1 Akorinitho 4
1 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, andũ magĩrĩirwo nĩgũtuonaga ta ndungata cia Kristũ, na ta tũrĩ andũ arĩa mehokeirwo maũndũ ma hitho ma Ngai.
So think of us as Christ's servants given the responsibility for “the mysteries of God.”
2 Rĩu nĩkũbataranĩtie atĩ andũ arĩa mehokeirwo maũndũ no nginya monanie atĩ nĩ ehokeku.
More than this, those who have such responsibilities are required to be trustworthy.
3 Ndingĩmaka o na hanini ingĩtuĩrwo ciira nĩ inyuĩ, kana nduĩrwo nĩ igooti rĩa andũ o na rĩrĩkũ; ti-itherũ o na niĩ mwene ndingĩĩtuĩra ciira.
Personally it hardly matters to me if you or anyone else judges me—in fact I don't even judge myself.
4 Niĩ mwene ndirĩ na ũndũ ingĩĩcuukĩra, no ũndũ ũcio ndũngĩtũma nduĩke atĩ ndirĩ na mahĩtia. Mwathani nĩwe ũnduagĩra ciira.
I don't know of anything I've done wrong, but that doesn't make me morally right. It's the Lord who judges me.
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndũkae gũtua ciira ihinda rĩrĩa rĩamũre rĩtakinyĩte; eterera nginya Mwathani ooke. Maũndũ marĩa mahithe nduma-inĩ nĩakamoimĩria ũtheri-inĩ, na nĩakaguũria meciiria ma ngoro cia andũ. Ihinda rĩu o mũndũ nĩakamũkĩra ngaatho ciake kuuma kũrĩ Ngai.
So don't judge anything before the right time—when the Lord comes. He will bring to light all the darkest secrets that are hidden, and he will reveal people's motives. God will give everyone whatever praise they deserve.
6 Rĩu-rĩ, ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, maũndũ macio ndĩramaringithania na ũhoro wakwa mwene na wa Apolo nĩguo mũgunĩke, nĩguo mwĩrute na ithuĩ gĩtũmi kĩa ũrĩa kwĩragwo atĩrĩ, “Mũtikae kwagarara ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo.” Nĩgeetha mũtikae gwĩtĩĩa mũndũ ũmwe makĩria ya ũrĩa ũngĩ.
Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied this to Apollos and myself as an example for you. That way you will learn not to go beyond what has been written, and not in arrogance prefer one over the other.
7 Nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũtũmĩte wĩone ũrĩ na ngũũrani na mũndũ ũngĩ o wothe? Nĩ kĩĩ ũrĩ nakĩo ũtaaheirwo? Na angĩkorwo nĩwaheirwo-rĩ, ũragĩĩtĩĩa nĩkĩ ta atarĩ kũheo waheirwo?
Who made you so special? What do you have that you weren't given? Since you were given it, why do you proudly claim you weren't?
8 Nĩmũrĩkĩtie kũgĩa na kĩrĩa gĩothe mwendaga! Nĩmũrĩkĩtie gũtonga! Nĩmũtuĩkĩte athamaki, ithuĩ tũtarĩ ho! Naarĩ korwo ti-itherũ nĩmwatuĩkire athamaki kũna nĩguo tũtuĩke a gũthamaka hamwe na inyuĩ!
You think you have all you need. You think you're so wealthy. You think you're kings already, and don't need us. I wish you were really ruling as kings, so we could rule with you!
9 Nĩgũkorwo ndĩrona atĩ ithuĩ atũmwo Ngai atũigĩte handũ tũrĩonekaga tũrĩ thuutha wa andũ arĩa angĩ othe, na ta andũ matuĩrĩirwo kũũragĩrwo thĩinĩ wa kĩhaaro kĩa mathako. Nĩtũtuĩtwo kĩndũ gĩa kwĩrorerwo nĩ thĩ yothe, kũrĩ araika o na kũrĩ andũ.
The way I see it, God has put us apostles on display as the last in the line, condemned to die. We have been made a public show before the entire universe, to angels and to human beings.
