< 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?
Mimi si huru? Mimi si mtume? Mimi sikumwona Yesu Bwana wetu? 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.
Ikiwa mimi si mtume kwa wengine, angalau ni mtume kwenu ninyi. Kwa maana ninyi ni uthibitisho wa utume wangu katika Bwana.
3 My defense to those who examine me in this:
Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa wale wanaonichunguza mimi.
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?
Hatuna haki kuchukua mke aliye amini kama wafanyavyo mitume wengine, na ndugu wa Bwana, na Kefa?
6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no authority not to work?
Au ni mimi peke yangu na Barnaba ambao tunapaswa kufanya kazi?
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 nani afanyaye kazi kama askari kwa gharama zake mwenyewe? Ni nani apandaye mzabibu na asile matunda yake? Au ni nani achungaye kundi asiyekunywa maziwa yake?
8 Do I speak these things according to man? Or does the Law not also say these things?
Je ninasema haya kwa mamlaka ya kibinadamu? Sheria nayo haisemi haya?
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 kuwa imeandikwa katika sheria ya Musa, “usimfunge ng'ombe kinywa apulapo nafaka.” Ni kweli kwamba hapa Mungu anajali ng'ombe?
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.
Au je hasemi hayo kwa ajili yetu? imeandikwa kwa ajili yetu, kwa sababu yeye alimaye nafaka inampasa kulima kwa matumaini, naye avunaye inampasa avune kwa matarajio ya kushiriki katika mavuno.
11 If we sowed to you the spiritual things—[is it] great if we reap your fleshly things?
Ikiwa tulipanda vitu vya rohoni miongoni mwenu, Je! Ni neno kubwa kwetu tukivuna vitu vya mwilini 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.
Ikiwa wengine walipata haki hii kutoka kwenu, Je! Sisi si zaidi? Hata hivyo, hatukuidai haki hii. Badala yake, tulivumilia mambo yote badala ya kuwa kikwazo cha 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?
Hamjui ya kuwa wote wafanyao kazi hekaluni hupata chakula chao kutoka hekaluni? Hamjui ya kuwa wote watendao kazi madhabahuni hupata sehemu ya kile kilichotolewa madhabahuni?
14 So also the LORD directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news.
Kwa jinsi iyo hiyo, Bwana aliagiza ya kuwa wote wanaoitangaza injili sharti wapate kuishi kutokana na hiyo 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 sijawadai haki zote hizi. Na siandiki haya ili jambo lolote lifanyike kwa ajili yangu. Ni heri mimi nife kuliko mtu yeyote kubatilisha 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;
Maana ikiwa naihubiri injili, sina sababu ya kujisifu, kwa sababu ni lazima nifanye hivi. Na 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!
Kwa maana nikifanya hivi kwa hiari yangu, nina thawabu. Lakini ikiwa si kwa hiari, bado nina jukumu nililopewa kuwa wakili.
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 thawabu yangu ni nini? Ya kuwa nihubiripo, nitaitoa injili pasipo gharama na bila kutumia kwa utimilifu wa haki yangu niliyonayo katika Injili.
19 for being free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that the more I might gain;
Maana japo nimekuwa huru kwa wote, nilifanyika mtumwa wa wote, ili kwamba niweze kuwapata wengi zaidi.
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 wale walio chini ya sheria, nilikuwa kama mmoja wao aliye chini ya sheria ili niwapate wale walio chini ya sheria. Nilifanya hivyo ingawa mimi binafsi sikuwa 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 wale walio nje ya sheria, nilikuwa kama mmoja wao nje ya sheria, ingawa mimi binafsi sikuwa nje ya sheria ya Mungu, bali chini ya sheria ya Kristo. Nilifanya hivyo ili niwapate wale walio nje ya 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 wanyonge nilikuwa mnyonge, ili niwapate walio wanyonge. Nimekuwa hali zote kwa watu wote, ili kwa njia zote nipate kuwaokoa baadhi.
23 And I do this because of the good news, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it;
Nami nafanya mambo yote kwa ajili ya injili, ili nipate kushiriki katika baraka.
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;
Hamjui ya kuwa katika mbio wote washindanao hupiga mbio, lakini apokeaye tuzo ni mmoja? Hivyo pigeni mbio ili mpate 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;
Mwana michezo hujizuia katika yote awapo katika mafunzo. Hao hufanya hivyo ili wapokee taji iharibikayo, lakini sisi tunakimbia ili tupate taji isiyoharibika.
26 I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;
Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii bila sababu au napigana ngumi kama kupiga 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.
Lakini nautesa mwili wangu na kuufanya kama mtumwa, ili kwamba nijapokwisha kuwahubiri wengine, mimi mwenyewe nisiwe wa kukataliwa.