2 Wakorintho 11
1 Nahisi kwamba mngevumiliana na mimi katika baadhi ya upumbavu. Lakini kwa kweli mnavumiliana na mimi.
[But now, because my opponents are saying that Christ sent them to you as his representatives and that he did not send me], please be patient with me, too, [while I say a] few things [that may sound as if] [IRO] [I am praising myself, like] a foolish person [would do. You have been] ([putting up with/tolerating]) [those who teach what is false; ] now then, (put up with/tolerate) me [too].
2 Kwa kuwa ni mwenye wivu kuhusu ninyi. Nina wivu wa Mungu kwa ajili yenu, tangu nilipowaahidi ninyi kwenye ndoa ya mume mmoja. Niliahidi kuwaleta ninyi kwa Kristo kama bikra safi.
I really do care about [what happens to] you, just as God cares about [what happens to you. Just like a father wants his daughter to be sexually pure when he presents her to the man she will marry] [MET], I [want you to belong] to Christ [alone and to no other]. I want to present you [to him] as people who remain faithful to him [only, and who have not believed the deceitful message of those who are teaching what is false].
3 Lakini ninaogopa kwamba kwa namna fulani, kama nyoka alivyomdanganya Eva kwa hila yake, mawazo yenu yanaweza kupotoshwa mbali kutoka kwenye ibada halisi na safi kwa Kristo.
However, just like [Satan, when he] cunningly [appeared as a] snake, deceived Eve [and caused her to disobey the Lord God], I am concerned that [those teachers] will cause you to think wrongly so that you will no longer [be faithful to] Christ alone.
4 Kwa kuwa kwa mfano kwamba mtu fulani akaja na kutangaza Yesu mwingine tofauti na yule tuliyewahubiri. Au kwa mfano kwamba mkapokea roho mwingine tofauti na yule mliyempokea. Au kwa mfano kwamba mkapokea injili nyingine tofauti na ile mliyoipokea. Mkavumilia mambo haya vema inatosha!
[I say that] because some people have come among you who are teaching [their own thoughts about] Jesus. They [are saying about him] things that are [entirely] different from what I taught you. [They are urging] you to receive a [powerful] spirit who [would come to live in you], but it is not the same [Spirit] that you received [from God when you believed in Christ]. They preach [what they call] a good message, and you accept [their message, even though it is not the same as the good message about Christ that you heard from me. And] you have gladly accepted them and their message!
5 Kwa kuwa nadhani kwamba mimi si miongoni mwa walio duni kwa hao wanaoitwa mitume-bora.
I consider that [LIT] none of those [men, even though they think of themselves as being] [IRO] extra-special apostles, are in any way greater than I am.
6 Lakini hata kama mimi sijafundishwa katika kutoa hotuba, siko hivyo katika maarifa. Kwa kila namna na katika mambo yote tumelifanya hili kujulikana kwenu.
[I admit that] I am not an eloquent speaker, but I do know [God’s message]. I have made that clear to you by everything [that I have done among you and by everything that I have taught you].
7 Je, nilifanya dhambi kwa kujinyenyekeza mwenyewe ili ninyi muweze kuinuliwa? Kwa kuwa nilihubiri kwa uhuru injili ya Mungu kwenu.
[I refused to accept money] from you as pay for teaching you God’s message about Christ. (It is ridiculous for you to think that what I did was wrong!/Was that wrong?) [RHQ] [I know that by teaching you without pay], I made myself seem [IRO] unimportant to you. [But I did it] to honor you.
8 Nilinyang'anya makanisa mengine kwa kupokea msaada kutoka kwao ili kwamba ningeweza kuwahudumia ninyi.
[Some people might say that it was as though] [IRO] I was robbing other congregations because I accepted money from them in order that I might work among you.
9 Wakati nilipokuwa nanyi na nilikuwa katika uhitaji, sikumlemea yeyote. Kwa kuwa mahitaji yangu yalitoshelezwa na ndugu waliokuja kutoka Makedonia. Katika kila kitu nimejizuia mwenyewe kutokuwa mzigo kwenu, na nitaendelea kufanya hivyo.
Furthermore, when I was [there] with you and had no [money to buy the things that I needed], I did not cause any [of you] ([to have difficulties by my depending on you/by asking you for money/support]), because our [(inc)] fellow believers who came from [here in] Macedonia [province] brought enough [money for me to buy everything] that I needed. So I have not caused you any difficulty at all [by asking you for money], and I never will [ask you for money] [EUP].
