1 Wakorintho 9
1 Mimi si huru? Mimi si mtume? Mimi sikumwona Yesu Bwana wetu? Ninyi si matunda ya kazi yangu katika Bwana?
Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye 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.
if to others I am not an apostle — yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.
3 Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa wale wanaonichunguza mimi.
My defence to those who examine me in this;
4 Je hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
have we not authority to eat and to drink?
5 Hatuna haki kuchukua mke aliye amini kama wafanyavyo mitume wengine, na ndugu wa Bwana, na Kefa?
have we not authority a sister — a wife — to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Au ni mimi peke yangu na Barnaba ambao tunapaswa kufanya kazi?
or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority — not to work?
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?
who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?
8 Je ninasema haya kwa mamlaka ya kibinadamu? Sheria nayo haisemi haya?
According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?
9 Kwa kuwa imeandikwa katika sheria ya Musa, “usimfunge ng'ombe kinywa apulapo nafaka.” Ni kweli kwamba hapa Mungu anajali ng'ombe?
for in the law of Moses it hath been written, 'thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;' for the oxen doth God care?
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.
or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.
11 Ikiwa tulipanda vitu vya rohoni miongoni mwenu, Je! Ni neno kubwa kwetu tukivuna vitu vya mwilini kutoka kwenu?
If we to you the spiritual things did sow — great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap?
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 do partake of the authority over you — not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the 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?
Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple — of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar — with the altar are partakers?
14 Kwa jinsi iyo hiyo, Bwana aliagiza ya kuwa wote wanaoitangaza injili sharti wapate kuishi kutokana na hiyo injili.
so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.
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.
And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void;
16 Maana ikiwa naihubiri injili, sina sababu ya kujisifu, kwa sababu ni lazima nifanye hivi. Na ole wangu nisipoihubiri injili!
for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news;
17 Kwa maana nikifanya hivi kwa hiari yangu, nina thawabu. Lakini ikiwa si kwa hiari, bado nina jukumu nililopewa kuwa wakili.
for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly — with a stewardship I have been entrusted!
18 Basi thawabu yangu ni nini? Ya kuwa nihubiripo, nitaitoa injili pasipo gharama na bila kutumia kwa utimilifu wa haki yangu niliyonayo katika Injili.
What, then, is my reward? — that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;
19 Maana japo nimekuwa huru kwa wote, nilifanyika mtumwa wa wote, ili kwamba niweze kuwapata wengi zaidi.
for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;
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.
and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;
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 without law, as without law — (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) — that I might gain those without law;
22 Kwa walio wanyonge nilikuwa mnyonge, ili niwapate walio wanyonge. Nimekuwa hali zote kwa watu wote, ili kwa njia zote nipate kuwaokoa baadhi.
I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.
23 Nami nafanya mambo yote kwa ajili ya injili, ili nipate kushiriki katika baraka.
And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;
24 Hamjui ya kuwa katika mbio wote washindanao hupiga mbio, lakini apokeaye tuzo ni mmoja? Hivyo pigeni mbio ili mpate tuzo.
have ye not known that those running in a race — all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;
25 Mwana michezo hujizuia katika yote awapo katika mafunzo. Hao hufanya hivyo ili wapokee taji iharibikayo, lakini sisi tunakimbia ili tupate taji isiyoharibika.
and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;
26 Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii bila sababu au napigana ngumi kama kupiga hewa.
I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;
27 Lakini nautesa mwili wangu na kuufanya kama mtumwa, ili kwamba nijapokwisha kuwahubiri wengine, mimi mwenyewe nisiwe wa kukataliwa.
but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others — I myself may become disapproved.
