1 KwabaseKhorinte 9
1 Kangisuye umphostoli yini? Kangikhululekanga yini? Angimbonanga yini uJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu? Lina kalisiwo yini umsebenzi wami eNkosini?
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 Uba ngingesuye umphostoli kwabanye, kodwa nginguye sibili kini; ngoba lina liluphawu lobuphostoli 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 Ukuziphendulela kwami kwabangihlolayo yilokhu.
My defense to those who examine me is this.
4 Kasilamandla yini okudla lokunatha?
Have we no right to eat and to drink?
5 Kasilamandla yini okuhambahamba lomzalwanekazi ongumkethu, njengabanye abaphostoli labo, labafowabo beNkosi, loKefasi?
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 ngedwa loBarnabasi yini esingelamandla okungasebenzi?
Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?
7 Ngubani owake waphuma impi ngezakhe indleko? Ngubani ohlanyela isivini, angadli okwesithelo saso? Kumbe ngubani owelusa umhlambi, angadli okochago lomhlambi?
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 Kambe lezizinto ngizitsho ngokomuntu? Kumbe lomlayo kawutsho lezizinto yini?
Do I say these things according to human authority? Or does not the Law also say the same thing?
9 Ngoba kulotshiwe emlayweni kaMozisi ukuthi: Ungayifaki isayeke inkabi ebhula amabele. Kambe uNkulunkulu ukhathalela inkabi?
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 Kumbe utsho ngenxa yethu isibili? Ngoba kubhalwe ngenxa yethu, ukuze kuthi olimayo kufanele alime ethembeni, lobhulayo esethembeni uhlanganyela ethembeni lakhe.
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 Uba thina sahlanyela kini okomoya, kuyinto enkulu yini uba sivuna okwenu okwenyama?
If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?
12 Uba abanye behlanganyela lamandla phezu kwenu, kakhulu kangakanani thina? Kodwa kasiwasebenzisanga lawomandla, kodwa sibekezelela konke, ukuze singabeki isikhubekiso evangelini likaKristu.
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 gospel of Messiah.
13 Kalazi yini ukuthi labo abasebenza ezintweni ezingcwele badla okwethempeli, labo abalinda ilathi bahlanganyela lelathi?
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 Ngokunjalo iNkosi layo ilayile ukuthi labo abatshumayela ivangeli baphile ngevangeli.
Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should live from the gospel.
15 Kodwa mina angisebenzisanga lalunye lwalezizinto; futhi kangibhalanga lezizinto ukuze kwenziwe njalo kimi, ngoba kungaba ngcono kimi ukuthi ngife, kulokuthi umuntu akwenze ize ukuzincoma kwami.
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 Ngoba loba ngitshumayela ivangeli, kangilakuzincoma; ngoba imfanelo yetheswe mina; kodwa maye kimi, uba ngingatshumayeli ivangeli!
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.
17 Ngoba uba ngisenza lokhu ngokuzithandela, ngilomvuzo; kodwa nxa kungeyisikho ngokuzithandela, ubuphathi bunikelwe 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? Uyikuthi nxa ngitshumayela ivangeli ngenze ukuthi ivangeli likaKristu lingabizi lutho, ukuze ngingasebenzisi kakhulu amandla ami evangelini.
What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the gospel.
19 Ngoba ngikhululekile kubo bonke, ngizenze isigqili sabo bonke, ukuze ngizuze abanengi kakhulu.
For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
20 LakumaJuda ngaba njengomJuda, ukuze ngizuze amaJuda; kwabangaphansi komlayo njengongaphansi komlayo, ukuze ngizuze abangaphansi komlayo;
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 kwabangelamlayo njengongelamlayo (ngingesuye ongelamlayo kuNkulunkulu kodwa ngiphakathi komlayo kuKristu), ukuze ngizuze abangelamlayo;
to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Messiah), that I might win those who are without law.
22 kwababuthakathaka ngaba njengobuthakathaka, ukuze ngizuze ababuthakathaka; ngaba yikho konke kubo bonke, ukuze ngakho konke ngisindise 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 Lalokho ngikwenza ngenxa yevangeli, ukuze lami ngibe ngohlanganyela kulo.
Now I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
24 Kalazi yini ukuthi abagijima emjahweni bagijima bonke, kodwa munye owemukela umvuzo? Ngokunjalo gijimani, ukuze liwuzuze.
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 Labo bonke abancintisanayo bayazithiba ezintweni zonke; labo-ke ukuze bemukele umqhele ophelayo, kodwa thina ongapheliyo.
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 Mina-ke ngigijima ngokunjalo hatshi njengongaqondanga lutho; ngilwa ngokunjalo hatshi njengodabula umoya;
I therefore run like that, as not uncertainly. I fight like that, as not beating the air,
27 kodwa ngiyawudinda umzimba wami ngiwenze isigqili, hlezi kuthi, sengitshumayeze abanye ngilahlwe mina uqobo.
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.
