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, 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.
2 Rĩu nĩkũbataranĩtie atĩ andũ arĩa mehokeirwo maũndũ no nginya monanie atĩ nĩ ehokeku.
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.
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.
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].
4 Niĩ mwene ndirĩ na ũndũ ingĩĩcuukĩra, no ũndũ ũcio ndũngĩtũma nduĩke atĩ ndirĩ na mahĩtia. Mwathani nĩwe ũnduagĩra ciira.
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.
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, 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].
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.
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.
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?
(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]
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!
[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!
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.
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].
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!
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.
11 Nginya ihinda rĩĩrĩ ithuĩ tũrĩ tũtũũrĩte tũhũũtaga na tũkanyoota, na tũgatarũkĩrwo nĩ nguo, ningĩ nĩtũhũũrĩtwo mũno, o na tũgaikara tũtarĩ na mĩciĩ.
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.
12 Ningĩ nĩtũrutaga wĩra na moko maitũ tũrĩ na kĩyo. Rĩrĩa twarumwo-rĩ, ithuĩ tũkarathima; na rĩrĩa twanyariirwo, tũkomĩrĩria;
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.
13 o na rĩrĩa twacambio, tũcookagia ũhoro na ũhooreri. Nginya ihinda rĩĩrĩ tũtuĩkĩte gĩko gĩa thĩ, tũgatuĩka mahuti ma gũkũ thĩ.
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.
14 Ndiraandĩka marũa maya nĩguo ndĩmũconore, no nĩguo ndĩmũtaare mũrĩ ta ciana ciakwa nyendete mũno.
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.
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.
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.
16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndamũthaitha mwĩgerekanie na niĩ.
So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.
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.
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].
18 Amwe anyu nĩmatuĩkĩte etĩĩi, makona ta itarooka kũu kũrĩ inyuĩ.
Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].
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 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.
20 Nĩgũkorwo ũthamaki wa Ngai ti ũhoro wa kwaria, no nĩ wa kũgĩa na ũhoti.
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]).
21 Mũkwenda atĩa? Ngĩũke kũrĩ inyuĩ na kĩboko, kana njũke na wendo hamwe na roho wa ũhooreri?
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]?