10 Ithuĩ tũrĩ irimũ nĩ ũndũ wa Kristũ, no inyuĩ mũrĩ andũ oogĩ mũno thĩinĩ wa Kristũ! Ithuĩ nĩ kwaga twagĩte hinya, no inyuĩ mũrĩ na hinya! Inyuĩ nĩmũheetwo gĩtĩĩo, no ithuĩ nĩtũimĩtwo gĩtĩĩo!
We're Christ's fools, but you are so wise in Christ! We're the weak ones, but you are so strong! You have the glory, but we are despised!
11 Nginya ihinda rĩĩrĩ ithuĩ tũrĩ tũtũũrĩte tũhũũtaga na tũkanyoota, na tũgatarũkĩrwo nĩ nguo, ningĩ nĩtũhũũrĩtwo mũno, o na tũgaikara tũtarĩ na mĩciĩ.
Right up till now we're hungry and thirsty. We have no clothes. We're badly beaten up, and we have no place to call home.
12 Ningĩ nĩtũrutaga wĩra na moko maitũ tũrĩ na kĩyo. Rĩrĩa twarumwo-rĩ, ithuĩ tũkarathima; na rĩrĩa twanyariirwo, tũkomĩrĩria;
We struggle on doing manual work. When people curse us, we bless them. When they persecute us, we put up with it.
13 o na rĩrĩa twacambio, tũcookagia ũhoro na ũhooreri. Nginya ihinda rĩĩrĩ tũtuĩkĩte gĩko gĩa thĩ, tũgatuĩka mahuti ma gũkũ thĩ.
When they insult us, we respond with kindness. Even now we are treated like dirt, the worst trash in the whole world.
14 Ndiraandĩka marũa maya nĩguo ndĩmũconore, no nĩguo ndĩmũtaare mũrĩ ta ciana ciakwa nyendete mũno.
I'm not writing like this to make you feel ashamed, but to caution you as my children whom I love so much.
15 O na mũngĩkorwo mũrĩ na areri ngiri ikũmi thĩinĩ wa Kristũ, mũtirĩ na maithe maingĩ, nĩgũkorwo thĩinĩ wa Kristũ Jesũ ndaatuĩkire ithe wanyu ũndũ-inĩ wa Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega.
Even though you may have thousands of Christian instructors, you don't have many fathers—it was in Christ Jesus that I became your father when I shared the good news with you.
16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndamũthaitha mwĩgerekanie na niĩ.
So I'm pleading with you to imitate me!
17 Nĩ ũndũ wa gĩtũmi gĩkĩ nĩngũmũtũmĩra Timotheo, mũrũ wakwa ũrĩa nyendete, na ũrĩa mwĩhokeku thĩinĩ wa Mwathani. Nĩekũmũririkania mũtũũrĩre wakwa thĩinĩ wa Kristũ Jesũ, ũrĩa ũringaine na ũrĩa ndutanaga makanitha-inĩ kũndũ guothe.
That's why I sent Timothy to you, my trustworthy son in the Lord who I love so much. He will remind you about the way I follow Christ, just as I always teach in every church I visit.
18 Amwe anyu nĩmatuĩkĩte etĩĩi, makona ta itarooka kũu kũrĩ inyuĩ.
Some among you have become arrogant, thinking I wouldn't bother coming to see you.
19 No nĩngũũka kũrĩ inyuĩ narua, akorwo nĩ kwenda kwa Mwathani, na hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩngatuĩria ũrĩa andũ aya etĩĩi maaragia, o hamwe na ũhoti ũrĩa marĩ naguo.
But I am coming to visit you soon, if that's what the Lord wants. Then I'll find out what these arrogant people are saying, and what kind of power they have.
20 Nĩgũkorwo ũthamaki wa Ngai ti ũhoro wa kwaria, no nĩ wa kũgĩa na ũhoti.
For the kingdom of God is not about mere words, but about power.
21 Mũkwenda atĩa? Ngĩũke kũrĩ inyuĩ na kĩboko, kana njũke na wendo hamwe na roho wa ũhooreri?
So what do you want? Shall I come with a stick to beat you, or in love and a gentle spirit?
