1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?
Je, mimi si mtu huru? Je, mimi si mtume? Je, mimi sikumwona Yesu Bwana wetu? Je, ninyi si matokeo ya kazi yangu kwa ajili ya Bwana?
2 If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Hata kama kwa watu wengine mimi si mtume, lakini walau kwenu ninyi mimi ni mtume. Ninyi ni uthibitisho wa mtume wangu kwa sababu ya kuungana kwenu na Bwana.
3 My defence to those who examine me is this:
Hoja yangu kwa wale wanaonipinga ndiyo hii:
4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?
Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
5 Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
Je, hatuna ruhusa kumchukua mke Mkristo katika ziara zetu, kama vile wafanyavyo mitume wengine, ndugu zake Bwana, na pia Kefa?
6 Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?
Au ni mimi tu na Barnaba ambao tunapaswa kujipatia maslahi yetu kwa kufanya kazi?
7 What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?
Je, mwanajeshi gani anayelipia utumishi wake jeshini? Mkulima gani asiyekula matunda ya shamba lake la mizabibu? Mchungaji gani asiyekunywa maziwa ya mifugo yake?
8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing?
Je, nasema mambo haya kibinadamu tu? Je, Sheria nayo haisemi hivyo?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,
Imeandikwa katika Sheria ya Mose: “Usimfunge kinywa ng'ombe anapoliwata nafaka.” Je, ndio kusema Mungu anajishughulisha na ng'ombe?
10 or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who ploughs ought to plough in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.
Je, hakuwa anatufikiria sisi aliposema hivyo? Naam, haya yaliandikwa kwa ajili yetu; kwani yule anayelima na yule anayevuna, wote wawili wana haki ya kutumaini kupata sehemu ya mavuno.
11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?
Ikiwa sisi tumepanda mbegu ya kiroho kati yenu, je, ni jambo kubwa tukichuma kwenu faida ya kidunia?
12 If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.
Ikiwa wengine wanayo haki ya kutazamia hayo kutoka kwenu, je, sisi hatuna haki zaidi kuliko hao? Lakini, sisi hatukuitumia haki hiyo, Badala yake, tumestahimili kila kitu ili tusiiwekee kizuizi chochote Habari Njema ya Kristo.
13 Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?
Je, hamjui kwamba wanaotumikia Hekaluni hupata chakula chao Hekaluni, na kwamba wanaotolea sadaka madhabahuni hupata sehemu ya hiyo sadaka?
14 Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
Bwana aliagiza vivyo hivyo; wahubiri wa Habari Njema wapate riziki zao kutokana nayo.
15 But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.
Lakini, mimi sikutumia hata mojawapo ya haki hizo. Na wala siandiki nijipatie haki hizo; kwangu mimi ni afadhali kufa kuliko kumfanya yeyote aone kwamba najisifu bure.
16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.
Ikiwa ninaihubiri Habari Njema, hilo si jambo la kujivunia; hilo ni jukumu nililopewa. Na, ole wangu kama sitaihubiri Habari Njema!
17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
Ningekuwa nimeichagua kazi hii kwa hiari, basi, ningetazamia malipo; lakini maadam naifanya ikiwa ni wajibu, hiyo ina maana kwamba ni jukumu nililopewa nitekeleze.
18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.
Mshahara wangu ni kitu gani, basi? Mshahara wangu ni fursa ya kuihubiri Habari Njema bure, bila kudai haki ninazostahili kwa kuihubiri.
19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
Kwa hiyo, ingawa mimi si mtumwa wa mtu yeyote, nimejifanya mtumwa wa kila mtu ili nimpatie Kristo watu wengi iwezekanavyo.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;
Kwa Wayahudi nimeishi kama Myahudi ili niwapate Wayahudi; yaani, ingawa mimi siko chini ya Sheria, nimejiweka chini ya Sheria kwao, ili niwapate hao walio chini ya Sheria.
21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law towards God, but under law towards Christ), that I might win those who are without law.
Na kwa wale walio nje ya Sheria, naishi kama wao, nje ya Sheria, ili niwapate hao walio nje ya Sheria. Hii haimaanishi kwamba mimi niko nje ya sheria ya Mungu, maana nabanwa na sheria ya Kristo.
22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
Kwao walio dhaifu nimejifanya dhaifu ili niwapate hao walio dhaifu. Nimejifanya kila kitu kwa wote ili nipate kuwaokoa baadhi yao kwa kila njia.
23 Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Habari Njema, nipate kushiriki baraka zake.
24 Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.
Je, hamjui kwamba katika uwanja wa michezo, ingawa wapiga mbio wote hukimbia, ni mmoja tu anayejinyakulia zawadi?
25 Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
Wanariadha hujipa mazoezi na nidhamu kali; hufanya hivyo ili wajipatie taji iharibikayo! Lakini sisi twafanya hivyo tupate taji ya kudumu daima.
26 I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,
Ndivyo basi, ninavyopiga mbio nikiwa na nia ya kushinda; ndivyo ninavyopigana, na si kama bondia anayetupa ngumi zake hewani.
27 but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
Naupa mwili wangu mazoezi magumu na kuutia katika nidhamu kamili, nisije mimi mwenyewe nikakataliwa baada ya kuwahubiria wengine.
