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 an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye 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 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 Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa hao wanaokaa kunihukumu.
This is my answer to those who question my authority.
4 Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
Have we not a right to eat and drink?
5 Je, hatuna haki ya kusafiri na mke anayeamini, kama wanavyofanya mitume wengine na ndugu zake Bwana na Kefa?
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 Au ni mimi na Barnaba tu inatubidi kufanya kazi ili tuweze kupata mahitaji yetu?
Or am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?
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 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 Je, nasema mambo haya katika mtazamo wa kibinadamu tu? Je, sheria haisemi vivyo hivyo?
Is it on man's authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too say the same?
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: “Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain.” Is it for oxen that God careth?
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 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 Je, ikiwa sisi tulipanda mbegu ya kiroho miongoni mwenu, itakuwa ni jambo kubwa iwapo tutavuna vitu vya mwili kutoka kwenu?
If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap from you things for the body?
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 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 Je, hamjui kwamba, watu wafanyao kazi hekaluni hupata chakula chao kutoka hekaluni, nao wale wahudumiao madhabahuni hushiriki kile kitolewacho madhabahuni?
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 Vivyo hivyo, Bwana ameamuru kwamba wale wanaohubiri Injili wapate riziki yao kutokana na Injili.
In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
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 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 Lakini ninapohubiri Injili siwezi kujisifu maana ninalazimika kuhubiri. Ole wangu nisipoihubiri Injili!
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 Nikihubiri kwa hiari, ninayo thawabu. Lakini kama si kwa hiari, basi ninachofanya ni kutekeleza tu uwakili niliowekewa.
For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, still I have been intrusted with a stewardship.
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? 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 Ingawa mimi ni huru, wala si mtumwa wa mtu yeyote, nimejifanya kuwa mtumwa wa kila mtu, ili niweze kuwavuta wengi kadri iwezekanavyo.
For being free from all men, yet I made myself a servant 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.
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 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, 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 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 weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all, that I might by all means save some.
23 Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Injili, ili nipate kushiriki baraka zake.
And I do all for the sake of the gospel, that I may with others partake 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.
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 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 one who contendeth in the games is temperate in all things; they, however, to obtain a perishable crown, but we, an imperishable.
26 Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii kama mtu akimbiaye bila lengo, sipigani kama mtu anayepiga hewa,
I therefore so run, not as one uncertain; I so fight, not as one striking the air;
27 la, bali nautesa mwili wangu na kuutumikisha ili nikiisha kuwahubiria wengine, mimi nisiwe mtu wa kukataliwa.
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.
