< 1 Petro 1 >
1 Petro, mtume wa Yesu Kristo, kwa wageni wa utawanyiko, kwa wateule, katika Ponto yote, Galatia, Kapadokia, Asia, na Bithinia,
I, Peter, who [have been appointed by] Jesus Christ {one whom Jesus Christ [has appointed]} to be an apostle, [am writing this letter] to you believers whom God has chosen to belong to him. [You are living] in [the Roman provinces of] Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. [Just like the Jews who lived in Israel long ago were] scattered [to other countries far from their homes] [MET], you now live [far from] heaven, which is [your true home].
2 kutokana na ufahamu wa Mungu, Baba, kwa kutakaswa na Roho Mtakatifu, kwa utiifu wa Yesu Kristo, na kwa kunyunyuziwa damu yake. Neema iwe kwenu, na amani yenu iongezeke.
God our Father previously chose you, and his Spirit has set you apart in order that you would obey Jesus Christ. He did that in order that [just like Moses] sprinkled [the Israelites with blood when God established the old covenant] [MET], [Jesus would establish his new covenant with you] with the blood [that flowed from his body when he died]. May God act very kindly to you, and may he give you much [inner] peace.
3 Mungu Baba wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo na abarikiwe. Katika ukuu wa rehema yake, alitupa kuzaliwa upya kwa ujasiri wa urithi kupitia ufufuo wa Yesu Kristo kutoka katika wafu,
Praise God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because he has been very merciful to [us, he has given us new life] [MET]. Because he has caused Jesus Christ to become alive again after he died, he has enabled us to live very confidently; that is, to fully expect to receive the things [that God/he has promised to give us].
4 kwa urithi usioangamia, hautakua na uchafu wala kupungua. Umehihifadhiwa mbinguni kwa ajili yenu.
He has enabled us to expect to receive an absolutely imperishable/indestructible [TRI] inheritance that has been {that [God] has} preserved in heaven for us.
5 Kwa uwezo wa Mungu mnalindwa kupitia imani kwa wokovu ambao upo tayari kufunuliwa katika nyakati za mwisho.
God, by his mighty power, is guarding you as you trust in Jesus. [He is keeping you safe so] that he may, at the end of the time in which we now live (OR, when Jesus returns), completely deliver you [from Satan’s power].
6 Furahini katika hili, ingawaje sasa ni lazima kwenu kujisikia huzuni katika majaribu ya aina mbalimbali.
You rejoice because of what will happen then, but now you are grieving for a short time while [God is allowing] you to be tested {[various things to] test you [MET]}, [as precious metals are tested] {[someone tests precious metals]} [to see if they are pure]. [These trials that you are experiencing are necessary]
7 Hii, ni kwa sababu imani yenu iweze kujaribiwa, imani ambayo ni ya thamani kuliko dhahabu, ambayo inapotea katika moto ambao hujaribu imani yenu. Hii hutokea ili imani yenu ipate kuzaa sifa, utukufu, na heshima katika ufunuo wa Yesu Kristo.
to prove that you really do trust in Jesus. His proving that will be more valuable than gold, [which does not last forever even] though it is purified [by being put] {someone tries to make it pure by [putting it]} [in a hot] fire. As a result of your passing the test [and proving that you really do trust in Jesus], God will honor you very highly [TRI] when Jesus Christ comes again.
8 Hamjamuona yeye, lakini mnampenda. Hamumuoni sasa, lakini mnaamini katika yeye na mna furaha isiyoweza kuelezeka kwa furaha ambayo imejawa na utukufu.
You love [Jesus], although you have not seen him. Although you do not see him now, you rejoice very much [DOU]
9 Sasa mnapokea wenyewe matokeo ya imani yenu, wokovu wa nafsi zenu.
because you are experiencing the result of your believing in him; that is, [God] is saving you [SYN] [from the guilt of your sins].
10 Manabii walitafuta na kuuliza kwa umakini kuhusu wokovu huu, kuhusu neema ambayo ingekuwa yenu.
As for those who [long ago] spoke messages that God had revealed to them about how God would act kindly toward you in ways which you did not deserve, they (investigated very carefully/tried very hard to learn) [DOU] about how God would save you.
11 Walitafuta kujua ni aina gani ya wokovu ambao ungekuja. Walitafuta pia kujua ni muda gani Roho wa Kristo aliye ndani yao alikuwa anazungumza nini nao. Hii ilikua inatokea wakati alipokuwa anawaambia mapema kuhusu mateso ya Kristo na utukufu ambao ungemfuata.
They wanted to know whom the Spirit of Christ that was in them was referring to, and what time he was talking about, when he told beforehand that the Messiah would suffer [and die], and that glorious/wonderful things would happen [to him and to us] afterwards.
12 Ilifunuliwa kwa manabii kwamba walikua wanayatumikia mambo haya, na si kwa ajili yao wenyewe, bali kwa ajili yenu - masimulizi ya mambo haya kupitia wale wanaoleta injili kwenu kwa njia ya Roho Mtakatifu aliyetumwa kutoka mbinguni, mambo ambayo hata malaika wanatamani kufunuliwa kwake.
