2 Corinthians 8
1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace of God that has been bestowed upon the congregations of Macedonia,
Ndugu, tunapenda kuwapa habari juu ya neema ambazo Mungu ameyajalia makanisa ya Makedonia.
2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their extreme poverty produced their extravagant, sincere generosity.
Waumini wa huko walijaribiwa sana kwa taabu; lakini furaha yao ilikuwa kubwa hivi hata wakawa wakarimu kupita kiasi, ingawaje walikuwa maskini sana.
3 Because according to their ability, I bear witness, even beyond that ability, of their own accord,
Naweza kushuhudia kwamba walikuwa wakarimu kadiri ya nguvu zao na hata zaidi. Kwa hiari yao wenyewe,
4 they begged us with much entreaty to receive the gift, the sharing in the ministry to the saints
walitusihi sana wapewe nafasi ya kushiriki katika huduma hii ya kuwasaidia watu wa Mungu.
5 —and more than we had hoped, they first gave themselves to the Lord (and due to God's will, to us).
Hilo lilikuwa jambo ambalo hatukulitazamia kabisa! Kwanza walijitolea wao wenyewe kwa Bwana, kisha wakajitolea wenyewe kwetu pia, kufuatana na mapenzi ya Mungu.
6 So we urged Titus that as he had made a beginning so he should also bring to completion in you this grace as well;
Kwa sababu hiyo, tulimsihi Tito aliyeianza kazi hiyo awasaidieni pia muitekeleze huduma hii ya upendo miongoni mwenu.
7 that as you excel in everything—in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—that you excel in this grace too.
Ninyi mna kila kitu: imani, uwezo wa kusema, elimu; bidii yote ya kutenda mema, na upendo wenu kwetu. Hivyo, tunatazamia muwe wakarimu katika huduma hii ya upendo.
8 I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.
Siwapi ninyi amri, lakini nataka tu kuonyesha jinsi wengine walivyo na bidii ya kusaidia ili nipate kujua jinsi upendo wenu ulivyo wa kweli.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
Maana, ninyi mnajua neema ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo: yeye, ingawa alikuwa na kila kitu, alijifanya maskini kwa ajili yenu, ili kutokana na umaskini wake, awatajirishe.
10 So here is my advice in this (since already a year ago you began to give and to plan, this is to your advantage):
Kuhusu jambo hili, basi, nawapeni shauri hili: inafaa kwenu kutekeleza sasa yale mliyoanza mwaka jana. Ninyi mlikuwa wa kwanza kuchukua hatua na kuamua kufanya hivyo.
11 now you must really finish the doing—not only of the enthusiastic planning but also of the completing—out of what you have
Basi, kamilisheni shughuli hiyo; na kama vile mlivyokuwa na hamu kubwa ya kusaidia, basi, fanyeni bidii vivyo hivyo, kadiri ya uwezo wenu, kuikamilisha.
12 (because when the intention is presented, it is acceptable according to what one may have, not what he does not have).
Maana ikiwa mtu ana moyo wa kusaidia, Mungu hupokea kila anachoweza kutoa: hadai zaidi.
13 Now this is not to distress you so as to relieve others,
Ninyi hampaswi kuongezewa taabu kusudi wengine wapunguziwe mzigo wao; sivyo, ila ni lazima tujali usawa na haki.
14 but by way of balance—at this juncture your surplus alleviates their lack, so that later their surplus may alleviate your lack—yes, that there be balance;
Kila mlicho nacho sasa cha ziada kiwasaidie wale wanaohitaji, ili nao wakati watakapokuwa na ziada, wawasaidie ninyi katika mahitaji yenu, na hivyo kuwe na usawa.
15 as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”
Kama Maandiko yasemavyo: “Aliyekusanya kwa wingi hakuwa na ziada, na yule aliyekusanya kidogo hakupungukiwa.”
16 Now thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you in the heart of Titus;
Namshukuru Mungu aliyeweka ndani ya moyo wa Tito hamu hiyo niliyo nayo mimi ya kuwasaidia.
17 because he not only welcomed my appeal but being very diligent he went to you of his own accord.
Si tu kwamba alikubali ombi letu, ila pia alikuwa na hamu kubwa ya kusaidia, hata akaamua kwa hiari yake mwenyewe kuja kwenu.
18 But we have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Gospel is throughout all the congregations;
Pamoja naye, tunamtuma ndugu mmoja ambaye sifa zake katika kueneza Habari Njema zimeenea katika makanisa yote.
19 and not only that—he was actually chosen by the congregations as our traveling companion with this gift, that is being administered by us with a view to the glory of the Lord Himself, and to our own goodwill,
Zaidi ya hayo, yeye amechaguliwa na makanisa awe mwenzetu safarini wakati tunapopeleka huduma hii yetu ya upendo, huduma tunayoifanya kwa ajili ya utukufu wa Bwana na uthibitisho wa nia yetu njema.
20 avoiding any criticism about how we are handling this abundance;
Tunataka kuepa lawama zinazoweza kutokea kuhusu usimamizi wetu juu ya zawadi hii karimu.
21 giving thought to blamelessness, not only before the Lord but also before men.
Nia yetu ni kufanya vema, si tu mbele ya Bwana, lakini pia mbele ya watu.
22 Further, we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved to be diligent in many things, but now much more so, because of our great confidence in you.
Basi, pamoja na ndugu hao, tumemtuma ndugu yetu mwingine ambaye mara nyingi tumempa majaribio mbalimbali, tukamwona kuwa ni mwenye hamu kubwa ya kusaidia; hata sasa amekuwa na moyo zaidi kwa sababu ana imani sana nanyi.
23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker toward you; as for our brothers, they are envoys of the congregations, a glory of Christ.
Tito ni mwenzangu; tunafanya kazi pamoja kwa ajili yenu; lakini kuhusu hawa ndugu zetu wengine, wanaokuja pamoja nao, hao ni wajumbe wa makanisa, na utukufu kwa Kristo.
24 Therefore show the proof of your love (and of our boasting about you) to them as representatives of the congregations.
Basi, waonyesheni uthabiti wa upendo wenu, makanisa yapate kuona kweli kwamba fahari ninayoona juu yenu ni ya halali.
