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?
Menne me ho ana? Menyɛ ɔsomafo ana? Minhuu Yesu yɛn Awurade ana? Na monyɛ me nsa ano adwuma wɔ Awurade mu ana?
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.
Na sɛ afoforo mpo nnye me nto mu sɛ ɔsomafo a, mo de, mugye me to mu saa. Sɛnea mo ankasa mo abrabɔ te wɔ Awurade mu no di ho adanse sɛ meyɛ ɔsomafo.
3 My defense to those who examine me in this:
Sɛ nnipa ka me ho asɛm a, saa ɔkwan yi so na mefa yi me ho ano.
4 do we not have authority to eat and to drink?
Minni ho kwan sɛ mʼadwuma nti wɔma me aduan di ma me nsu nom ana?
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?
Minni ho kwan sɛ meyɛ nea asomafo a aka no yɛe no bi, sɛnea Awurade nuanom ne Petro yɛe, na meware Okristonibea de no ka me ho tu mʼakwan yi?
6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no authority not to work?
Anaasɛ Barnaba ne me nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ adwuma de bɔ yɛn ho akɔnhama?
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?
Ɔsraani bɛn na otua ɔno ankasa ne ho ka? Okuafo bɛn na onni nʼafuw mu nnɔbae bi? Oguanhwɛfo bɛn na ɔnnom ne nguan a ɔyɛn wɔn no nufusu bi?
8 Do I speak these things according to man? Or does the Law not also say these things?
Ɛnsɛ sɛ miti nhwɛso a ɛwɔ yɛn abrabɔ dedaw no mu, efisɛ Mmara no ka asɛm koro no ara.
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?
Yɛkenkan wɔ Mose Mmara no mu se, “Sɛ wode nantwi retiatia aburow so a, nkyekyere nʼano.” Nantwi ho asɛm na ehia Onyankopɔn ana?
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.
Anaasɛ na asɛm a ɔreka no fa yɛn ho ana? Nokware, wɔkyerɛw eyi de maa yɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ onipa a ofuntum ne nea otwa aba no nyinaa yɛ wɔn adwuma sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, wobenya wɔn kyɛfa wɔ wɔn dwumadi no mu.
11 If we sowed to you the spiritual things—[is it] great if we reap your fleshly things?
Yɛadua honhom aba wɔ mo mu na sɛ yenya wiase nnepa fi mo nkyɛn a, ɛdɔɔso dodo ana?
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.
Na sɛ afoforo wɔ tumi sɛ wɔhwɛ eyinom anim fi mo nkyɛn a, so yɛn de, yenni tumi a ɛboro saa ana? Nanso yɛamfa saa tumi yi anni dwuma biara. Mmom yɛpenee biribiara so sɛnea yɛrensiw Kristo asɛmpa no ho kwan.
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?
Munim sɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan mu no nya wɔn aduan fi asɔredan mu, na wɔn nso a wɔbɔ afɔre wɔ afɔremuka so no nso nya wɔn afɔrebɔde.
14 So also the LORD directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news.
Saa ara nso na Awurade ahyɛ sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wɔka asɛmpa no nya wɔn asetena fi mu.
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;
Nanso memfaa saa kyɛfa yi mu biara nnii dwuma ɛ. Ɛnyɛ sɛ merekyerɛw mprempren sɛ mobɛyɛ saa nneɛma no ama me. Ɛno de, anka medi kan awu sen sɛ mɛma obi asiw me eyi ho kwan.
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;
Minni tumi sɛ mɛhoahoa me ho bere a meka asɛmpa no, efisɛ ɛyɛ ɔhyɛ ma me sɛ menka. Na sɛ manka asɛmpa no a, mehu amane.
17 for if I do this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly—I have been entrusted with a stewardship!
Sɛ mifi me pɛ mu yɛ adwuma no a, na ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ akatua anim. Nanso meyɛ no sɛ mʼadwuma, efisɛ, Onyankopɔn na ɔde ato me so.
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;
Ɛno de, na akatua bɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ minya? Ɛyɛ ahohoahoade sɛ wobɛka asɛmpa no na wunnye hwee na wummisa kyɛfa biara nso.
19 for being free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that the more I might gain;
Mede me ho; menyɛ obi akoa. Nanso meyɛ me ho obiara akoa sɛnea mɛsakra akra dodow biara a metumi.
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;
Bere a me ne Yudafo te no, meyɛɛ me ho sɛ Yudani, sɛnea mɛtwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Metenaa ase sɛnea Mose Mmara di me so, mmom na mankasa nhyɛ mmara no ase de, sɛnea mɛtwetwe wɔn a wɔhyɛ saa Mmara no ase aba me nkyɛn.
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;
Saa ara na mekɔfraa amanamanmufo mu no nso meyɛɛ me ho sɛ wɔn ara pɛ, sɛnea metumi atwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Eyi nkyerɛ sɛ minni Onyankopɔn mmara so; mehyɛ Kristo mmara ase.
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.
Wɔn a wɔn gyidi yɛ mmerɛw no, meyɛɛ sɛ wɔn ara, sɛnea mɛtwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Meyɛɛ me ho sɛnea ɛfata biara maa nnipa nyinaa, sɛnea metumi afa ɔkwan biara a ɛbɛyɛ yiye so agye wɔn mu bi nkwa.
23 And I do this because of the good news, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it;
Asɛmpa no nti na meyɛɛ eyinom nyinaa na manya mu nhyira bi.
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;
Munim sɛ mmirika akansi mu, mmirikatufo no nyinaa tu mmirika no bi, nanso wɔn mu baako pɛ na onya abasobɔde no. Enti tu mmirika no sɛnea ɛbɛma woanya abasobɔde no.
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;
Obiara a osi agodi mu akan no siesie ne ho yiye ma akansi no. Ɔyɛ saa sɛnea obenya ahenkyɛw a ɛrenkyɛ, nanso yɛn de yi de, ɛbɛkyɛ akosi daapem nyinaa.
26 I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;
Ɛno nti na meretu mmirika kɔ mʼanim tee akowie no. Ɛno nti na mete sɛ okuturukuboni a ne kuturuku mfom no.
27 but I bruise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others—I myself may become disapproved.
Mebɔ mmɔden hyɛ me nipadua so na midi no nya, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, sɛ meka asɛmpa no kyerɛ afoforo a me nso merenyɛ nea ɛmfra.
