1 Athesalonike 5
1 Na rĩrĩ, ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, ũhoro wa mahinda na mĩthenya-rĩ, tũtirĩ na bata wa kũmwandĩkĩra,
My fellow believers, [I want to tell you more] about the time or period [when the Lord Jesus will come back. Really], you do not need me to you about that,
2 nĩgũkorwo nĩmũũĩ wega atĩ mũthenya wa Mwathani ũgooka o ta ũrĩa mũici okaga ũtukũ.
because you yourselves know accurately [what will happen! You know] that the Lord [Jesus will return] [MTY] [unexpectedly] (OR, [when some people are unprepared]). [People will not expect him, just like no one knows when] a thief [comes unexpectedly] at night [SIM].
3 O rĩrĩa andũ maroiga atĩrĩ, “Kũrĩ thayũ na ũgitĩri,” hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩguo magaakorererwo nĩ mwanangĩko o rĩmwe, o ta ũrĩa mũtumia ũrĩ nda akoragĩrĩrwo nĩ ruo rwa kũheo mwana, nao matikahonoka.
[At a future time] many people will say, “[All is] peaceful and [we are] safe!” Then suddenly the Lord Jesus will come to punish people severely! Just like a pregnant woman who [experiences] birth pains [cannot stop those pains], those people will definitely not [have any way to] escape [their punishment].
4 No inyuĩ ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, mũtirĩ nduma-inĩ atĩ nĩguo mũthenya ũcio ũmũkorerere ta mũici.
[Just like people] in the dark [are unaware of what is happening around them, most people will not be aware of what is about to happen to them] [MET, PRS]. Just like a thief [comes unexpectedly for people who are unaware, that time of punishment will come when people are not expecting it] [SIM]. But you, my fellow believers, are people who are very much aware [LIT] of what is going to happen. As a result, you will be expecting [LIT] those things [MTY] to happen [PRS]. All of us [believers] are people [IDM] [who do what is right, as people usually do in] the daytime [MET] [when their actions can be seen]. We are not [people who do evil things, as some people do when it is] dark [MET].
5 Inyuĩ inyuothe mũrĩ ciana cia ũtheri na ciana cia mũthenya. Ithuĩ tũtirĩ a ũtukũ kana a nduma.
6 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, nĩtũtigei gũkoma ta acio angĩ, no nĩtũikarage twĩiguĩte na tũkerigagĩrĩria maũndũ.
So we believers must be aware of what is happening. We must be watching carefully, [as people who are awake watch for a thief] [MET]. We must be self-controlled, as people who are (sober/not drunk) are able to control what they do [MET]. People who sleep [MET] [are unaware of what is happening, and unbelievers are like that].
7 Nĩgũkorwo arĩa makomaga-rĩ, makomaga ũtukũ, na arĩa marĩĩagwo nĩ njoohi-rĩ, marĩĩagwo ũtukũ.
It is at night when people become drunk [and they do very wrong actions/things, and are unaware of what is happening because they] are asleep.
8 No kuona atĩ ithuĩ tũrĩ a mũthenya-rĩ, nĩtũtuĩke a kwĩgirĩrĩria maũndũ, twĩhumbĩte gako ga kũgitĩra gĩthũri karĩa ka wĩtĩkio na ka wendani, na tũgekĩra ũhoro wa kwĩrĩgĩrĩra ũhonokio taarĩ ngũbia ya kĩgera ya kũgitĩra mũtwe.
But we believers are people who [should do what is right] [MET], so we must be self-controlled, [as people] in the daytime [are usually not drunk and are able to control what they do] [MET]. [As Roman soldiers protect themselves by] putting on breastplates and helmets [MET], we [believers] must [protect ourselves by continuing to] trust and love [the Lord Jesus] and by continuing to confidently expect that he will save [us from God’s punishing us at the time when he will punish other people].
9 Nĩgũkorwo Ngai ndaatwamũrire nĩguo tũtuĩke a kũrakarĩrwo, no nĩtũtuĩke a kwamũkĩra ũhonokio thĩinĩ wa Mwathani witũ Jesũ Kristũ.
When God chose us, he did not plan for us to [be people whom he will severely] punish [MTY]. On the contrary, [he decided] that he would save us because of [our trusting in what] our Lord Jesus Christ [has done for us].
10 We nĩatũkuĩrĩire nĩgeetha, twakorwo twĩiguĩte kana tũkomete-rĩ, tũgaatũũrania hamwe nake.
Jesus died [to atone/pay] for our [sins] in order that we might be able to live together with him, whether we are alive [MET] or whether we are dead [EUP] [when he returns to earth].
