1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
Abụghị m onye nwe onwe ya? Abụghị m onyeozi Kraịst? Ọ bụ na m ahụghị Jisọs Onyenwe anyị? Unu abụghị ihe ngosipụta ọrụ m rụrụ nʼime Onyenwe anyị?
2 Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Ọ bụrụ na m abụghị onyeozi nʼebe ndị ọzọ nọ, nʼebe unu nọ, abụ m onyeozi nʼeziokwu nʼihi na unu bụ akara nke ọrụ onyeozi m nʼime Onyenwe anyị.
3 This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
Ihe ngọpụ m nye ndị ahụ na-enyocha m bụ nke a.
4 Have we no right to food and to drink?
Ọ bụ na anyị enweghị ike iri ihe oriri na ịṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ?
5 Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
Ọ bụ na anyị enweghị ike iduru nwunye onye bụ onye kwere ekwe gaa ebe ọbụla anyị na-aga dịka ndị ozi ọzọ na-eme, na dịka ụmụnne Onyenwe anyị na Sefas na-emekwa?
6 Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
Ọ ga-abụ naanị mụ na Banabas bụ ndị na-enweghị ike ịhapụ ịrụ ọrụ maka ihe anyị ga na-eri?
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
Olee onye agha unu maara nke na-esi nʼakpa ya akwụ onwe ya ụgwọ ọnwa? Ka ọ dị onye ọrụ ubi vaịnị unu maara nke na-adịghị eri mkpụrụ e si nʼubi ahụ weta? Olee onye ọzụzụ atụrụ unu maara nke na-adịghị aṅụ mmiri ara e si nʼigwe atụrụ ọ na-azụ apịpụta?
8 Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
Anaghị m ekwu ihe a nʼihi na ha bụ ihe na-eme ụbọchị niile nʼetiti ndị mmadụ? Akwụkwọ iwu, o kwukwaghị otu ihe ahụ?
9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
Nʼihi na e dere ya nʼiwu nke Mosis, “Ekechila ọnụ ehi mgbe ọ na-azọcha mkpụrụ ọka.” Unu chere na ọ bụ naanị ehi ka Chineke bu nʼobi kwuo okwu a?
10 Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
E, nʼihi anyị ka eji dee ya nʼakwụkwọ. Nʼezie, e dere ihe ndị a nʼihi anyị, nʼihi na onye rụrụ ọrụ nʼubi na onye na-azọcha mkpụrụ dị nʼubi ahụ, na-eme nke a nʼolileanya na o kwesiri iketa oke site na mkpụrụ e si nʼubi ahụ weta.
11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
Mkpụrụ anyị kụrụ nʼime obi unu bụ mkpụrụ nke mmụọ. Ọ ga-abụ ihe ọjọọ ma anyị sị unu nyetụ anyị ụfọdụ nʼime akụnụba unu?
12 If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
Ọ bụrụ na ndị ọzọ kwesiri iketa uru dị otu a nʼahụ unu, ọ bụ na anyị ekwesighị iketa karịa? Ma ọ dịbeghị mgbe anyị rịọrọ unu ihe ọbụla, kama anyị na-agbalịsị ike ịhụ na ọ dịghị ihe ga-egbochi unu iji ezi obi na-ege ntị nʼoziọma Kraịst nke anyị wetara.
13 Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
Ọ bụ na unu amataghị na ndị na-arụ ọrụ nʼụlọnsọ ukwu na-esi nʼụlọnsọ ahụ na-eweta ihe ha na-eri? Ndị na-agbakwa odibo nʼebe ịchụ aja na-eketakwa oke nʼihe eji chụọ aja?
14 In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
Nʼotu aka ahụ kwa, Onyenwe anyị ekwuola na ndị niile na-ekwusa oziọma ya ga-esi nʼoziọma eweta nri ha ga-eri dị ndụ.
