< 2 Wakorintho 11 >
1 Laiti mngenivumilia kidogo katika upumbavu wangu! Naam, nivumilieni kidogo.
I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
2 Ninawaonea wivu, wivu wa Kimungu, kwa kuwa mimi niliwaposea mume mmoja, ili niwalete kwa Kristo kama mabikira safi.
For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3 Lakini nina hofu kuwa, kama vile Eva alivyodanganywa kwa ujanja wa yule nyoka, mawazo yenu yasije yakapotoshwa, mkauacha unyofu na usafi wa upendo wenu kwa Kristo.
But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 Kwa sababu kama mtu akija na kuwahubiria Yesu mwingine ambaye si yule tuliyemhubiri, au kama mkipokea roho mwingine ambaye si yule mliyempokea, au Injili tofauti na ile mliyoikubali, ninyi mnaitii kwa urahisi.
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.
5 Lakini sidhani ya kuwa mimi ni dhalili sana kuliko hao “mitume wakuu.”
For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.
6 Inawezekana mimi nikawa si mnenaji hodari, lakini ni hodari katika elimu. Jambo hili tumelifanya liwe dhahiri kwenu kwa njia zote.
But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.
7 Je, nilitenda dhambi kwa kujishusha ili kuwainua ninyi kwa kuwahubiria Injili ya Mungu pasipo malipo?
Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?
8 Niliyanyangʼanya makanisa mengine kwa kupokea misaada kutoka kwao ili niweze kuwahudumia ninyi.
I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.
9 Nami nilipokuwa pamoja nanyi, nikipungukiwa na chochote, sikuwa mzigo kwa mtu yeyote, kwa maana ndugu waliotoka Makedonia walinipatia mahitaji yangu. Kwa hiyo nilijizuia kuwa mzigo kwenu kwa njia yoyote, nami nitaendelea kujizuia.
When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.
10 Kwa hakika kama vile kweli ya Kristo ilivyo ndani yangu, hakuna mtu yeyote katika Akaya nzima atakayenizuia kujivunia jambo hili.
As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Kwa nini? Je, ni kwa sababu siwapendi? Mungu anajua ya kuwa nawapenda!
Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.
12 Nami nitaendelea kufanya lile ninalofanya sasa ili nisiwape nafasi wale ambao wanatafuta nafasi ya kuhesabiwa kuwa sawa na sisi katika mambo wanayojisifia.
But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us.
13 Watu kama hao ni mitume wa uongo, ni wafanyakazi wadanganyifu, wanaojigeuza waonekane kama mitume wa Kristo.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.
14 Wala hii si ajabu, kwa kuwa hata Shetani mwenyewe hujigeuza aonekane kama malaika wa nuru.
And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
15 Kwa hiyo basi si ajabu, kama watumishi wa Shetani nao hujigeuza ili waonekane kama watumishi wa haki. Mwisho wao utakuwa sawa na matendo yao yanavyostahili.
It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
16 Nasema tena, mtu yeyote asidhani kwamba mimi ni mjinga. Lakini hata kama mkinidhania hivyo, basi nipokeeni kama mjinga ili nipate kujisifu kidogo.
I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.
17 Ninayosema kuhusiana na huku kujisifu kwa kujiamini, sisemi kama vile ambavyo Bwana angesema, bali kama mjinga.
That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Kwa kuwa wengi wanajisifu kama vile ulimwengu ufanyavyo, mimi nami nitajisifu.
Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.
19 Ninyi mwachukuliana na wajinga kwa sababu mna hekima sana!
For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
20 Kweli ni kwamba mnachukuliana na mtu akiwatia utumwani au akiwatumia kwa ajili ya kupata faida au akiwanyangʼanya au akijitukuza mwenyewe au akiwadanganya.
For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.
21 Kwa aibu inanipasa niseme kwamba sisi tulikuwa dhaifu sana kwa jambo hilo! Lakini chochote ambacho mtu mwingine yeyote angethubutu kujisifia, nanena kama mjinga, nami nathubutu kujisifu juu ya hilo.
To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
22 Je, wao ni Waebrania? Mimi pia ni Mwebrania. Je, wao ni Waisraeli? Mimi pia ni Mwisraeli. Je, wao ni wazao wa Abrahamu? Mimi pia ni mzao wa Abrahamu.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.
23 Je, wao ni watumishi wa Kristo? (Nanena kiwazimu.) Mimi ni zaidi yao. Nimefanya kazi kwa bidii kuwaliko wao, nimefungwa gerezani mara kwa mara, nimechapwa mijeledi sana, na nimekabiliwa na mauti mara nyingi.
Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.
24 Mara tano nimechapwa na Wayahudi viboko arobaini kasoro kimoja.
Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.
25 Mara tatu nilichapwa kwa fimbo, mara moja nilipigwa kwa mawe, mara tatu nimevunjikiwa na meli, nimekaa kilindini usiku kucha na mchana kutwa,
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.
26 katika safari za mara kwa mara. Nimekabiliwa na hatari za kwenye mito, hatari za wanyangʼanyi, hatari kutoka kwa watu wangu mwenyewe, hatari kutoka kwa watu wa Mataifa; hatari mijini, hatari nyikani, hatari baharini; na hatari kutoka kwa ndugu wa uongo.
I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;
27 Nimekuwa katika kazi ngumu na taabu, katika kukesha mara nyingi; ninajua kukaa njaa na kuona kiu; nimefunga kula chakula mara nyingi; nimehisi baridi na kuwa uchi.
in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
28 Zaidi ya hayo yote, nakabiliwa na mzigo wa wajibu wangu kwa makanisa yote.
Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.
29 Je, ni nani aliye mdhaifu, nami nisijisikie mdhaifu? Je, nani aliyekwazwa, nami nisiudhike?
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?
30 Kama ni lazima nijisifu, basi nitajisifia yale mambo yanayoonyesha udhaifu wangu.
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
31 Mungu na Baba wa Bwana Yesu, yeye ambaye anahimidiwa milele, anajua ya kuwa mimi sisemi uongo. (aiōn )
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. (aiōn )
32 Huko Dameski, mtawala aliyekuwa chini ya Mfalme Areta aliulinda mji wa Dameski ili kunikamata.
In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.
33 Lakini nilishushwa kwa kapu kubwa kupitia katika dirisha ukutani, nikatoroka kutoka mikononi mwake.
I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.