It was revealed to {[God] told} them that it was not for their own sake that he was revealing these things to them, but that it was for your sake. It was these things that were proclaimed to you by those who told you the message [about Christ {that those who told you the message about Christ proclaimed to you]}. They proclaimed these things to you because the Holy Spirit whom [God] sent from heaven [enabled them to do that]. And even angels would like to know more about these [truths about how God saves us].
13 Kwa hiyo fungeni viuno vya akili zenu. Muwe watulivu katika fikra zenu. Muwe na ujasiri mkamilifu katika neema ambayo italetwa kwenu wakati wa kufunuliwa kwa Yesu Kristo.
Therefore, [prepare your minds] [MET] [as people] fasten their belts around their waists [to prepare to work]. [What I mean is that] you should (discipline your minds/control what you think about), and by doing that conduct your lives fully and confidently expecting to receive the good things that [God will] kindly [do for you] when Jesus Christ returns [from heaven].
14 Kama watoto watiifu, msifungwe wenyewe na tamaa ambazo mlizifuata wakati mlipokua hamna ufahamu.
[And because you should obey your heavenly Father] [SIM], as children [ought to] obey their fathers [here on earth], do not do the evil things that you used to desire to do when you did not know [God’s truth].
15 Lakini kama vile aliyewaita alivyo mtakatifu, nanyi, pia, muwe watakatifu katika tabia yenu yote maishani.
Instead, just like God, the one who chose you [to belong to him], is (holy/separate from evil), you also must be (holy/separate from evil) in everything that you do,
16 Kwa kuwa imeandkwa, “Iweni watakatifu, kwa sababu Mimi ni mtakatifu.”
because it is {[someone/Moses] has} written [in the Scriptures that God said], “You must be (holy/separate from evil) because I am (holy/separate from evil).”
17 Na kama mkiita “Baba” yule ahukumuye kwa haki kulingana na kazi ya kila mtu, tumia muda wa safari yako katika unyenyekevu.
God is the one who (impartially/without favoritism) judges what each person does. Since you call him ‘Father’, live (reverently/with great respect for him) during the time that you are living here on earth. [While you are living here, you are] like exiles/foreigners [MET] [because you are away from heaven, which is your true home].
18 Mnafahamu kwamba haikuwa kwa fedha au dhahabu - vitu vinavyoharibika- ambavyo mmekombolewa kutoka kwenye tabia zenu za ujinga ambazo mlijifunza kutoka kwa baba zenu.
[Live reverently] because you know that it was not with things that will not last forever, things like gold and silver, that [God] bought you to free you from your useless life-style that you learned from your ancestors.
19 Lakini mmekombolewa kwa damu ya heshima ya Kristo, kama ya kondoo asiye na hila wala doa.
Instead, [it was] with the precious blood of Christ [that flowed from his body when he died that God bought you. Christ’s death was a perfect sacrifice for us] [MET], [like] the lambs that [the Jewish priests sacrificed were] perfect, without any blemishes/defects/flaws or spots [DOU].
20 Kristo alichaguliwa kabla ya misingi ya dunia, lakini sasa siku hizi za mwisho, amefunuliwa kwenu.
Christ was chosen [by God] {[God] chose Christ} before the world was created {[he] created the world}. But it was not until now, when the time [in which we are living will soon] end, that he was revealed for your sake.
21 Mnamwamini Mungu kupitia yeye, ambaye Mungu alimfufua toka kwa wafu na ambaye alimpa utukufu ili kwamba imani yenu na ujasiri uwe katika Mungu.
Because of what Christ has done, you are trusting in God, who caused Christ to become alive again after he died, and greatly honored him. As a result, God is the one in whom you are trusting and confidently expecting [that he will do great things for you].
22 Mmefanya nafsi zenu kuwa safi kwa utii wa ile kweli, kwa dhumuni la pendo la kidugu lililo na unyofu, hivyo pendaneni kwa bidii toka moyoni.
Because you have been made pure by obeying the truth, with the result that you sincerely love your fellow believers, continue to love each other earnestly and sincerely/wholeheartedly.
23 Mmekwisha zaliwa mara ya pili, si kwa mbegu iharibikayo, lakini kutoka katika mbegu isiyoharibika, kupitia uzima na neno la Mungu lililosalia. (aiōn )
[I ask you to do this, because you now have] a new life [MET]. It was not [by means of] something that will perish that you received this new life. Instead, it was [by means of] something that will last forever; that is, by believing the life-giving and enduring message of God. (aiōn )
24 Kwa maana “miili yote ni kama majani, na utukufu wake wote ni kama ua la jani. Jani hunyauka, na ua hudondoka,
[We know that this is true] because, [as the prophet Isaiah wrote], All people [will die] [SIM], like grass [dies]. And all the greatness/honor that people have [will not last forever], like the flowers [SIM] [that grow up] in the grass [do not last long]. The grass withers and the flowers die,
25 lakini neno la Bwana hubakia milele.” Huu ni ujumbe ambao ulitangazwa kama injili kwenu. (aiōn )
but God’s message endures/lasts forever. This message [that endures/lasts] is the message [about Christ] that was proclaimed to you. (aiōn )