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
Ma o nweghị mgbe m jirila ike ndị a m nwere irite uru nʼọrụ m nara ndị mmadụ ihe. Anaghị m ede nke a nʼakwụkwọ ka a na-ebutere m ihe onyinye. Nʼihi na ọ kaara m mma ka m nwụọ kama m ga-ekwe ka onye ọbụla mee ka ịnya isi m bụrụ ihe efu nʼihi ihe onyinye.
16 Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
Anaghị anya isi nʼihi na ana m ezisa oziọma, maka na nke ahụ bụ ọrụ e nyere m nʼiwu ka m rụọ. Ahụhụ dịịrị m ma ọ bụrụ na m ezisaghị oziọma.
17 If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
A sị na m ji aka m họpụta onwe m ịrụ ọrụ a, agaara m enwe ụgwọ ọrụ, ma na ọ bụrụ na o sighị nʼuche aka m, unu mara na-ahanyere m ya nʼaka.
18 What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
Gịnị bụ ụgwọ ọrụ m? Ụgwọ ọrụ m bụ ọṅụ m na-enwe site nʼizisa oziọma a, na-anaghị onye ọbụla ụgwọ ọrụ ọbụla, maọbụ ihe ruru m dịka onye na-ezisa oziọma ahụ.
19 Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
Ọ bụ ezie na-abụghị m ohu onye ọbụla, ma emeela m onwe m ohu nye mmadụ niile ka m nwee ike site nʼụzọ dị otu a rite ọtụtụ mkpụrụobi nʼuru nye Kraịst.
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
Nʼebe ndị Juu nọọ, ana m eme dịka onye Juu, ka m nwee ike rite ndị Juu nʼuru. Nʼetiti ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu, ana m emekwa dịka otu nʼime ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu (nʼagbanyeghị na mụ onwe m anọghị nʼokpuru iwu), ka m si otu a nwee ike rite ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu nʼuru.
21 To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
Nʼebe ndị na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu nọ, emere m onwe m ka onye na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu (ma nke a apụtaghị na m na-akwụsị ime ihe iwu Chineke na-achọ. Ana m emekwa dịka onye nọ nʼokpuru iwu Kraịst), ka m nwee ike rite ndị na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu nʼuru.
22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
Nʼebe ndị na-adịghị ike nọ, ana m emekwa dịka ha, ka m nwee ike rite ndị na-adịghị ike nʼuru. Otu ọbụla mmadụ si dịrị, ana m agbalị chọọ ụzọ m ga-esi mee ka ọ nabata m, ka m nwee ike site nʼụzọ niile ọbụla zọpụta ụfọdụ.
23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Ana m eme ihe ndị a niile nʼihi oziọma, ma ka m nwekwa ike keta oke na ngọzị ya.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
Unu amataghị na mgbe ọtụtụ mmadụ na-agba ọsọ ịsọ mpi, ọ bụ naanị otu onye na-enwe ihe onyinye nke mbụ? Ya mere, gbasienụ ọsọ ike, ka unu nweta onyinye ahụ.
25 Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
Ndị na-ejikere ịgba ọsọ maọbụ egwuregwu ọzọ na-enwe ntachiobi nʼọtụtụ ahụhụ nke ya na ọzụzụ so. Ha na-azụ onwe ha naanị ka ha nweta okpueze okoko osisi na-emebi emebi. Ma ọsọ anyị na-agba bụ ka anyị nweta okpueze nke na-apụghị imebi emebi.
26 Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
Ọ bụ nke a mere m ji na-agba ọsọ a na-eleghị anya nʼazụ, maọbụ kụọ ọkpọ dịka m na-akụ ifufe.
27 No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Ma ana m azụ ahụ m, na-enye ya ahụhụ mee ya ka ọ bụrụ ohu, ka mụ onwe m ghara ị bụ onye a jụrụ ajụ mgbe m kwusasịrị oziọma nye ndị ọzọ.
