1 Akorinitho 9

1 Githĩ niĩ ndirĩ na wĩyathi? Githĩ niĩ ndirĩ mũtũmwo? Githĩ niĩ ndionire Jesũ Mwathani witũ? Anga inyuĩ mũtirĩ maciaro ma wĩra wakwa thĩinĩ wa Mwathani?

Am not I free? Am not I an apostle? Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?

2 O na angĩkorwo andũ arĩa angĩ mationaga ta ndĩ mũtũmwo-rĩ, ti-itherũ niĩ harĩ inyuĩ ndĩ mũtũmwo! Nĩgũkorwo nĩ inyuĩ kĩmenyithia kĩa ũtũmwo wakwa thĩinĩ wa Mwathani.

And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 Gwĩtetera gwakwa harĩ arĩa manjiirithagia nĩ gũkũ:

My defence with them that do examine me is this.

4 Githĩ ithuĩ tũtirĩ na kĩhooto gĩa kũrĩa na kũnyua?

Have not we power to eat and to drink?

5 Githĩ ithuĩ tũtirĩ na kĩhooto kĩa mũndũ gũtwarana rũgendo-inĩ na mũtumia wake mwĩtĩkia, o ta ũrĩa atũmwo arĩa angĩ, na ariũ a nyina na Mwathani, o na Kefa mekaga?

Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6 Kana no niĩ tũrĩ na Baranaba arĩ o nginya tũrutage wĩra nĩguo tuone ũteithio witũ?

Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this?

7 Nũũ ũtungataga ta mũthigari na akeerĩha na indo ciake we mwene? Nĩ mũndũ ũrĩkũ ũhaandaga mũgũnda wa mĩthabibũ na ndarĩe thabibũ cia mũgũnda ũcio? Ningĩ-rĩ, nĩ kũrĩ mũndũ ũrĩithagia rũũru na ndanyue iria rĩa rũũru rũu?

Who serveth as a soldier at any time, at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth the flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

8 Ndĩraaria ũhoro ũyũ ndĩ na meciiria ma ũ-mũndũ tu? Githĩ Watho o naguo nduugĩte o ũguo?

Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also say these things?

9 Nĩgũkorwo nĩ kwandĩkĩtwo watho-inĩ wa Musa atĩrĩ, “Ndũkanohe ndegwa kanua hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ĩkũranga ngano ĩkĩmĩhũũra.” Ngai akiuga ũguo-rĩ, nĩ ndegwa aracaaĩra?

For it is written in the law of Moses: Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

10 Ti-itherũ oigaga ũguo nĩ ũndũ witũ, githĩ tiguo? Ĩĩ-ni, ũndũ ũyũ waandĩkirũo nĩ ũndũ witũ, tondũ rĩrĩa mũrĩmi ekũrĩma, nake mũhũũri ngano amĩhũũrage-rĩ, nĩ kwagĩrĩire mekage ũguo marĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro atĩ nĩmakagayana magetha.

Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope; and he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit.

11 Tũngĩkorwo ithuĩ nĩtũhaandĩte mbeũ ya kĩĩroho thĩinĩ wanyu-rĩ, kaĩ akĩrĩ ũndũ mũnene ithuĩ tũngĩgetha indo cia gũtũũria mwĩrĩ kuuma kũrĩ inyuĩ?

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?

12 Angĩkorwo andũ angĩ marĩ na kĩhooto gĩa gũteithio nĩ inyuĩ-rĩ, ithuĩ githĩ tũtikĩagĩrĩirwo nĩgũteithio makĩria? No ithuĩ tũtiahũthĩrire kĩhooto kĩu. Handũ ha ũguo-rĩ, nĩ gũkirĩrĩria tũkiragĩrĩria ũndũ o wothe nĩguo tũtikae kũhĩngĩca Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega wa Kristũ.

If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

13 Kaĩ inyuĩ mũtooĩ atĩ andũ arĩa marutaga wĩra thĩinĩ wa hekarũ marutaga irio ciao kuuma kũu hekarũ, nao arĩa matungataga kĩgongona-inĩ magayanaga kĩrĩa kĩrutĩtwo kĩgongona-inĩ?

Know you not, that they who work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar, partake with the altar?

14 O ta ũguo-rĩ, Mwathani nĩathanĩte atĩ arĩa mahunjagia Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega nĩmagĩrĩirwo kuonaga gĩa kũmatũũria kuuma kũrĩ Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega.

So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.

