1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the LORD?
Je, mimi si huru? Je, mimi si mtume? Je, mimi sikumwona Yesu, Bwana wetu? Je, ninyi si matunda ya kazi yangu katika Bwana?
2 If I am not an apostle to others—yet doubtless I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the LORD.
Hata kama mimi si mtume kwa wengine, hakika mimi ni mtume kwenu, kwa maana ninyi ni mhuri wa utume wangu katika Bwana.
3 My defense to those who examine me in this:
Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa hao wanaokaa kunihukumu.
4 do we not have authority to eat and to drink?
Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
5 Do we not have authority to lead about a sister—a wife—as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the LORD, and Cephas?
Je, hatuna haki ya kusafiri na mke anayeamini, kama wanavyofanya mitume wengine na ndugu zake Bwana na Kefa?
6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no authority not to work?
Au ni mimi na Barnaba tu inatubidi kufanya kazi ili tuweze kupata mahitaji yetu?
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense at any time? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
Ni askari yupi aendaye vitani kwa gharama zake mwenyewe? Ni nani apandaye shamba la mizabibu na asile matunda yake? Ni nani achungaye kundi na asipate maziwa yake.
8 Do I speak these things according to man? Or does the Law not also say these things?
Je, nasema mambo haya katika mtazamo wa kibinadamu tu? Je, sheria haisemi vivyo hivyo?
9 For in the Law of Moses it has been written: “you will not muzzle an ox treading out grain”; does God care for the oxen?
Kwa maana imeandikwa katika Sheria ya Mose: “Usimfunge maksai kinywa apurapo nafaka.” Je, Mungu hapa anahusika na ngʼombe?
10 Or by all means does He say [it] because of us? Yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.
Je, Mungu hasemi haya hasa kwa ajili yetu? Hakika yameandikwa kwa ajili yetu, kwa sababu mtu anapolima na mpuraji akapura nafaka, wote wanapaswa kufanya hivyo wakiwa na tumaini la kushiriki mavuno.
11 If we sowed to you the spiritual things—[is it] great if we reap your fleshly things?
Je, ikiwa sisi tulipanda mbegu ya kiroho miongoni mwenu, itakuwa ni jambo kubwa iwapo tutavuna vitu vya mwili kutoka kwenu?
12 If others partake of the authority over you—[do] we not more? But we did not use this authority, but we bear all things, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.
Kama wengine wana haki ya kupata msaada kutoka kwenu, isingepasa tuwe na haki hiyo hata zaidi? Lakini sisi hatukutumia haki hii. Kinyume chake, tunavumilia kila kitu ili tusije tukazuia Injili ya Kristo.
13 Have you not known that those working about the things of the temple eat of the temple, and those waiting at the altar are partakers with the altar?
Je, hamjui kwamba, watu wafanyao kazi hekaluni hupata chakula chao kutoka hekaluni, nao wale wahudumiao madhabahuni hushiriki kile kitolewacho madhabahuni?
14 So also the LORD directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news.
Vivyo hivyo, Bwana ameamuru kwamba wale wanaohubiri Injili wapate riziki yao kutokana na Injili.
15 And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that anyone may make my glorying void;
Lakini sijatumia hata mojawapo ya haki hizi. Nami siandiki haya nikitumaini kwamba mtanifanyia mambo hayo. Heri nife kuliko mtu yeyote kuninyima huku kujisifu kwangu.
16 for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid on me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news;
Lakini ninapohubiri Injili siwezi kujisifu maana ninalazimika kuhubiri. Ole wangu nisipoihubiri Injili!
17 for if I do this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly—I have been entrusted with a stewardship!
Nikihubiri kwa hiari, ninayo thawabu. Lakini kama si kwa hiari, basi ninachofanya ni kutekeleza tu uwakili niliowekewa.
18 What, then, is my reward? That proclaiming good news, without charge I will make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;
Basi je, thawabu yangu ni nini? Thawabu yangu ni hii: Ya kwamba katika kuhubiri Injili niitoe bila gharama, bila kutumia kwa utimilifu uwezo wangu nilio nao katika Injili.
19 for being free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that the more I might gain;
Ingawa mimi ni huru, wala si mtumwa wa mtu yeyote, nimejifanya kuwa mtumwa wa kila mtu, ili niweze kuwavuta wengi kadri iwezekanavyo.
20 and to the Jews I became like a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under law as under law, that I might gain those under law;
Kwa Wayahudi, nilikuwa kama Myahudi, ili niwapate Wayahudi. Kwa watu wale walio chini ya sheria, nilikuwa kama aliye chini ya sheria (ingawa mimi siko chini ya sheria), ili niweze kuwapata wale walio chini ya sheria.
21 to those without law, as without law—(not being without law to God, but within law to Christ)—that I might gain those without law;
Kwa watu wasio na sheria nilikuwa kama asiye na sheria (ingawa siko huru mbali na sheria ya Mungu, bali niko chini ya sheria ya Kristo), ili niweze kuwapata wale wasio na sheria.
22 to the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.
Kwa walio dhaifu nilikuwa dhaifu, ili niweze kuwapata walio dhaifu. Nimekuwa mtu wa hali zote kwa watu wote ili kwa njia yoyote niweze kuwaokoa baadhi yao.
23 And I do this because of the good news, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it;
Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Injili, ili nipate kushiriki baraka zake.
24 have you not known that those running in a race—all indeed run, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain;
Je, hamjui kwamba katika mashindano ya mbio wote wanaoshindana hukimbia, lakini ni mmoja wao tu apewaye tuzo? Kwa hiyo kimbieni katika mashindano kwa jinsi ambavyo mtapata tuzo.
25 and everyone who is striving is temperate in all things; these, indeed, then, that they may receive a corruptible garland, but we an incorruptible;
Kila mmoja anayeshiriki katika mashindano hufanya mazoezi makali. Wao hufanya hivyo ili wapokee taji isiyodumu, lakini sisi tunafanya hivyo ili kupata taji idumuyo milele.
26 I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;
Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii kama mtu akimbiaye bila lengo, sipigani kama mtu anayepiga hewa,
27 but I bruise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others—I myself may become disapproved.
la, bali nautesa mwili wangu na kuutumikisha ili nikiisha kuwahubiria wengine, mimi nisiwe mtu wa kukataliwa.
