1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Can it be denied that I have seen Jesus, our Lord? Are not you yourselves my work in the Lord?
Abụghị m onye nwe onwe ya? Abụghị m onyeozi Kraịst? Ọ bụ na m ahụghị Jisọs Onyenwe anyị? Unu abụghị ihe ngosipụta ọrụ m rụrụ nʼime Onyenwe anyị?
2 If to other men I am not an Apostle, yet at any rate I am one to you; for your very existence as a Christian Church is the seal of my Apostleship.
Ọ bụrụ na m abụghị onyeozi nʼebe ndị ọzọ nọ, nʼebe unu nọ, abụ m onyeozi nʼeziokwu nʼihi na unu bụ akara nke ọrụ onyeozi m nʼime Onyenwe anyị.
3 That is how I vindicate myself to those who criticize me.
Ihe ngọpụ m nye ndị ahụ na-enyocha m bụ nke a.
4 Have we not a right to claim food and drink?
Ọ bụ na anyị enweghị ike iri ihe oriri na ịṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ?
5 Have we not a right to take with us on our journeys a Christian sister as our wife, as the rest of the Apostles do--and the Lord's brothers and Peter?
Ọ bụ na anyị enweghị ike iduru nwunye onye bụ onye kwere ekwe gaa ebe ọbụla anyị na-aga dịka ndị ozi ọzọ na-eme, na dịka ụmụnne Onyenwe anyị na Sefas na-emekwa?
6 Or again, is it only Barnabas and myself who are not at liberty to give up working with our hands?
Ọ ga-abụ naanị mụ na Banabas bụ ndị na-enweghị ike ịhapụ ịrụ ọrụ maka ihe anyị ga na-eri?
7 What soldier ever serves at his own cost? Who plants a vineyard and yet does not eat any of the grapes? Or who tends a herd of cattle and yet does not taste their milk?
Olee onye agha unu maara nke na-esi nʼakpa ya akwụ onwe ya ụgwọ ọnwa? Ka ọ dị onye ọrụ ubi vaịnị unu maara nke na-adịghị eri mkpụrụ e si nʼubi ahụ weta? Olee onye ọzụzụ atụrụ unu maara nke na-adịghị aṅụ mmiri ara e si nʼigwe atụrụ ọ na-azụ apịpụta?
8 Am I making use of merely worldly illustrations? Does not the Law speak in the same tone?
Anaghị m ekwu ihe a nʼihi na ha bụ ihe na-eme ụbọchị niile nʼetiti ndị mmadụ? Akwụkwọ iwu, o kwukwaghị otu ihe ahụ?
9 For in the Law of Moses it is written, "Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain."
Nʼihi na e dere ya nʼiwu nke Mosis, “Ekechila ọnụ ehi mgbe ọ na-azọcha mkpụrụ ọka.” Unu chere na ọ bụ naanị ehi ka Chineke bu nʼobi kwuo okwu a?
10 Is God simply thinking about the oxen? Or is it really in our interest that He speaks? Of course, it was written in our interest, because it is His will that when a plough-man ploughs, and a thresher threshes, it should be in the hope of sharing that which comes as the result.
E, nʼihi anyị ka eji dee ya nʼakwụkwọ. Nʼezie, e dere ihe ndị a nʼihi anyị, nʼihi na onye rụrụ ọrụ nʼubi na onye na-azọcha mkpụrụ dị nʼubi ahụ, na-eme nke a nʼolileanya na o kwesiri iketa oke site na mkpụrụ e si nʼubi ahụ weta.
11 If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest from you?
Mkpụrụ anyị kụrụ nʼime obi unu bụ mkpụrụ nke mmụọ. Ọ ga-abụ ihe ọjọọ ma anyị sị unu nyetụ anyị ụfọdụ nʼime akụnụba unu?
12 If other teachers possess that right over you, do not we possess it much more? Yet we have not availed ourselves of the right, but we patiently endure all things rather than hinder in the least degree the progress of the Good News of the Christ.
Ọ bụrụ na ndị ọzọ kwesiri iketa uru dị otu a nʼahụ unu, ọ bụ na anyị ekwesighị iketa karịa? Ma ọ dịbeghị mgbe anyị rịọrọ unu ihe ọbụla, kama anyị na-agbalịsị ike ịhụ na ọ dịghị ihe ga-egbochi unu iji ezi obi na-ege ntị nʼoziọma Kraịst nke anyị wetara.
13 Do you not know that those who perform the sacred rites have their food from the sacred place, and that those who serve at the altar all alike share with the altar?
Ọ bụ na unu amataghị na ndị na-arụ ọrụ nʼụlọnsọ ukwu na-esi nʼụlọnsọ ahụ na-eweta ihe ha na-eri? Ndị na-agbakwa odibo nʼebe ịchụ aja na-eketakwa oke nʼihe eji chụọ aja?
14 In the same way the Lord also directed those who proclaim the Good News to maintain themselves by the Good News.
Nʼotu aka ahụ kwa, Onyenwe anyị ekwuola na ndị niile na-ekwusa oziọma ya ga-esi nʼoziọma eweta nri ha ga-eri dị ndụ.
15 But I, for my part, have not used, and do not use, my full rights in any of these things. Nor do I now write with that object so far as I myself am concerned, for I would rather die than have anybody make this boast of mine an empty one.
