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.
Bhandunji bhatubhonanje uwe kuti bhatumishi bha a Kilishitu tukamwiywe injubhi ya a Nnungu.
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.
Shipingwa penepo ntumishi akamwiywe jula akulupalilwe.
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].
Kwangu nne kumaliya kwa malobhe gangu na mmwe eu na bhandu bhana nngabha shindu. Kwangu nne nngabha shindu kuukumulwa na mmanganya eu na maakama jojowe ja bhandunji, na wala namwene ngakwiukumula.
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.
Nntima gwangu ukakushibhona shindu shoshowe sha jangula, ikabheje shenesho shikandenda nne ngunakole sha gambwa, ikabhe bhamaliya malobhe gangu nne Bhakulungwa.
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].
Bhai, nnamaliyanje malobhe malanga gakwe gakanabhe ika, nnekanje mpaka pushibhaishe Bhakulungwa. Bhenebho bhapinga unukula indu yowe itendwa kwa shinjubhi, na languya ili mmitima ja bhandunji. Penepo kila mundu shalumbililwe na a Nnungu.
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.
Bhakilishitu ajangunji, gene gundashiyego njilandanya ga a Apolo na nne kwenu mmanganyanji, nkupinga mwiijiganyanje kugamanya malombolelo ga shibheleketo sha kuti, “Nnapundanje gajandikwego.” Anapagwe mundu akwiipunila mundu jumo na kunnyegaya juna.
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]
Gani ampele mmwe ukulungwa kupunda bhananji? Shindu shashi shinkwete, gwangali kupegwa na a Nnungu? Monaga nshipegwa shinkwiipuna nndi mbuti mwaangapegwa?
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!
Ayaga! Nkwetenje indu ya togolela! Igala nkwetenje shipato shikulungwa! Mpatilenje upalume gwangali uwe! Elo, mbaya nkalinginji bhapalume, nkupinga na uwe tutagwale pamo na mmanganyanji.
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].
Pungubhona a Nnungu bhashikutubhika uwe mitume tubhe tubhanndu bha kumpelo, pabha tushibhikwa tubhe mbuti bhandu bha bhulagwa pa lugwinjili, tulolwe na bhandu bha shilambolyo na ashimalaika.
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.
Uwe tubhangumba kwa ligongo lya a Kilishitu, ikabheje mmanganya nshikolanga lunda nkulundana na a Kilishitu! Uwe twangali mashili, mmanganya nshikolanga. Mmanganya nnaishimiwanga, ikabheje uwe tukaishimiwa.
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.
Mpaka agano malanga gano, uwe tushikola nnjota na shibhanga twangali nngubho, tunapotekwa na twangali ndamo.
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.
Tunaabhuka mmaengo twaashayene. Pututukanwa, tunakwajujilanga mboka, tupotekwaga tunakwiipililila,
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.
tulambililwaga, tunajangula kwa ishima. Mpaka nnaino putuli mbuti indu ya nunga na ya nyata pashilambolyo.
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.
Ngaajandika gegano nkupinga nintokomayanje, ikabhe kwa ligongo lya kunneyanga mbuti ashibhanangu bhungumpinganga.
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.
Pabha nkali nkwetenje bhaajiganya bhabhagwinji nndamo ja Shikilishitu, ikabheje ainabhenunji bhamope, pabha nne ninkwetenje nkulundana na a Kilishitu kwa lunguya Ngani ja Mmbone.
16 So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.
Kwa nneyo, ngunakunshondelesheyanga nngagulanje nne shinguti tenda.
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].
Kwa nneyo njikwaatuma a Timoteo kunngwenunji, bhanangu bhungwaapinga, bhaakulupalika nkulundana na Bhakulungwa. Shibhankumbushiyanje shingutama nne nkulundana na a Kilishitu, na majiganyo gangu mmakanisha gowe.
18 Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].
Bhananji munkumbi gwenunji bhatandwibhenje kwiipunanga bhaliganishiyanga kuti ngaika kabhili kweneko.
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.
Ikabheje, Bhakulungwa bhapingaga shing'ishe kunngwenunji, penepo shinole namwene, nngabha kwa pilikanape malobhe gabhonji, ikabhe na kugamanya mashili gabhonji.
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]).
Pabha upalume gwa a Nnungu nngabha ga malobhepe, ikabhe mashili.
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]?
Nkupinganga nndi? Ng'ishe na imbo eu ng'ishe na ntima gwa pingana na kwiitimalika?
