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 our Lord Jesus? Aren’t you yourselves my work achieved in union with 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 at least I am to you; for you are the seal that stamps me as an apostle in union with the Lord.
3 Ukuziphendulela kwami kwabangihlolayo yilokhu.
The defense that I make to my critics is this:
4 Kasilamandla yini okudla lokunatha?
Haven’t we a right to food and drink?
5 Kasilamandla yini okuhambahamba lomzalwanekazi ongumkethu, njengabanye abaphostoli labo, labafowabo beNkosi, loKefasi?
Haven’t we a right to take a wife with us, if she is a Christian, as the other apostles and the Master’s brothers and Cephas all do?
6 Kumbe yimi ngedwa loBarnabasi yini esingelamandla okungasebenzi?
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to give up working for our bread?
7 Ngubani owake waphuma impi ngezakhe indleko? Ngubani ohlanyela isivini, angadli okwesithelo saso? Kumbe ngubani owelusa umhlambi, angadli okochago lomhlambi?
Does anyone ever serve as a soldier at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat its produce? Or does anyone look after a herd and not drink the milk?
8 Kambe lezizinto ngizitsho ngokomuntu? Kumbe lomlayo kawutsho lezizinto yini?
Am I, in all this, speaking only from the human standpoint? Does not the Law also say the same?
9 Ngoba kulotshiwe emlayweni kaMozisi ukuthi: Ungayifaki isayeke inkabi ebhula amabele. Kambe uNkulunkulu ukhathalela inkabi?
For in the Law of Moses it is said – ‘You should not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it the bullocks that God is thinking of?
10 Kumbe utsho ngenxa yethu isibili? Ngoba kubhalwe ngenxa yethu, ukuze kuthi olimayo kufanele alime ethembeni, lobhulayo esethembeni uhlanganyela ethembeni lakhe.
Or is not is said entirely for our sakes? Surely it was written for our sakes, for the plowman ought not to plow, nor the thrasher to thrash, without expecting a share of the grain.
11 Uba thina sahlanyela kini okomoya, kuyinto enkulu yini uba sivuna okwenu okwenyama?
Since we, then, sowed spiritual seed for you, is it too much that we should reap from you an earthly harvest?
12 Uba abanye behlanganyela lamandla phezu kwenu, kakhulu kangakanani thina? Kodwa kasiwasebenzisanga lawomandla, kodwa sibekezelela konke, ukuze singabeki isikhubekiso evangelini likaKristu.
If others share in this right over you, don’t we even more? Still we did not avail ourselves of this right. No, we endure anything rather than impede the progress of the good news of the Christ.
13 Kalazi yini ukuthi labo abasebenza ezintweni ezingcwele badla okwethempeli, labo abalinda ilathi bahlanganyela lelathi?
Don’t you know that those who do the work of the Temple live on what comes from the Temple, and that those who serve at the altar share the offerings with the altar?
14 Ngokunjalo iNkosi layo ilayile ukuthi labo abatshumayela ivangeli baphile ngevangeli.
So, too, the Master has appointed that those who tell the good news should get their living from the good news.
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.
I, however, have not availed myself of any of these rights. I am not saying this to secure such an arrangement for myself; indeed, I would far rather die – Nobody will make my boast a vain one!
16 Ngoba loba ngitshumayela ivangeli, kangilakuzincoma; ngoba imfanelo yetheswe mina; kodwa maye kimi, uba ngingatshumayeli ivangeli!
If I proclaim the good news, I have nothing to boast of, for I am compelled to do so. Woe is me if I do not share it!
17 Ngoba uba ngisenza lokhu ngokuzithandela, ngilomvuzo; kodwa nxa kungeyisikho ngokuzithandela, ubuphathi bunikelwe kimi.
If I do this work willingly, I have a reward; but, if unwillingly, I have been charged to perform a duty.
18 Pho umvuzo wami uyini? Uyikuthi nxa ngitshumayela ivangeli ngenze ukuthi ivangeli likaKristu lingabizi lutho, ukuze ngingasebenzisi kakhulu amandla ami evangelini.
What is my reward, then? To present the good news free of all cost, and so make but a sparing use of the rights which it gives me.
19 Ngoba ngikhululekile kubo bonke, ngizenze isigqili sabo bonke, ukuze ngizuze abanengi kakhulu.
Although I was entirely free, yet, to win as many converts as possible, I made myself everyone’s slave.
20 LakumaJuda ngaba njengomJuda, ukuze ngizuze amaJuda; kwabangaphansi komlayo njengongaphansi komlayo, ukuze ngizuze abangaphansi komlayo;
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews. To those who are subject to Law I became like a man subject to Law – though I was not myself subject to Law – to win those who are subject to Law.
21 kwabangelamlayo njengongelamlayo (ngingesuye ongelamlayo kuNkulunkulu kodwa ngiphakathi komlayo kuKristu), ukuze ngizuze abangelamlayo;
To those who have no Law I became like a man who has no Law – not that I am free from God’s Law; no, for I am under Christ’s Law – to win those who have no law.
22 kwababuthakathaka ngaba njengobuthakathaka, ukuze ngizuze ababuthakathaka; ngaba yikho konke kubo bonke, ukuze ngakho konke ngisindise abanye.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so as at all costs to save some.
23 Lalokho ngikwenza ngenxa yevangeli, ukuze lami ngibe ngohlanganyela kulo.
And I do everything for the sake of the good news, so that with them I may share in its blessings.
24 Kalazi yini ukuthi abagijima emjahweni bagijima bonke, kodwa munye owemukela umvuzo? Ngokunjalo gijimani, ukuze liwuzuze.
Don’t you know that on a racecourse, though all run, yet only one wins the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 Labo bonke abancintisanayo bayazithiba ezintweni zonke; labo-ke ukuze bemukele umqhele ophelayo, kodwa thina ongapheliyo.
Every athlete exercises self-restraint in everything; they, indeed, for a crown that fades, we for one that is unfading.
26 Mina-ke ngigijima ngokunjalo hatshi njengongaqondanga lutho; ngilwa ngokunjalo hatshi njengodabula umoya;
I, therefore, do not run aimlessly. I do not box like a man hitting the air.
27 kodwa ngiyawudinda umzimba wami ngiwenze isigqili, hlezi kuthi, sengitshumayeze abanye ngilahlwe mina uqobo.
No, I bruise my body and make it my slave, so that I, who have called others to the contest, will not myself be rejected.
