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 I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are ye not 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.
If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for ye are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 Gwĩtetera gwakwa harĩ arĩa manjiirithagia nĩ gũkũ:
My answer to them that examine me is this,
4 Githĩ ithuĩ tũtirĩ na kĩhooto gĩa kũrĩa na kũnyua?
Have we not 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 lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and [as] 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 we not power to forbear working?
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 goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of its fruit? or who feedeth a 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?
Do I say these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
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 saith he [this] altogether for our sakes? for our sakes, no doubt, [this] is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
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 to you spiritual things, [is it] a great thing if we shall 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 are partakers of [this] power over you, [are] not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder 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?
Do ye not know that they who minister about holy things live [from the things] of the temple, and they who wait at the altar are partakers 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.
Even so hath 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 it should be so done to me: for [it were] better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying 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 though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of: for necessity is laid upon me; and woe is to 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 [of the gospel] 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? [Verily] that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse 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 though I am free from all [men], yet I have made myself servant to 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 to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
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 without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, ) that I might gain them that are without 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 as weak, that I might gain the weak: I have become all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some.
23 Njĩkaga maũndũ maya mothe nĩ ũndũ wa Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega, nĩgeetha ngaagaĩrwo irathimo ciaguo.
And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with [you].
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 ye not, that they who run in a race, all run, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye 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 man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
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 uncertainly; so I fight, not as one that beateth 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 keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.
