1 KwabaseKhorinte 9
1 Kangikhululekanga na? Kangisumpostoli na? Kanje kangimbonanga uJesu iNkosi yethu na? Kalisizithelo zomsebenzi wami eNkosini na?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
2 Lanxa ngingasuye umpostoli kwabanye, impela nginguye kini! Ngoba lina liluphawu lobupostoli bami eNkosini.
If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my office of apostle in the Lord.
3 Lokhu kuyisivikelo sami kulabo abazangahlulela.
My defense to those who examine me is this.
4 Kasilalungelo lokudla lokunatha na?
Have we no right to eat and to drink?
5 Kambe silelungelo bani lokuthatha owesifazane okholwayo owendileyo sihambe laye njengokwenziwa ngabanye abapostoli labafowabo beNkosi kanye loKhefasi na?
Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Kumbe yimi loBhanabhasi kuphela esingelalo ilungelo lokusebenzela impilo?
Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?
7 Ngubani osebenza njengebutho ngendleko zakhe na? Ngubani olima isivini angadli izithelo zaso na? Ngubani owelusa umhlambi anganathi uchago lwawo na?
What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and does not drink from the flock's milk?
8 Lokhu ngikutsho ngokwengqondo yabantu na? Umthetho kawutsho okufanayo na?
Do I say these things according to human authority? Or does not the Law also say the same thing?
9 Ngoba kulotshiwe emthethweni kaMosi ukuthi: “Inkabi ungayifaki isayeke nxa ibhula amabele.” UNkulunkulu ukhathazeka ngenkabi na?
For it is written in the Law of Moses, "Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it for the oxen that God cares,
10 Impela uyasikhulumela lokhu; akunjalo na? Yebo, lokhu kwalotshelwa thina, ngoba nxa umlimi elima lobhulayo ebhula kumele benzenjalo belethemba lokwabelana isivuno.
or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in the hope of having a share.
11 Nxa sahlanyela inhlanyelo yakomoya kini, kambe kunengi kakhulu yini nxa sivuna isivuno sempahla kini na?
If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?
12 Nxa abanye belaleli ilungelo losizo oluvela kini, thina akumelanga sibe lalo kakhulu na? Kodwa thina kasilisebenzisanga ilungelo leli. Esikhundleni salokho sibekezelele konke kulokuthi sivimbele ivangeli likaKhristu.
If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.
13 Kalazi yini ukuthi abasebenza ethempelini bathola ukudla kwabo ethempelini, lokuthi labo abakhonza e-alithareni babelana lokho okunikelwe e-alithareni na?
Do you not know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?
14 Ngokufanayo iNkosi ilaye ukuthi labo abatshumayela ivangeli kumele bathole ukuphila kwabo evangelini.
Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
15 Kodwa mina angisebenzisanga lalinye lala amalungelo. Njalo kangilobi lokhu ngethemba lokuthi lizangenzela izinto ezinjalo. Ngingakhetha ukufa kulokuthi umuntu angemuke ukuzincoma lokhu.
But I have used none of these things, and I do not write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.
16 Ikanti lapho ngitshumayela ivangeli, angingeke ngizincome ngoba kumele ngitshumayele! Maye kimi nxa ngingatshumayeli ivangeli!
For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the Good News.
17 Nxa ngitshumayela ngokuzithandela, ngithola umvuzo; nxa ngingazithandeli, ngifeza umlandu obekwe kimi.
For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
18 Pho umvuzo wami uyini na? Uyilokhu nje: ukuthi lapho ngitshumayela ivangeli, ngilitshumayela kungekho mbadalo, kalokho ngingasebenzisi malungelo ami ekulitshumayeleni.
What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.
19 Lanxa ngikhululekile ngingasuye womunye umuntu, ngizenza isigqili ebantwini bonke, ukuze ngizuze abanengi nxa kusenzeka.
For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
20 KumaJuda ngaba njengomJuda, ukuba ngizuze amaJuda. Kulabo abangaphansi komthetho ngaba njengongaphansi komthetho (lanxa nje mina ngingekho ngaphansi komthetho), ukuba ngizuze labo abangaphansi komthetho.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;
21 Kulabo abangelamthetho ngaba njengongelamthetho (lanxa ngingakhululekanga emthethweni kaNkulunkulu ngingaphansi komthetho kaKhristu), ukuba ngizuze labo abangelamthetho.
to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.
22 Kwababuthakathaka ngababuthakathaka, ukuba ngizuze ababuthakathaka. Sengibe yizinto zonke ebantwini bonke ukuze kuthi ngazozonke izindlela ezingenzakala ngisilise abanye.
To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I may by all means save some.
23 Ngenza konke lokhu ngenxa yevangeli, ukuze lami ngihlanganyele ezibusisweni zalo.
Now I do all things for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
24 Kalazi yini ukuthi emncintiswaneni wokugijima abagijimi bayagijima bonke, kodwa ngoyedwa kuphela othola umvuzo? Gijimani ngendlela ezakwenza ukuthi lithole umvuzo.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.
25 Umuntu wonke oncintisayo emidlalweni uba sekufundisweni okulukhuni. Bakwenzela ukuzuza umqhele wamaluba ongasoze uhlale isikhathi eside, kodwa thina sikwenzela ukuba sithole umqhele ozahlala ukhona kuze kube laphakade.
Now everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
26 Ngakho kangigijimi njengomuntu ogijima engahlose lutho; kangilwi njengomuntu obindana lomoya.
I therefore run like that, as not uncertainly. I fight like that, as not beating the air,
27 Hatshi, ngitshaya umzimba wami ngiwenze isigqili sami ukuze kuthi lapho sengitshumayele kwabanye, mina uqobo ngingemukwa ilungelo lokuthola umvuzo.
but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.