11 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, ũmanagĩrĩriai mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ na mwĩkĩranage hinya o ta ũrĩa mũreka rĩu.
Because [you know that this is true], continue to encourage/comfort each other, as indeed you now are doing.
12 Na rĩrĩ, ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, twamũthaitha mũtĩĩage andũ arĩa marutaga wĩra na kĩyo thĩinĩ wanyu, arĩa matuĩtwo arori anyu na makamũtaaraga thĩinĩ wa Mwathani.
My fellow believers, we [three] ask that you recognize/honor [as leaders] those people who work hard for you. [Specifically], respect those who lead you as fellow believers who (have a close relationship with/are united to) the Lord [Jesus]. They warn you [to stop doing what is wrong] (OR, they teach you [to do what is right]).
13 Mekagĩrĩrei mũno makĩria na mũmendage nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra ũcio marutaga. Tũũranagiai na thayũ mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ.
That is, we [ask that you] consider those leaders to be very important and that you love them, because they work [hard to help you]. We also urge you to live peacefully with each other.
14 Na ningĩ nĩtũkũmũringĩrĩria, inyuĩ ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, mũkaanagie andũ arĩa igũũta, na mũũmagĩrĩrie arĩa marĩ guoya, na mũteithagie arĩa matarĩ hinya, na mũkiragĩrĩrie andũ othe.
My fellow believers, we urge that you warn [believers] who will not work [in order to] ([obtain/earn the money to buy]) [things that they need to live. Tell them that they are behaving wrongly]. We urge you that you encourage [believers] who are fearful (OR, discouraged), and that you help all people who are weak [in any way]. We also urge you to be patient with everyone.
15 Menyagĩrĩrai gũtikagĩe mũndũ ũkũrĩhĩria ũũru na ũũru, no hĩndĩ ciothe geragiai gũtugana inyuĩ-ene, na mũtugage andũ arĩa angĩ othe.
Make sure that none [of you] does evil things to anyone [who has done] evil to you. On the contrary, you must always try to do good [things] for each other (OR, to fellow believers) and to everyone else.
16 Kenagai hĩndĩ ciothe;
Be joyful (at all times/always),
17 hooyagai mũtegũtigithĩria;
pray continually,
18 cookagĩriai Ngai ngaatho maũndũ-inĩ mothe, nĩgũkorwo ũguo nĩguo Ngai endaga harĩ inyuĩ thĩinĩ wa Kristũ Jesũ.
and thank [God] (in all [circumstances/] [of what happens]). God wants you [to behave] like that [because of what] Christ Jesus [has done for you] (OR, because you have a close relationship with Christ Jesus).
19 Mũtikanahorie mwaki wa Roho;
Do not [refuse the urging from God’s] Spirit [when he is working] [MTY] [among you. That would be like] throwing water on [a fire] [MET]!
20 mũtikanaire ũhoro ũrĩa ũrathagwo.
[Specifically], do not despise messages that the Holy Spirit reveals to someone, [and reject them automatically].
21 Roranagiai maũndũ mothe. Rũmagiai maũndũ marĩa mega.
On the contrary, evaluate all [such messages]. Accept the [messages that are truly from God, and obey them].
22 Theemagai ũndũ o wothe mũũru.
Do not obey any kind of evil [message].
23 Ngai we mwene, o we Ngai wa thayũ, aromũtheria o kũna. Namo maroho manyu, na ngoro cianyu, o na mĩĩrĩ yanyu, iroikaragio itarĩ na ũcuuke hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Mwathani witũ Jesũ Kristũ agaacooka.
[We pray to] God that he will change you to become more and more like his people should be. He is the one who causes [his people] to have [inner] peace. [That is, we pray] that he will help you so that in all that you think, in all that you desire, and in all that you do, you will be without fault. We ask him that he will keep doing that [until] our Lord Jesus Christ comes back [to earth].
24 Ũrĩa ũmwĩtaga inyuĩ nĩ mwĩhokeku, na nĩakahingia ũhoro ũcio.
[Because God] has invited you [to be his people, you can] certainly trust him to keep on helping you to do that.
25 Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, tũhooyagĩrei.
My fellow believers, pray for me and for Silas and for Timothy.
26 Geithiai ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ othe na ngeithi theru cia kĩmumunyano.
[When you gather together as believers], greet each other affectionately, as fellow believers [should].
27 Nĩndamwatha ndĩ mbere ya Mwathani atĩ marũa maya mathomerwo ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ othe.
Make certain that you read this letter to all the believers who may be absent when you read it at first, [knowing that] the Lord [Jesus wants you to do it].
28 Wega wa Mwathani witũ Jesũ Kristũ ũrogĩa na inyuĩ.
[I pray that] our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to act] kindly toward you all.
