1 Corinthians 4
1 So, people ought to consider us [apostles] (OR, Apollos and me) to be [merely] servants of Christ. God has given to us [(exc) the work of] telling others the message that God has now revealed to us.
Achọrọ m ka unu na-ele anyị anya dịka ndị na-ejere Kraịst ozi, ndị e nyefere ihe omimi Chineke nʼaka.
2 With respect to doing that, those who are given work are required {give others some work to do require them} to do that work faithfully.
Ma ihe dị mkpa bụ na o kwesiri ka ndị na-elekọta ihe ọbụla bụrụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi.
3 I am not concerned whether you or [the judges in] some court decide whether I have done my work faithfully or not. I do not even judge myself [about that].
Anaghị m echegbu onwe m banyere ihe unu na-eche gbasara m maọbụ ihe a na-ekpe nʼụlọikpe nke mmadụ. Nʼezie, anaghị m ekpekwa onwe m ikpe.
4 I do not think that I have done anything wrong, but that does not prove that I have done nothing wrong. The Lord is the one who judges me.
O doro m anya na akọnuche m adịghị ama m ikpe, ma nke a egosighị na m bụ onye ikpe na-amaghị. Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị naanị ka ọ dịrị ikpe m ikpe.
5 So, stop evaluating any of us [(exc)] before the time [when God judges everyone] [MTY]! Do not judge us before the Lord comes. He is the one who will reveal the sinful things that people have done secretly. He will even reveal what people have thought. At that time God will praise each person as [each one of them deserves].
Ya mere, unu ekpela ikpe tupu oge ya eruo, cherenụ ruo mgbe Onyenwe anyị nʼonwe ya ga-abịa. Ọ ga-eme ka ihe niile zoro ezo nʼọchịchịrị pụta ìhè. Ọ ga-agbakwa ọchịchọ nzuzo niile nke dị nʼobi nʼanwụ. Mgbe ahụ, onye ọbụla nʼotu nʼotu ga-anatakwa otuto ruuru ya site nʼaka Chineke.
6 My fellow believers, I have [told you] all these things as illustrations of myself and Apollos. I have done this for your sake, in order that you may learn [to live according to] the saying, “Do not act contrary to what is {what they have} written [in the Scriptures].” If you follow that rule, you will not be proud of one [spiritual leader] and despise another.
Ugbu a ụmụnna m ejiri m onwe m na Apọlọs mara unu atụ maka ọdịmma nke unu, ka unu nwee ike isite nʼaka anyị mụta ihe site nʼihe ahụ e dere bụ nke na-asị, “Unu agafekwala ihe e dere nʼakwụkwọ nsọ.” Ka onye ọbụla nʼime unu hapụ iji otu onye nyaa isi ma leda ndị ọzọ anya.
7 (No one has made any of you superior to others!/Why do any of you think that you are superior to others?) [RHQ] [All the abilities] that you have, you received [from God]. [RHQ] So if you received them all [from God], (you should not boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]!”/why do you boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]?”) [RHQ]
Onye gwara gị na ị pụrụ iche nʼetiti mmadụ ndị ọzọ? Ọ dị ihe ọbụla i nwere nke abụghị ihe ị natara anata? Ọ bụ gịnị ka i nwere nke ị na-anataghị anata? Ma ọ bụrụ na i natara ya, gịnị mere i ji anya isi dịka a ga-asị na ị nataghị ya anata?
8 [It is disgusting that you act as though] [IRO] you have already received everything that you need [spiritually]. You act as though [IRO] you were [spiritually] rich (OR, you had received all [the spiritual gifts you need]). You act as though [IRO] you had already begun to rule as kings with Christ. Well, I wish that you really were ruling [with him], in order that we [apostles] might also rule with you!
Ma ugbu a, ihe niile zuru unu oke. Ugbu a, unu abụrụkwala ndị ọgaranya. Unu abụrụla eze ma anyị esoghị unu. Nʼezie, ọ gaara atọ m ụtọ ma a sị na unu anọrọla nʼocheeze unu, ka anyị nwe ike soro unu bụrụ eze.
9 But it seems as though God has put us [apostles] on display, [like prisoners] at the end [of the victor’s parade]. We [(exc)] are like men who have been condemned to die, who have been put in the arena where everyone can see [the wild animals] killing them. And not only people, but even angels all over the world [are watching us, as people] watch those who are performing a play [in a theater].
Ọ na-adị m nnọọ ka Chineke o weere anyị bụ ndị ozi mee anyị ndị dịkarịsịrị ala, ndị a na-echeta naanị mgbe ihe niile na-agwụsị agwụsị, dịka ndị a mara ikpe ọnwụ. Nʼihi na-akpọpụtara anyị nʼihu ọha mmadụ mee anyị ihe nlere anya nye ụmụ mmadụ na ndị mmụọ ozi.
