1 Wakorintho 9
1 Je, mimi si huru? Je, mimi si mtume? Je, mimi sikumwona Yesu, Bwana wetu? Je, ninyi si matunda ya kazi yangu katika Bwana?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have not I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
2 Hata kama mimi si mtume kwa wengine, hakika mimi ni mtume kwenu, kwa maana ninyi ni mhuri wa utume wangu katika Bwana.
If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa hao wanaokaa kunihukumu.
My defense to those who examine me is this:
4 Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
Have we no right to eat and to drink?
5 Je, hatuna haki ya kusafiri na mke anayeamini, kama wanavyofanya mitume wengine na ndugu zake Bwana na Kefa?
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 Au ni mimi na Barnaba tu inatubidi kufanya kazi ili tuweze kupata mahitaji yetu?
Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?
7 Ni askari yupi aendaye vitani kwa gharama zake mwenyewe? Ni nani apandaye shamba la mizabibu na asile matunda yake? Ni nani achungaye kundi na asipate maziwa yake.
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 Je, nasema mambo haya katika mtazamo wa kibinadamu tu? Je, sheria haisemi vivyo hivyo?
Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or does not the law also say the same thing?
9 Kwa maana imeandikwa katika Sheria ya Mose: “Usimfunge maksai kinywa apurapo nafaka.” Je, Mungu hapa anahusika na ngʼombe?
For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,
10 Je, Mungu hasemi haya hasa kwa ajili yetu? Hakika yameandikwa kwa ajili yetu, kwa sababu mtu anapolima na mpuraji akapura nafaka, wote wanapaswa kufanya hivyo wakiwa na tumaini la kushiriki mavuno.
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 hope should partake of his hope.
11 Je, ikiwa sisi tulipanda mbegu ya kiroho miongoni mwenu, itakuwa ni jambo kubwa iwapo tutavuna vitu vya mwili kutoka kwenu?
If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?
12 Kama wengine wana haki ya kupata msaada kutoka kwenu, isingepasa tuwe na haki hiyo hata zaidi? Lakini sisi hatukutumia haki hii. Kinyume chake, tunavumilia kila kitu ili tusije tukazuia Injili ya Kristo.
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 Je, hamjui kwamba, watu wafanyao kazi hekaluni hupata chakula chao kutoka hekaluni, nao wale wahudumiao madhabahuni hushiriki kile kitolewacho madhabahuni?
Do not you 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 Vivyo hivyo, Bwana ameamuru kwamba wale wanaohubiri Injili wapate riziki yao kutokana na Injili.
Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
15 Lakini sijatumia hata mojawapo ya haki hizi. Nami siandiki haya nikitumaini kwamba mtanifanyia mambo hayo. Heri nife kuliko mtu yeyote kuninyima huku kujisifu kwangu.
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 Lakini ninapohubiri Injili siwezi kujisifu maana ninalazimika kuhubiri. Ole wangu nisipoihubiri Injili!
For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I do not preach the Good News.
17 Nikihubiri kwa hiari, ninayo thawabu. Lakini kama si kwa hiari, basi ninachofanya ni kutekeleza tu uwakili niliowekewa.
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 Basi je, thawabu yangu ni nini? Thawabu yangu ni hii: Ya kwamba katika kuhubiri Injili niitoe bila gharama, bila kutumia kwa utimilifu uwezo wangu nilio nao katika Injili.
What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.
19 Ingawa mimi ni huru, wala si mtumwa wa mtu yeyote, nimejifanya kuwa mtumwa wa kila mtu, ili niweze kuwavuta wengi kadri iwezekanavyo.
For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
20 Kwa Wayahudi, nilikuwa kama Myahudi, ili niwapate Wayahudi. Kwa watu wale walio chini ya sheria, nilikuwa kama aliye chini ya sheria (ingawa mimi siko chini ya sheria), ili niweze kuwapata wale walio chini ya sheria.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;
21 Kwa watu wasio na sheria nilikuwa kama asiye na sheria (ingawa siko huru mbali na sheria ya Mungu, bali niko chini ya sheria ya Kristo), ili niweze kuwapata wale wasio na sheria.
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 Kwa walio dhaifu nilikuwa dhaifu, ili niweze kuwapata walio dhaifu. Nimekuwa mtu wa hali zote kwa watu wote ili kwa njia yoyote niweze kuwaokoa baadhi yao.
To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
23 Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Injili, ili nipate kushiriki baraka zake.
Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
24 Je, hamjui kwamba katika mashindano ya mbio wote wanaoshindana hukimbia, lakini ni mmoja wao tu apewaye tuzo? Kwa hiyo kimbieni katika mashindano kwa jinsi ambavyo mtapata tuzo.
Do not you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.
25 Kila mmoja anayeshiriki katika mashindano hufanya mazoezi makali. Wao hufanya hivyo ili wapokee taji isiyodumu, lakini sisi tunafanya hivyo ili kupata taji idumuyo milele.
Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
26 Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii kama mtu akimbiaye bila lengo, sipigani kama mtu anayepiga hewa,
I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,
27 la, bali nautesa mwili wangu na kuutumikisha ili nikiisha kuwahubiria wengine, mimi nisiwe mtu wa kukataliwa.
but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
