1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my workmanship 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, at least I am to you. For you are the proof 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 This is my defense to those who examine me:
Sɛ nnipa ka me ho asɛm a, saa ɔkwan yi so na mefa yi me ho ano.
4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
Minni ho kwan sɛ mʼadwuma nti wɔma me aduan di ma me nsu nom ana?
5 Do we not have the right to take along with us a wife who is a believer, as do the rest of the 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 is it only Barnabas and I who must 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? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink milk from it?
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 say these things based on human authority? Does not the law also say this?
Ɛnsɛ sɛ miti nhwɛso a ɛwɔ yɛn abrabɔ dedaw no mu, efisɛ Mmara no ka asɛm koro no ara.
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not put a muzzle on an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it really the oxen that God cares about?
Yɛkenkan wɔ Mose Mmara no mu se, “Sɛ wode nantwi retiatia aburow so a, nkyekyere nʼano.” Nantwi ho asɛm na ehia Onyankopɔn ana?
10 Is he not speaking about us? It was written for us, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in the expectation of sharing in the harvest.
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 spiritual things among you, is it too much for us to reap material things from you?
Yɛadua honhom aba wɔ mo mu na sɛ yenya wiase nnepa fi mo nkyɛn a, ɛdɔɔso dodo ana?
12 If others exercised this right from you, do we not have even more? But we did not claim this right. Instead we endured everything rather than be a hindrance to the gospel of 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 Do you not know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple? Do you not know that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on 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 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel.
Saa ara nso na Awurade ahyɛ sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wɔka asɛmpa no nya wɔn asetena fi mu.
15 But I have not claimed any of these rights. And I do not write this so something might be done for me. I would rather die than anyone deprive me of this boast.
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 preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I must do this. And woe be to me if I do not preach the gospel!
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. But if not willingly, I still have a responsibility that was entrusted to me.
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 when I preach, I may offer the gospel without charge and so not take full use of my right in the gospel.
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 though I am free from all, I became a servant to all, in order that I might win more.
Mede me ho; menyɛ obi akoa. Nanso meyɛ me ho obiara akoa sɛnea mɛsakra akra dodow biara a metumi.
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law in order to win those under the law. I did this even though I myself was not under the 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 outside the law, I became like one outside the law, although I was not outside the law of God myself, but under the law of Christ. I did this so that I may win those outside the 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, so that I may win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means 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 I do all things for the gospel's sake, so that I may participate in its blessings.
Asɛmpa no nti na meyɛɛ eyinom nyinaa na manya mu nhyira bi.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run the race, but that only one receives the prize? So run to win the prize.
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 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a wreath that is perishable, but we do it to receive one that is imperishable.
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 Therefore I do not run without purpose or box by beating the 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 subdue my body and make it a slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself may not be disqualified.
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.