15 No niĩ ndirĩ ndaahũthĩra kĩhooto o na kĩmwe gĩa cio. Ningĩ ndiraandĩka ũhoro ũyũ ndĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro atĩ nĩmũkũnjĩka maũndũ ta macio. Nĩ kaba ngue gũkĩra mũndũ o naũ agirie ndĩĩrahĩre ũndũ ũcio.

But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written these things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void.

16 No rĩrĩ, ndingĩhota kwĩraha rĩrĩa ngũhunjia Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega, nĩgũkorwo nĩhatagĩrĩrio mũno ndĩũhunjie. Na niĩ ingĩaga kũhunjia Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega kaĩ ndagĩa na haaro-ĩ!

For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.

17 Ingĩhunjia nĩ ũndũ wa kwĩyendera-rĩ, ndaheo mũcaara; no angĩkorwo ti na ũndũ wa kwĩyendera-rĩ, niĩ no kũhingia ndĩrahingia ũndũ ũrĩa ndĩhokeirwo.

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me:

18 Hakĩrĩ ũguo-rĩ, mũcaara wakwa ũkĩrĩ kĩ? Nĩ atĩrĩ: Atĩ harĩ ũhoro wa kũhunjia Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega-rĩ, hunjagie tũhũ itekũrĩhwo, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio njage gwĩtagia kĩhooto gĩakwa rĩrĩa ngũhunjia Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega.

What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

19 O na gũtuĩka ndĩ muohore na ndirĩ ngombo ya mũndũ-rĩ, niĩ ndĩĩtuaga ngombo ya o mũndũ wothe, nĩguo nguucĩrĩrie andũ aingĩ o ta ũrĩa kwahoteka.

For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.

20 Kũrĩ Ayahudi ndaatuĩkire ta Mũyahudi nĩguo nguucagĩrĩrie Ayahudi. Na kũrĩ arĩa marĩ rungu rwa watho-rĩ, ndaatuĩkire ta mũndũ ũrĩ rungu rwa watho, o na gũtuĩka niĩ mwene ndirĩ rungu rwa watho, nĩguo nguucagĩrĩrie arĩa marĩ rungu rwa watho.

And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews:

21 Kũrĩ arĩa matarĩ watho-inĩ-rĩ, ndaatuĩkire ta mũndũ ũtarĩ watho-inĩ ũcio, o na gũtuĩka ndirĩ muohore kuuma kũrĩ watho wa Ngai, no ndĩ watho-inĩ wa Kristũ, nĩguo nguucagĩrĩrie arĩa matarĩ watho-inĩ ũcio.

To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law, ) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ, ) that I might gain them that were without the law.

22 Kũrĩ arĩa matarĩ hinya-rĩ, ndaatuĩkire ta itarĩ hinya nĩguo nguucagĩrĩrie arĩa matarĩ hinya. Nduĩkĩte maũndũ mothe kũrĩ andũ othe nĩgeetha kũngĩhoteka na njĩra ciothe ngerie kũhonokia amwe ao.

To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all.

23 Njĩkaga maũndũ maya mothe nĩ ũndũ wa Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega, nĩgeetha ngaagaĩrwo irathimo ciaguo.

And I do all things for the gospel’s sake: that I may be made partaker thereof.

24 Kaĩ inyuĩ mũtooĩ atĩ andũ arĩa mahĩtahĩtanaga ihenya-inĩ mahanyũkaga othe, no rĩrĩ, no ũmwe wao ũheagwo kĩheo? Kĩhanyũkei na njĩra ĩrĩa ĩngĩtũma mũkaaheo kĩheo.

Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.

25 Mũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ũhĩtahĩtanaga thĩinĩ wa mathako-rĩ, ehataga na akemenyeria maũndũ-inĩ mothe hatarĩ itherũ. Mekaga ũguo nĩguo maheo thũmbĩ ĩtarĩ ya gũtũũra; no ithuĩ twĩkaga ũguo nĩguo tũkaaheo thũmbĩ ya gũtũũra nginya tene.

And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.

26 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, niĩ ndihanyũkaga ta mũndũ ũtooĩ gĩtũmi gĩa kũhanyũka; na ndirũaga ta mũndũ ũgũikia ngundi ciake o ũguo tũhũ.

I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air:

27 Aca, nĩ mwĩrĩ wakwa hũũraga ngaũtua ngombo yakwa, nĩgeetha ndaarĩkia kũhunjĩria andũ arĩa angĩ-rĩ, niĩ mwene ndikanatuĩke wa kũregwo nyimwo kĩheo.

But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.