< Aroma 13 >

1 O mũndũ no nginya athĩkagĩre arĩa maathanaga, nĩgũkorwo gũtirĩ hinya wa gwathana tiga ũrĩa Ngai ahaandĩte. Aathani arĩa marĩ ho nĩ Ngai ũmatuĩte a gwathana.
Everyone should obey government authorities, because no one has the power to rule unless God gives permission. These authorities have been put there by God.
2 Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo-rĩ, mũndũ ũrĩa ũremagĩra arĩa maathanaga, nĩkũrega aregaga ũndũ ũrĩa Ngai atuĩte, nao arĩa mekaga ũguo nĩmagatuĩka a gũtuĩrwo ciira.
Whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has put in place, and those who do so shall find themselves judged accordingly.
3 Nĩgũkorwo aathani ti a kũmakia arĩa mekaga ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire, no nĩ a kũmakia arĩa mekaga ũũru. Nĩũkwenda wagage gwĩtigagĩra ũrĩa wathanaga? Gĩĩkage ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire, nake nĩarĩkũgathagĩrĩria.
For rulers don't frighten those who do right, but those who do wrong. If you don't want to live in fear of the authorities, then do what is right, and you'll have their approval.
4 Nĩgũkorwo we nĩ ndungata ya Ngai ya gũtũma wonage maũndũ mega. No ũngĩka ũũru-rĩ, wĩtigĩre, nĩgũkorwo ndakuuaga rũhiũ rwa njora tũhũ. We nĩ ndungata ya Ngai, na mũrĩhania wake wa kũherithania na wa gũkinyĩria mũndũ ũrĩa wĩkaga ũũru mangʼũrĩ ma Ngai.
Those in power are God's servants, put there for your own good. If you do wrong, you should be frightened—it's not without reason that authorities have the power to punish! They are God's servants, punishing offenders.
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, nĩ kwagĩrĩire mwathĩkagĩre arĩa maathanaga, ti tondũ wa gwĩtigĩra mangʼũrĩ macio, no nĩ tondũ wa ũrĩa mwĩmenyeire na thamiri cianyu ũrĩa arĩ wega gwĩka.
So it's important to do as you're told, not just because of the threat of punishment, but because of what your conscience tells you.
6 Ũndũ ũcio noguo ũtũmaga mũrutage magooti, nĩgũkorwo arĩa maathanaga nĩ ndungata cia Ngai, na maheanaga mahinda mao mothe nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra ũcio kĩũmbe.
That's why you have to pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants taking care of such things.
7 Rutagĩrai andũ othe kĩrĩa mwagĩrĩirwo nĩ kũmarutĩra: Angĩkorwo mũtirutĩte magooti, rutai magooti; na angĩkorwo nĩ kũruta mbeeca cia kũrutithia wĩra wa bũrũri, rutai; nao andũ arĩa a kũheo gĩtĩĩo, maheagei; na arĩa a gwĩkĩrĩrwo, mekagĩrĩrei.
Pay whatever you owe: taxes to the tax authorities, fees to the fee-collectors; give respect to those who should be respected, honor those who should be honored.
8 Mũtigaikare mũrĩ na thiirĩ na mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, tiga o mwendanage hĩndĩ ciothe mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ, nĩgũkorwo mũndũ wendaga mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ nĩahingĩtie watho.
Don't owe anybody anything, except love for one another—for those who love their neighbor have kept the law.
9 Nĩ ũndũ maathani maya, atĩ “Ndũkanatharanie,” na “Ndũkanoragane,” na “Ndũkanaiye”, na “Ndũkanacumĩkĩre kĩndũ kĩene,” o na rĩathani rĩngĩ o rĩothe rĩngĩkorwo ho, mohanĩtio mothe maturanĩirwo thĩinĩ wa rĩathani rĩĩrĩ: “Enda mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ ta ũrĩa wĩyendete wee mwene.”
“You must not commit adultery, you must not kill, you must not steal, you must not jealously want things for yourself”—these and the other commandments are summed up in the statement, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
10 Wendani-rĩ, ndũngĩĩka mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ ũũru. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio kwendana nĩkuo kũhingia watho.
Love doesn't do wrong to anyone, so love fulfils the law.
11 Na mwĩkage ũguo nĩ ũndũ wa kũmenya mahinda maya tũrĩ ũrĩa matariĩ. Ihinda nĩikinyu nĩgeetha mwarahũke mũtige gũkoma, tondũ ũhonokio witũ rĩu ũrĩ hakuhĩ kũrĩ rĩrĩa twambĩrĩirie gwĩtĩkia.
You should do this because you realize how urgent the time is—that it's high time for you to wake up from your sleep. For salvation is closer to us now than when we first put our trust in God.
12 Ũtukũ ũrĩ hakuhĩ gũthira; naguo mũthenya ũkiriĩ gũkinya. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩtũtigane na maũndũ ma nduma na twĩohe indo cia mbaara, o iria cia ũtheri.
The night is nearly over, the day is almost here! So let's get rid of our dark deeds and put on the armor of light.
13 Nĩtũthiiage na mĩthiĩre mĩagĩrĩru, o ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire gũikarwo nayo mũthenya, tũtigatoonye maruga-inĩ mooru marĩ na nyĩmbo njũru na ũrĩĩu, na tũtigatoonye ũtharia-inĩ kana maũndũ ma ũũra-thoni, na tũtikagĩage na njũgitano na kũiguanĩra ũiru.
Let's behave properly, showing that we're people who are living in the light. We shouldn't spend our time going to wild parties and getting drunk, or having affairs and acting immorally, or getting into fights and being jealous.
14 No rĩrĩ, mwĩhumbei Mwathani Jesũ Kristũ, na mũtigatũũre mwĩciiragia o ũrĩa mũngĩhingia merirĩria ma mĩĩrĩ ĩno ya mehia.
Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and forget about following your sinful desires.

< Aroma 13 >