambuje ni ŵakunamula une.
I do not think that I have done anything wrong, but that does not prove that I have done nothing wrong. The Lord is the one who judges me.
5 Nombe mwanya ngasinlamula liloŵe kakanaŵe kwika katema kakwe, nneche mpaka pachaiche Ambuje. Ŵelewo chaiunukule indu yesisiche mu chipi ni kuŵika palulanga nganisyo sya mitima ja ŵandu. Nipele kila mundu chapochele ulape wakwe kutyochela kwa Akunnungu.
So, stop evaluating any of us [(exc)] before the time [when God judges everyone] [MTY]! Do not judge us before the Lord comes. He is the one who will reveal the sinful things that people have done secretly. He will even reveal what people have thought. At that time God will praise each person as [each one of them deserves].
6 Achalongo achinjangu, mechete yankati che Apolo ni une, kuti kwalitala lya uweji nlijiganye chiŵecheto chi, “Nkamulichisye maloŵe ga.” Kuti mwa ŵanyamwe akapagwa mundu jwalijose jwakulilapila mundu ju ni kunnyelusya mundu jwine.
My fellow believers, I have [told you] all these things as illustrations of myself and Apollos. I have done this for your sake, in order that you may learn [to live according to] the saying, “Do not act contrary to what is {what they have} written [in the Scriptures].” If you follow that rule, you will not be proud of one [spiritual leader] and despise another.
7 Ŵaani ŵansagwile mmwe mme jwakwapunda ŵane? Ana ngaŵa Akunnungu ŵampele indu yose inkwete? Iŵaga mpegwilwe kwachichi nkulifuna mpela ila ngaŵa yakupegwa?
(No one has made any of you superior to others!/Why do any of you think that you are superior to others?) [RHQ] [All the abilities] that you have, you received [from God]. [RHQ] So if you received them all [from God], (you should not boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]!”/why do you boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]?”) [RHQ]
8 Sambano mmasile kupata yose yaikunsoŵa! Sambano nsichile. Mmele mamwenye pangali uweji! Mbaya nkaliji mamwenye kuti nowe ŵakwe tuŵe mamwenye pamo nomwe.
[It is disgusting that you act as though] [IRO] you have already received everything that you need [spiritually]. You act as though [IRO] you were [spiritually] rich (OR, you had received all [the spiritual gifts you need]). You act as though [IRO] you had already begun to rule as kings with Christ. Well, I wish that you really were ruling [with him], in order that we [apostles] might also rule with you!
9 Ikuloleka kukwangu kuti Akunnungu atuŵisile uweji achinduna nti ŵambesi ŵa wosepe, mpela ŵandu ŵalamulikwe kuulagwa paujo pa ŵandu, tuŵele chindu chakusekasya paujo pa chilambo ni mmbujo mwa achikatumetume ŵa kwinani ni mmbujo mwa ŵandu.
But it seems as though God has put us [apostles] on display, [like prisoners] at the end [of the victor’s parade]. We [(exc)] are like men who have been condemned to die, who have been put in the arena where everyone can see [the wild animals] killing them. And not only people, but even angels all over the world [are watching us, as people] watch those who are performing a play [in a theater].
10 Tuli ŵakuloŵela kwa liwamba lya kwatumichila Kilisito, nambo ŵanyamwe nli ŵa lunda mu kulumbikana ni Kilisito! Uwe tuli ŵakulepetala nambo ŵanyamwe nkwete machili, ŵanyamwe nkuchimbichikwa nambo uwe tukwaluka.
Many people consider us to be [IRO] fools because [we preach about] Christ, but you proudly [think [IRO] that] you are wise because (of your close relationship with/you belong to) Christ. Many people [consider us] [IRO] to be unimpressive, but you [proudly think that you] impress others. People respect you, but they do not respect us.
11 Namuno sambano tukwete sala ni njota ni usauchi, tukuputikwa nnope ni nganitukola pakutama.
Up to this present time we have often been hungry. We have often been thirsty. We have ragged clothes. Often we have been beaten {others have beaten us}. We [have traveled so much that we] have no regular homes to live in.
12 Tukulaga kupanganya masengo ni makono getu twachinsyene. Paakutulwesya uweji tukwapa upile, pakutusausya tukupililila,
We work very hard [to earn a living]. When we are cursed [by people] {When [people] curse us}, we [ask God to] bless them. When we are persecuted {When [people] cause us to suffer}, we endure it.
13 paakututukana uweji tukwajanga kwa kwachimbichisya. Namuno sambano tukuoneka mpela usakwa wa pachilambo, ni kila mundu akutulola mpela ŵapugwe.
When we are slandered [by people] {When [people] slander us}, we reply kindly to them. Up to now, [unbelievers consider us to be worthless] [MET], [as though we were] just garbage.
14 Ngangulemba yelei kuti nantesye soni nambo ngunjiganya mpela achiŵanangu ŵakunonyelwa.
I am writing this to you, not to make you feel ashamed, but instead to warn you as [though you were] my own dear children.
15 Namose nkwete ŵakunnela achajinji nkulumbikana ni Kilisito nambo nganinkola achatati ŵajinji. Pakuŵa mu kulumbikana ni Kilisito une mele atati ŵenu kwakunlalichila Ngani Jambone.
I say that because as [an apostle of] Christ Jesus I [was the first one who] proclaimed the good message to you. As a result, I was the one who enabled you to have eternal life. So even if there were thousands of Christians who instruct you [MET], I am the only one who became [like] a father to you.
16 Nipele ngunchondelela ntende mpela ingutendaga une.
So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.
17 Kwaligongo li nguntuma che Timoseo kukwenu, mwanangu jwakunonyelwa ni jwakukulupilichika nkulumbikana ni Ambuje. Ŵelewo chankumbusye litala lyangukuya une nkulumbikana ni Kilisito. Litala lingwiganya papali pose mmipingo ja ŵandu wose ŵakunkulupilila Kilisito.
In order to [help you do that], I have sent/will be sending Timothy to you. I love him [as though he were] my son. He serves the Lord faithfully. He will remind you of the way I conduct my life [as one who] (has a close relationship with/belongs to) the Lord. The way I conduct my life is the same as how I teach [others to live] in all the congregations [to whom I have spoken].
18 Ŵane mwa ŵanyamwe atandite kulifuna achiganisyaga kuti nganyika sooni kukwenu.
Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].
19 Nambo chiiche kukwenu chitema pe Ambuje asakaga, nipele chinaiwone nansyene ngaŵa maloŵe gao gakulifuna pe nambo ni machili galinago ŵele ŵakulifuna.
But if the Lord wants me to come, I will come to you soon. Then I will not [pay any attention to] what those proud people say. Instead, I will find out [whether they have God’s] power.
20 Pakuŵa umwenye wa Akunnungu ngaŵa kwa kusala pe nambo mu machili.
Remember that God [judges whether or not we are letting him] rule [our lives], not by [listening to how we] talk, but [by seeing whether his] power [is present] ([among us/in our lives]).
21 Chichi chachikunnonyela? Iche kukwenu ndili ni lubokola, pane iche ni ntima wa unonyelo ni wakulitimalika?
So which do you prefer? Do you want me to come to you and punish you [because you have not changed your ways], or shall I come to you and act lovingly and gently toward you [because you have done what I told you to do]?
