1 KwabaseKhorinte 9
1 Kangisuye umphostoli yini? Kangikhululekanga yini? Angimbonanga yini uJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu? Lina kalisiwo yini umsebenzi wami eNkosini?
Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?
2 Uba ngingesuye umphostoli kwabanye, kodwa nginguye sibili kini; ngoba lina liluphawu lobuphostoli bami eNkosini.
If I am not an apostle to others, yet surely I am to you; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.
3 Ukuziphendulela kwami kwabangihlolayo yilokhu.
This is my answer to those who question my authority.
4 Kasilamandla yini okudla lokunatha?
Have we not a right to eat and drink?
5 Kasilamandla yini okuhambahamba lomzalwanekazi ongumkethu, njengabanye abaphostoli labo, labafowabo beNkosi, loKefasi?
Have we not a right to carry about with us a sister as a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Kumbe yimi ngedwa loBarnabasi yini esingelamandla okungasebenzi?
Or am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?
7 Ngubani owake waphuma impi ngezakhe indleko? Ngubani ohlanyela isivini, angadli okwesithelo saso? Kumbe ngubani owelusa umhlambi, angadli okochago lomhlambi?
Who ever serveth as a soldier at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard without eating its fruit? Or who tendeth a flock and doth not eat of the milk of the flock?
8 Kambe lezizinto ngizitsho ngokomuntu? Kumbe lomlayo kawutsho lezizinto yini?
Is it on man's authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too say the same?
9 Ngoba kulotshiwe emlayweni kaMozisi ukuthi: Ungayifaki isayeke inkabi ebhula amabele. Kambe uNkulunkulu ukhathalela inkabi?
For it is written in the law of Moses: “Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain.” Is it for oxen that God careth?
10 Kumbe utsho ngenxa yethu isibili? Ngoba kubhalwe ngenxa yethu, ukuze kuthi olimayo kufanele alime ethembeni, lobhulayo esethembeni uhlanganyela ethembeni lakhe.
Or doth he say it altogether on our account? On our account, no doubt, it was written, that he who plougheth ought to plough in hope, and that he who thrasheth should do it in the hope of partaking.
11 Uba thina sahlanyela kini okomoya, kuyinto enkulu yini uba sivuna okwenu okwenyama?
If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap from you things for the body?
12 Uba abanye behlanganyela lamandla phezu kwenu, kakhulu kangakanani thina? Kodwa kasiwasebenzisanga lawomandla, kodwa sibekezelela konke, ukuze singabeki isikhubekiso evangelini likaKristu.
If others possess this right in relation to you, do not we still more? But we have not used this right; but we submit to all things, that we may occasion no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
13 Kalazi yini ukuthi labo abasebenza ezintweni ezingcwele badla okwethempeli, labo abalinda ilathi bahlanganyela lelathi?
Do ye not know, that they who minister in the offerings of the temple live from the temple? that they who serve at the altar share with the altar?
14 Ngokunjalo iNkosi layo ilayile ukuthi labo abatshumayela ivangeli baphile ngevangeli.
In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach 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 no right of this kind; nor have I written thus that anything of this kind should be done for me; for it were better for me to die, than that any one should take from me what I glory in.
16 Ngoba loba ngitshumayela ivangeli, kangilakuzincoma; ngoba imfanelo yetheswe mina; kodwa maye kimi, uba ngingatshumayeli ivangeli!
For in preaching the gospel, I have nothing to glory in; for I am under a necessity to do so; yea, woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel!
17 Ngoba uba ngisenza lokhu ngokuzithandela, ngilomvuzo; kodwa nxa kungeyisikho ngokuzithandela, ubuphathi bunikelwe kimi.
For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, still I have been intrusted with a stewardship.
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? It is that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel free of charge, that I use not to the full my right as a preacher of the gospel.
19 Ngoba ngikhululekile kubo bonke, ngizenze isigqili sabo bonke, ukuze ngizuze abanengi kakhulu.
For being free from all men, yet I made myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more;
20 LakumaJuda ngaba njengomJuda, ukuze ngizuze amaJuda; kwabangaphansi komlayo njengongaphansi komlayo, ukuze ngizuze abangaphansi komlayo;
and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law, not being myself under the Law, that I might gain those under the Law;
21 kwabangelamlayo njengongelamlayo (ngingesuye ongelamlayo kuNkulunkulu kodwa ngiphakathi komlayo kuKristu), ukuze ngizuze abangelamlayo;
to those without the Law, as without the Law, being not without a law before God, but under the law of Christ, that I might gain those without the Law;
22 kwababuthakathaka ngaba njengobuthakathaka, ukuze ngizuze ababuthakathaka; ngaba yikho konke kubo bonke, ukuze ngakho konke ngisindise abanye.
to the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all, that I might by all means save some.
23 Lalokho ngikwenza ngenxa yevangeli, ukuze lami ngibe ngohlanganyela kulo.
And I do all for the sake of the gospel, that I may with others partake of it.
24 Kalazi yini ukuthi abagijima emjahweni bagijima bonke, kodwa munye owemukela umvuzo? Ngokunjalo gijimani, ukuze liwuzuze.
Know ye not, that of those who run in the race-course all run, but one receiveth the prize? Thus run, that ye may obtain.
25 Labo bonke abancintisanayo bayazithiba ezintweni zonke; labo-ke ukuze bemukele umqhele ophelayo, kodwa thina ongapheliyo.
And every one who contendeth in the games is temperate in all things; they, however, to obtain a perishable crown, but we, an imperishable.
26 Mina-ke ngigijima ngokunjalo hatshi njengongaqondanga lutho; ngilwa ngokunjalo hatshi njengodabula umoya;
I therefore so run, not as one uncertain; I so fight, not as one striking the air;
27 kodwa ngiyawudinda umzimba wami ngiwenze isigqili, hlezi kuthi, sengitshumayeze abanye ngilahlwe mina uqobo.
but I beat down my body, and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps, when I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected as unworthy.
