2 Wakorintho 10
1 Mimi Paulo, mwenyewe nawasihi kwa unyenyekevu na upole wa Kristo. Mimi ni mpole wakati nikiwa mbele yenu, Lakini ninaujasiri kwenu wakati nikiwa mbali nanyi.
Now, I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ – I who, “in your presence, am humble in my bearing towards you, but, when absent, am bold in my language to you” –
2 Nawaomba ninyi kwamba, wakati nikiwepo pamoja nanyi, sitahitaji kuwa jasiri na kujiamini kwangu mwenyewe. Lakini nafikiri nitahitaji kuwa jasiri wakati nikiwapinga wale wanaodhani kwamba tunaishi kwa jinsi ya mwili.
I implore you not to drive me to “show my boldness,” when I do come, by the confident tone which I expect to have to adopt towards some of you, who are expecting to find us influenced in our conduct by earthly motives.
3 Kwa kuwa hata kama tunatembea katika mwili, hatupigani vita kwa jinsi ya mwili.
For, though we live an earthly life, we do not wage an earthly war.
4 Kwa kuwa silaha tunazotumia kupigana si za kimwili. Badala yake, zina nguvu ya kiungu ya kuharibu ngome. Zinaondosha kabisa mijadara inayopotosha.
The weapons for our warfare are not earthly, but, under God, are powerful enough to pull down strongholds.
5 Pia, tunaharibu kila chenye mamlaka kijiinuacho dhidi ya maarifa ya Mungu. Tunalifanya mateka kila wazo katika utii kwa Kristo.
We are engaged in confuting arguments and pulling down every barrier raised against the knowledge of God. We are taking captive every hostile thought, to bring it into submission to the Christ,
6 Na tunapata utayari wa kuadhibu kila matendo lisilo na utii, mara tu utii wenu unapokuwa kamili.
and are fully prepared to punish every act of rebellion, when once your submission is complete.
7 Tazama kile kilichowazi mbele yenu. Kama yeyote anashawishika kwamba yeye ni wa Kristo, na hebu ajikumbushe yeye mwenyewe kwamba kama tu alivyo ni wa Kristo, hivyo ndiyo na sisi pia tuko hivyo.
You look at the outward appearance of things! Let anyone, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again on the fact – that we belong to Christ no less than he does.
8 Kwa kuwa hata nikijivuna kidogo zaidi kuhusu mamlaka yetu, ambayo Bwana aliyatoa kwa ajili yetu kuwajenga ninyi na siyo kuwaharibu, sitaona haya.
Even if I boast extravagantly about our authority – which the Lord gave us for building up your faith and not for overthrowing it – still I have no reason to be ashamed.
9 Sihitaji hili lionekane kwamba nawatisha ninyi kwa nyaraka zangu.
I say this so that it doesn’t seem as if I am trying to overawe you by my letters.
10 Kwa vile baadhi ya watu husema, “Nyaraka zake ni kali na zina nguvu, lakini kimwili yeye ni dhaifu. Maneno yake hayastahili kusikilizwa.”
For people say “His letters are impressive and vigorous, but his personal appearance is insignificant and his speaking contemptible.”
11 Hebu watu wa jinsi hiyo waelewe kwamba kile tusemacho kwa waraka wakati tukiwa mbali, ni sawasawa na vile tutakavyotenda wakati tukiwa pale.
Let such a person be assured of this – that our words in our letters show us to be, when absent, just what our deeds will show us to be, when present.
12 Hatuendi mbali mno kama kujikusanya wenyewe au kujilinganisha wenyewe na wale ambao hujisifia wenyewe. Lakini wanapojipima wenyewe na kila mmoja wao, hawana akili.
We have not indeed the audacity to class or compare ourselves with some of those who indulge in self-commendation! But, when such persons measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they show a want of wisdom.
13 Sisi, hata hivyo, hatutajivuna kupita mipaka. Badala yake, tutafanya hivyo tu ndani ya mipaka ambayo Mungu ametupimia sisi, mipaka inayofika umbali kama wenu ulivyo.
We, however, will not give way to unlimited boasting, but will confine ourselves to the limits of the sphere to which God limited us, when he permitted us to come as far as Corinth.
14 Kwa kuwa hatukujizidishia wenyewe tulipowafikia ninyi. Tulikuwa wa kwanza kufika kwa umbali kama wenu kwa injili ya Kristo.
For it is not the case, as it would be if we were not in the habit of coming to you, that we are exceeding our bounds! Why, we were the very first to reach you with the good news of the Christ!
15 Hatujajivuna kupita mipaka kuhusu kazi za wengine. Badala yake, tunatumaini kama imani yenu ikuwavyo kwamba eneo letu la kazi litapanuliwa sana, na bado ni ndani ya mipaka sahihi.
Our boasting, therefore, is not unlimited, nor does it extend to the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith grows, our influence among you may be very greatly increased – though still confined to our sphere –
16 Tunatumaini kwa hili, ili kwamba tuweze kuhubiri injili hata kwenye mikoa zaidi yenu. Hatutajivuna kuhusu kazi inayofanywa katika maeneo mengine.
So that we will be able to tell the good news in the districts beyond you, without trespassing on the sphere assigned to others, or boasting of what has been already done.
17 “Lakini yeyote ajivunaye, ajivune katika Bwana.”
Let anyone who boasts make their boast of the Lord.
18 Kwa maana siyo yule ajithibitishaye mwenyewe anathibitishwa. Isipokuwa, ni yule ambaye Bwana humthibitisha.
For it is not those who commend themselves that stand the test, but those who are commended by the Lord.
