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.
Let men look upon us as Christ’s servants, and as stewards of the hidden truths of God.
2 Rĩu nĩkũbataranĩtie atĩ andũ arĩa mehokeirwo maũndũ no nginya monanie atĩ nĩ ehokeku.
Now what we look for in stewards is that they should 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.
But it weighs very little with me that I am judged by you or by any human tribunal. No, I do not even judge myself;
4 Niĩ mwene ndirĩ na ũndũ ingĩĩcuukĩra, no ũndũ ũcio ndũngĩtũma nduĩke atĩ ndirĩ na mahĩtia. Mwathani nĩwe ũnduagĩra ciira.
for, though I am conscious of nothing against myself, that does not prove me innocent. It is the Lord who is my judge.
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.
Therefore do not pass judgment before the time, but wait till the Lord comes. He will throw light upon what is now dark and obscure, and will reveal the motives in men’s minds; and then every one will receive due praise from God.
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.
All this, Brothers, I have, for your sakes, applied to Apollos and myself, so that, from our example, you may learn to observe the precept — ‘Keep to what is written,’ that none of you may speak boastfully of one teacher to the disparagement of 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?
For who makes any one of you superior to others? And what have you that was not given you? But if you received it as a gift, why do you boast as if you had not?
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!
Are you all so soon satisfied? Are you so soon rich? Have you begun to reign without us? Would indeed that you had, so that we also might reign 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.
For, as it seems to me, God has exhibited us, the Apostles, last of all, as men doomed to death. We are made a spectacle to the universe, both to angels and to men!
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, for Christ’s sake, are ‘fools,’ but you, by your union with Christ, are men of discernment. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honoured, 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.
To this very hour we go hungry, thirsty, and naked; we are beaten; we are homeless;
12 Ningĩ nĩtũrutaga wĩra na moko maitũ tũrĩ na kĩyo. Rĩrĩa twarumwo-rĩ, ithuĩ tũkarathima; na rĩrĩa twanyariirwo, tũkomĩrĩria;
we work hard, toiling with our own hands. We meet abuse with blessings, we meet persecution with endurance,
13 o na rĩrĩa twacambio, tũcookagia ũhoro na ũhooreri. Nginya ihinda rĩĩrĩ tũtuĩkĩte gĩko gĩa thĩ, tũgatuĩka mahuti ma gũkũ thĩ.
we meet slander with gentle appeals. We have been treated as the scum of the earth, the vilest of the vile, to this very hour.
14 Ndiraandĩka marũa maya nĩguo ndĩmũconore, no nĩguo ndĩmũtaare mũrĩ ta ciana ciakwa nyendete mũno.
It is with no wish to shame you that I am writing like this; but to warn you as 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.
Though you may have thousands of instructors in the Faith of Christ, yet you have not many fathers. It was I who, through union with Christ Jesus, became your father by means of the Good News.
16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndamũthaitha mwĩgerekanie na niĩ.
Therefore I entreat you — Follow my example.
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.
This is my reason for sending Timothy to you. He is my own dear faithful child in the Master’s service, and he will remind you of my methods of teaching the Faith of Christ Jesus — methods which I follow everywhere in every Church.
18 Amwe anyu nĩmatuĩkĩte etĩĩi, makona ta itarooka kũu kũrĩ inyuĩ.
Some, I hear, are puffed up with pride, thinking that I am not coming to 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 come to you I will, and that soon, if it please the Lord; and then I shall find out, not what words these men use who are so puffed up, but what power they possess;
20 Nĩgũkorwo ũthamaki wa Ngai ti ũhoro wa kwaria, no nĩ wa kũgĩa na ũhoti.
for the Kingdom of God is based, not on words, but on power.
21 Mũkwenda atĩa? Ngĩũke kũrĩ inyuĩ na kĩboko, kana njũke na wendo hamwe na roho wa ũhooreri?
What do you wish? Am I to come to you with a rod, or in a loving and gentle spirit?
