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 I not seen Jesus our Lord? are you not 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, at least I am one to you: for the fact that you are Christians is the sign that I am an Apostle.
3 Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa hao wanaokaa kunihukumu.
My answer to those who are judging me is this.
4 Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
Have we no right to take food and 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 about with us a Christian wife, like 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 I only and Barnabas, have we no right to take a rest from 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.
Who ever goes to war without looking to someone to be responsible for his payment? who puts in vines and does not take the fruit of them? or who takes care of sheep without drinking of their milk?
8 Je, nasema mambo haya katika mtazamo wa kibinadamu tu? Je, sheria haisemi vivyo hivyo?
Am I talking as a man? does not the law say the same?
9 Kwa maana imeandikwa katika Sheria ya Mose: “Usimfunge maksai kinywa apurapo nafaka.” Je, Mungu hapa anahusika na ngʼombe?
For it says in the law of Moses, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. Is it for the oxen that God is giving orders?
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 has he us in mind? Yes, it was said for us; because it is right for the ploughman to do his ploughing in hope, and for him who is crushing the grain to do his work hoping for a part in the fruits of it.
11 Je, ikiwa sisi tulipanda mbegu ya kiroho miongoni mwenu, itakuwa ni jambo kubwa iwapo tutavuna vitu vya mwili kutoka kwenu?
If we have been planting the things of the Spirit for you, does it seem a great thing for you to give us a part in your things of this world?
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 have a part in this right over you, have we not even more? But we did not make use of our right, so that we might put nothing in the way of 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 you not see that the servants of the holy things get their living from the Temple, and the servants of the altar have their part in the food which is offered on the altar?
14 Vivyo hivyo, Bwana ameamuru kwamba wale wanaohubiri Injili wapate riziki yao kutokana na Injili.
Even so did the Lord give orders that the preachers of the good news might get their living 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 not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect.
16 Lakini ninapohubiri Injili siwezi kujisifu maana ninalazimika kuhubiri. Ole wangu nisipoihubiri Injili!
For if I am a preacher of the good news, I have no cause for pride in this; because I am forced to do so, for a curse is on me if I do not.
17 Nikihubiri kwa hiari, ninayo thawabu. Lakini kama si kwa hiari, basi ninachofanya ni kutekeleza tu uwakili niliowekewa.
But if I do it gladly, I have a reward; and if not, I am under orders to do it.
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? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of 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 men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation.
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.
And to the Jews I was as a Jew, so that I might give the good news to them; to those under the law I was the same, not as being myself under the law, but so that I might give the good news to those 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 without the law I was as one without the law, not as being without law to God, but as under law to Christ, so that I might give the good news to those without the 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 feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation.
23 Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Injili, ili nipate kushiriki baraka zake.
And I do all things for the cause of the good news, so that I may have a part in 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 you not see that in a running competition all take part, but only one gets the reward? So let your minds be fixed on the reward.
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.
And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown.
26 Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii kama mtu akimbiaye bila lengo, sipigani kama mtu anayepiga hewa,
So then I am running, not uncertainly; so I am fighting, not as one who gives blows in the air:
27 la, bali nautesa mwili wangu na kuutumikisha ili nikiisha kuwahubiria wengine, mimi nisiwe mtu wa kukataliwa.
But I give blows to my body, and keep it under control, for fear that, after having given the good news to others, I myself might not have God's approval.
