1 Wakorintho 9
1 Mimi si huru? Mimi si mtume? Mimi sikumwona Yesu Bwana wetu? Ninyi si matunda ya kazi yangu katika Bwana?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you the results of my work in the Lord?
2 Ikiwa mimi si mtume kwa wengine, angalau ni mtume kwenu ninyi. Kwa maana ninyi ni uthibitisho wa utume wangu katika Bwana.
Even if I'm not an apostle to others, at least I am one to you. The proof of my being an apostle of the Lord is you!
3 Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa wale wanaonichunguza mimi.
Here is my reply to those who question me about this:
4 Je hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
Don't we have the right to be provided with food and drink?
5 Hatuna haki kuchukua mke aliye amini kama wafanyavyo mitume wengine, na ndugu wa Bwana, na Kefa?
Don't we have a right to be accompanied by a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Peter?
6 Au ni mimi peke yangu na Barnaba ambao tunapaswa kufanya kazi?
Is it only Barnabas and myself who have to work to support ourselves?
7 Ni nani afanyaye kazi kama askari kwa gharama zake mwenyewe? Ni nani apandaye mzabibu na asile matunda yake? Au ni nani achungaye kundi asiyekunywa maziwa yake?
Which soldier ever had to pay his own salary? Who plants a vineyard and doesn't get to eat its fruits? Who feeds a flock and doesn't consume its milk?
8 Je ninasema haya kwa mamlaka ya kibinadamu? Sheria nayo haisemi haya?
Am I just speaking from a human point of view? Doesn't the law say the same thing?
9 Kwa kuwa imeandikwa katika sheria ya Musa, “usimfunge ng'ombe kinywa apulapo nafaka.” Ni kweli kwamba hapa Mungu anajali ng'ombe?
In the law of Moses it's written, “Don't muzzle the ox when it's threshing out the grain.” Was God just thinking about oxen?
10 Au je hasemi hayo kwa ajili yetu? imeandikwa kwa ajili yetu, kwa sababu yeye alimaye nafaka inampasa kulima kwa matumaini, naye avunaye inampasa avune kwa matarajio ya kushiriki katika mavuno.
Wasn't he directing this at us? Surely this was written for us—for anyone who plows should plow in hope and anyone who threshes should hope to share in the harvest.
11 Ikiwa tulipanda vitu vya rohoni miongoni mwenu, Je! Ni neno kubwa kwetu tukivuna vitu vya mwilini kutoka kwenu?
If we sowed what is spiritual with you, does it really matter if we reap some material benefit?
12 Ikiwa wengine walipata haki hii kutoka kwenu, Je! Sisi si zaidi? Hata hivyo, hatukuidai haki hii. Badala yake, tulivumilia mambo yote badala ya kuwa kikwazo cha injili ya Kristo.
If others exercise this right over you, don't we deserve it even more? Even so we did not exercise this right. On the contrary we would rather put up with anything than hold back the gospel of Christ.
13 Hamjui ya kuwa wote wafanyao kazi hekaluni hupata chakula chao kutoka hekaluni? Hamjui ya kuwa wote watendao kazi madhabahuni hupata sehemu ya kile kilichotolewa madhabahuni?
Don't you know that those who work in temples receive their meals from temple offerings, and those that serve at the altar receive their portion of the sacrifice on the altar?
14 Kwa jinsi iyo hiyo, Bwana aliagiza ya kuwa wote wanaoitangaza injili sharti wapate kuishi kutokana na hiyo injili.
In just the same way the Lord ordered that those who announce the good news should live from supporters of the good news.
15 Lakini sijawadai haki zote hizi. Na siandiki haya ili jambo lolote lifanyike kwa ajili yangu. Ni heri mimi nife kuliko mtu yeyote kubatilisha huku kujisifu kwangu.
But I have not made use of any of these provisions, and I'm not writing about this to suggest it should be done in my case. I'd rather die than to have anyone take away my pride in not having received any benefit.
16 Maana ikiwa naihubiri injili, sina sababu ya kujisifu, kwa sababu ni lazima nifanye hivi. Na ole wangu nisipoihubiri injili!
I have nothing to boast about in sharing the good news because it's something I feel compelled to do. In fact it's dreadful for me if I don't share the good news!
17 Kwa maana nikifanya hivi kwa hiari yangu, nina thawabu. Lakini ikiwa si kwa hiari, bado nina jukumu nililopewa kuwa wakili.
If I'm doing this work because of my own choice, then I have a reward. But if it wasn't my choice, and an obligation was placed on me,
18 Basi thawabu yangu ni nini? Ya kuwa nihubiripo, nitaitoa injili pasipo gharama na bila kutumia kwa utimilifu wa haki yangu niliyonayo katika Injili.
then what reward do I have? It's the opportunity to share the good news without charging for it, not demanding my rights as a worker for the good news.
19 Maana japo nimekuwa huru kwa wote, nilifanyika mtumwa wa wote, ili kwamba niweze kuwapata wengi zaidi.
Even though I am free and serve no one, I have placed myself in service to everyone so that I might gain more.
20 Kwa Wayahudi nilikuwa kama Myahudi, ili niwapate Wayahudi. Kwa wale walio chini ya sheria, nilikuwa kama mmoja wao aliye chini ya sheria ili niwapate wale walio chini ya sheria. Nilifanya hivyo ingawa mimi binafsi sikuwa chini ya sheria.
To the Jews I behave like a Jew so that I might win Jews. To those who are under the law I behave as someone under the law (even though I am not obligated under the law), so that I might win those under the law.
21 Kwa wale walio nje ya sheria, nilikuwa kama mmoja wao nje ya sheria, ingawa mimi binafsi sikuwa nje ya sheria ya Mungu, bali chini ya sheria ya Kristo. Nilifanya hivyo ili niwapate wale walio nje ya sheria.
To those who don't operate according to the law, I behave like them, (though not disregarding God's law, but operating under the law of Christ), so that I might gain those who don't observe the law.
22 Kwa walio wanyonge nilikuwa mnyonge, ili niwapate walio wanyonge. Nimekuwa hali zote kwa watu wote, ili kwa njia zote nipate kuwaokoa baadhi.
To those who are weak, I share in their weakness so that I may win the weak. I have ended up being “everyman” to everyone so that by using every possible means I might win some!
23 Nami nafanya mambo yote kwa ajili ya injili, ili nipate kushiriki katika baraka.
I do all this for the sake of the good news so that I too may share in its blessings!
24 Hamjui ya kuwa katika mbio wote washindanao hupiga mbio, lakini apokeaye tuzo ni mmoja? Hivyo pigeni mbio ili mpate tuzo.
Wouldn't you agree that there are many runners in a race, but only one gets the prize? So run your best, so you may win!
25 Mwana michezo hujizuia katika yote awapo katika mafunzo. Hao hufanya hivyo ili wapokee taji iharibikayo, lakini sisi tunakimbia ili tupate taji isiyoharibika.
Every competitor who participates in the games maintains a strict training discipline. Of course they do so to win a crown that doesn't last. But our crowns will last forever!
26 Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii bila sababu au napigana ngumi kama kupiga hewa.
That's why I run straight in the right direction. I fight accurately, not punching the air.
27 Lakini nautesa mwili wangu na kuufanya kama mtumwa, ili kwamba nijapokwisha kuwahubiri wengine, mimi mwenyewe nisiwe wa kukataliwa.
I also treat my body severely to bring it under my control, for I don't want somehow to be disqualified after sharing the good news with everybody else.