10 Many people consider us to be [IRO] fools because [we preach about] Christ, but you proudly [think [IRO] that] you are wise because (of your close relationship with/you belong to) Christ. Many people [consider us] [IRO] to be unimpressive, but you [proudly think that you] impress others. People respect you, but they do not respect us.
Anyị aghọọla ndị nzuzu nʼihi Kraịst, ma unu onwe unu bụ ndị maara ihe nʼime Kraịst. Anyị bụ ndị na-adịghị ike ma unu dị ike. Anyị bụ ndị a jụrụ ajụ na ndị a na-eleda anya, ma unu bụ ndị a na-asọpụrụ.
11 Up to this present time we have often been hungry. We have often been thirsty. We have ragged clothes. Often we have been beaten {others have beaten us}. We [have traveled so much that we] have no regular homes to live in.
Tutu ruo ugbu a, anyị na-ebu ọnụ nọrọkwa nʼakpịrị ịkpọ nkụ. Anyị enweghị ezigbo uwe anyị ji achụ oyi. Ndị mmadụ na-emeso anyị mmeso ọjọọ, ma anyị enweghị ebe obibi nke aka anyị.
12 We work very hard [to earn a living]. When we are cursed [by people] {When [people] curse us}, we [ask God to] bless them. When we are persecuted {When [people] cause us to suffer}, we endure it.
Aka anyị ka anyị ji arụpụtara onwe anyị ihe anyị na-eri. Mgbe ndị mmadụ na-abụ anyị ọnụ, anyị na-agọzi ha. Mgbe ha na-ata anyị ahụhụ, anyị nọ na-enwe ndidi.
13 When we are slandered [by people] {When [people] slander us}, we reply kindly to them. Up to now, [unbelievers consider us to be worthless] [MET], [as though we were] just garbage.
Anyị na-eji okwu dị nro na-azaghachi ndị na-ekwujọ anyị. Tutu ruo ugbu a, a na-emeso anyị mmeso dịka anyị bụ unyi ndị ụwa na-azachapụ, dịka ihe a jụrụ ajụ nʼanya ndị ụwa.
14 I am writing this to you, not to make you feel ashamed, but instead to warn you as [though you were] my own dear children.
Anaghị m edere unu ihe ndị a ka ihere mee unu, kama ana m ede ya ịdụ unu ọdụ, na ịdọ unu aka na ntị, dịka ụmụ m hụrụ nʼanya.
15 I say that because as [an apostle of] Christ Jesus I [was the first one who] proclaimed the good message to you. As a result, I was the one who enabled you to have eternal life. So even if there were thousands of Christians who instruct you [MET], I am the only one who became [like] a father to you.
Ọ bụ ezie na unu nwere ọtụtụ ndị nche, ma unu enweghị karịa otu nna. Nʼihi na ọ bụ m bụ nna unu nʼime Kraịst Jisọs, site nʼoziọma ahụ m wetaara unu.
16 So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.
Ya mere, ana arịọ m unu, ka unu na-eṅomi ndụ m.
17 In order to [help you do that], I have sent/will be sending Timothy to you. I love him [as though he were] my son. He serves the Lord faithfully. He will remind you of the way I conduct my life [as one who] (has a close relationship with/belongs to) the Lord. The way I conduct my life is the same as how I teach [others to live] in all the congregations [to whom I have spoken].
Nʼihi nke a, ana m ezitere unu Timoti, bụ ezi nwa m onye m hụrụ nʼanya, nke kwesiri ntụkwasị obi nʼime Onyenwe anyị. Ọ ga-echetara unu otu m si e bi ndụ nʼime Onyenwe anyị Kraịst Jisọs, dịka m na-akụzi ya nʼebe niile na nzukọ niile.
18 Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].
Ụfọdụ nʼime unu amalitela ịfụlị onwe ha elu, chee na mụ enweghị ike ịbịakwute unu ọzọ.
19 But if the Lord wants me to come, I will come to you soon. Then I will not [pay any attention to] what those proud people say. Instead, I will find out [whether they have God’s] power.
Ma site nʼike Onyenwe anyị, aga m abịa ịhụ unu anya nʼoge na-adịghị anya. Mgbe m bịara, aga m achọpụta ihe ndị ahụ na-akpa nganga pụrụ ime, ọ bụghị ihe ha nwere ike ikwu.
20 Remember that God [judges whether or not we are letting him] rule [our lives], not by [listening to how we] talk, but [by seeing whether his] power [is present] ([among us/in our lives]).
Nʼihi na alaeze Chineke abụghị ihe okwu ọnụ kama ọ bụ ngosipụta ịdị ike.
21 So which do you prefer? Do you want me to come to you and punish you [because you have not changed your ways], or shall I come to you and act lovingly and gently toward you [because you have done what I told you to do]?
Ya mere, unu ka ọ dịrị ịhọrọ nke unu chọrọ. Unu chọrọ ka m jiri ụtarị bịakwute unu, ka ọ bụ ka m jiri obi dị umeala na mmụọ nke ịhụnanya bịa?