Ma o nweghị mgbe m jirila ike ndị a m nwere irite uru nʼọrụ m nara ndị mmadụ ihe. Anaghị m ede nke a nʼakwụkwọ ka a na-ebutere m ihe onyinye. Nʼihi na ọ kaara m mma ka m nwụọ kama m ga-ekwe ka onye ọbụla mee ka ịnya isi m bụrụ ihe efu nʼihi ihe onyinye.
16 If I go on preaching the Good News, that is nothing for me to boast of; for the necessity is imposed upon me; and alas for me, if I fail to preach it!
Anaghị anya isi nʼihi na ana m ezisa oziọma, maka na nke ahụ bụ ọrụ e nyere m nʼiwu ka m rụọ. Ahụhụ dịịrị m ma ọ bụrụ na m ezisaghị oziọma.
17 And if I preach willingly, I receive my wages; but if against my will, a stewardship has nevertheless been entrusted to me.
A sị na m ji aka m họpụta onwe m ịrụ ọrụ a, agaara m enwe ụgwọ ọrụ, ma na ọ bụrụ na o sighị nʼuche aka m, unu mara na-ahanyere m ya nʼaka.
18 What are my wages then? The very fact that the Good News which I preach will cost my hearers nothing, so that I cannot be charged with abuse of my privileges as a Christian preacher.
Gịnị bụ ụgwọ ọrụ m? Ụgwọ ọrụ m bụ ọṅụ m na-enwe site nʼizisa oziọma a, na-anaghị onye ọbụla ụgwọ ọrụ ọbụla, maọbụ ihe ruru m dịka onye na-ezisa oziọma ahụ.
19 Though free from all human control, I have made myself the slave of all in the hope of winning as many converts as possible.
Ọ bụ ezie na-abụghị m ohu onye ọbụla, ma emeela m onwe m ohu nye mmadụ niile ka m nwee ike site nʼụzọ dị otu a rite ọtụtụ mkpụrụobi nʼuru nye Kraịst.
20 To the Jews I have become like a Jew in order to win Jews; to men under the Law as if I were under the Law--although I am not--in order to win those who are under the Law;
Nʼebe ndị Juu nọọ, ana m eme dịka onye Juu, ka m nwee ike rite ndị Juu nʼuru. Nʼetiti ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu, ana m emekwa dịka otu nʼime ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu (nʼagbanyeghị na mụ onwe m anọghị nʼokpuru iwu), ka m si otu a nwee ike rite ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu nʼuru.
21 to men without Law as if I were without Law--although I am not without Law in relation to God but am abiding in Christ's Law--in order to win those who are without Law.
Nʼebe ndị na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu nọ, emere m onwe m ka onye na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu (ma nke a apụtaghị na m na-akwụsị ime ihe iwu Chineke na-achọ. Ana m emekwa dịka onye nọ nʼokpuru iwu Kraịst), ka m nwee ike rite ndị na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu nʼuru.
22 To the weak I have become weak, so as to gain the weak. To all men I have become all things, in the hope that in every one of these ways I may save some.
Nʼebe ndị na-adịghị ike nọ, ana m emekwa dịka ha, ka m nwee ike rite ndị na-adịghị ike nʼuru. Otu ọbụla mmadụ si dịrị, ana m agbalị chọọ ụzọ m ga-esi mee ka ọ nabata m, ka m nwee ike site nʼụzọ niile ọbụla zọpụta ụfọdụ.
23 And I do everything for the sake of the Good News, that I may share with my hearers in its benefits.
Ana m eme ihe ndị a niile nʼihi oziọma, ma ka m nwekwa ike keta oke na ngọzị ya.
24 Do you not know that in the foot-race the runners all run, but that only one gets the prize? You must run like him, in order to win with certainty.
Unu amataghị na mgbe ọtụtụ mmadụ na-agba ọsọ ịsọ mpi, ọ bụ naanị otu onye na-enwe ihe onyinye nke mbụ? Ya mere, gbasienụ ọsọ ike, ka unu nweta onyinye ahụ.
25 But every competitor in an athletic contest practices abstemiousness in all directions. They indeed do this for the sake of securing a perishable wreath, but we for the sake of securing one that will not perish.
Ndị na-ejikere ịgba ọsọ maọbụ egwuregwu ọzọ na-enwe ntachiobi nʼọtụtụ ahụhụ nke ya na ọzụzụ so. Ha na-azụ onwe ha naanị ka ha nweta okpueze okoko osisi na-emebi emebi. Ma ọsọ anyị na-agba bụ ka anyị nweta okpueze nke na-apụghị imebi emebi.
26 That is how I run, not being in any doubt as to my goal. I am a boxer who does not inflict blows on the air,
Ọ bụ nke a mere m ji na-agba ọsọ a na-eleghị anya nʼazụ, maọbụ kụọ ọkpọ dịka m na-akụ ifufe.
27 but I hit hard and straight at my own body and lead it off into slavery, lest possibly, after I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected.
Ma ana m azụ ahụ m, na-enye ya ahụhụ mee ya ka ọ bụrụ ohu, ka mụ onwe m ghara ị bụ onye a jụrụ ajụ mgbe m kwusasịrị oziọma nye ndị ọzọ.