10 Kama kweli ya Kristo ilivyo ndani yangu, huku kujisifu kwangu, hakutanyamazishwa katika sehemu za Akaya.
[And] as [sure as you know that] everything that Christ says is true, [you can be sure that what] I say [to you now is true. Wherever I go] there in Achaia [province], [I do not let you believers pay me for doing God’s work among you]. And no one will be able to prevent me from boasting [about that].
11 Kwa nini? Kwa sababu siwapendi? Mungu anajua nawapenda.
No one should wrongly [RHQ] think that it is because I do not love you that [I do not take pay from you]. God knows [that you truly/really are very dear to me].
12 Lakini kile ninachokifanya, nitakifanya pia. Nitakifanya ili kwamba niweze kuzuia nafasi ya wale wanaotamani nafasi ya kuwa kama tulivyo katika kile kile wanachojivunia.
There are [some men there among you] who would like to be able to say boastfully that they [work among you] just as I do. So, in order to make it impossible [IDM] [for them to say that], I have [refused to accept pay from you], and I will continue doing that.
13 Kwa kuwa watu wale ni mitume wa uongo na watendakazi wadanganyifu. Wanajigeuza wenyewe kama mitume wa Kristo.
Those men are lying [when they say that they are] apostles. They work deceitfully. [Even though they say that they work for God, they are working only for themselves]. They try to make people think that Christ [sent them] as his apostles, [but they do not truly represent him].
14 Na hii haishangazi, kwa kuwa hata Shetani hujigeuza mwenyewe kama malaika wa nuru.
I am not surprised [that they act like that], because Satan himself causes people to think [that he has come] as a shining messenger [from God].
15 Hii haina mshangao mkubwa kama watumishi wake pia kujigeuza wenyewe kama watumishi wa haki. Hatma yao itakuwa kama matendo yao yastahilivyo.
So it should not surprise [you] if these men, who [really] serve [Satan, do good things in order] to make you think they [serve God]. Some day God will [punish them] according to what they deserve because of the [evil] things that they do.
16 Nasema tena: Basi na asiwepo mtu yeyote anayefikiri mimi ni mpumbavu. Lakini kama mkifanya, nipokeeni mimi kama mpumbavu ili niweze kujisifu kidogo.
I say again: I do not want any of you to think that my [boasting about myself] is like foolish [people] boast. But even if anyone [thinks that I am boasting about myself like a foolish person boasts, listen to] what I [have to say anyway, just like you listen to those false apostles]. They really [speak] foolishly! Listen to me while I also boast a little.
17 Kile ninachosema kuhusu huku kujiamini kwa kujivuna hakuhukumiwi na Bwana, lakini nazungumza kama mpumbavu.
About the things that I am [going to tell you], boasting confidently [about myself, surely you know that they are not the kind of things] that the Lord [Jesus] would say. Instead, [I will speak] as a foolish [person would speak].
18 Kwa vile watu wengi hujivuna kwa jinsi ya mwili, nitajivuna pia.
Because many among you are boasting [about their own work], as unbelievers do, I will also boast [about myself and my work] [MTY, IRO].
19 Kwa kuwa mlichukuliana kwa furaha na wapumbavu, ninyi wenyewe mna busara!
[I am sure that you, who think that you are so wise, will accept what I say] because you gladly [accept the] false teachers and the foolish things [that they say].
20 Kwa kuwa mnachukuliana na mtu kama akikutia utumwani, kama husababisha mgawanyiko kati yenu, kama akiwatumia ninyi kwa faida yake, kama akijiweka juu hewani, au kama akiwapiga usoni.
When people [treat] you as if they were your bosses, you gladly submit [to them. You think that it is all right when others] force you to provide for their needs. You think that it is all right [when people] take control over you, when they boast about themselves, [or when they insult you by] slapping you in the face.
21 Nitasema kwa aibu yetu kwamba sisi tukuwa dhaifu sana kufanya hivyo. Na bado kama yeyote akijivuna— nazungumza kama mpumbavu— mimi pia nitajivuna.
I agree that I was not bold enough to treat you in such ways. [Ha! Do you think that] [IRO] I should feel ashamed [because I did not do that?] So now, talking like a person who does not have any sense, I will boldly tell you [some things about myself, just like those false apostles tell you things about themselves].
22 Je, wao ni Wayahudi? Na mimi ni hivyo. Je, wao ni Waisraeli? Na mimi ni hivyo. Je, wao ni uzao wa Abrahamu? Na mimi ni hivyo.
Do [they tell you] that they are Hebrews [and can speak the Hebrew language?] Well, I can say the same thing [about myself]. Do they [tell you that they] belong [to God’s people], the nation of Israel? Well, I can say the same thing [about myself]. [Do they tell you that] they are descendants of [our great] ancestor Abraham? Well, he is my ancestor, too.
23 Je, wao ni watumishi wa Kristo? (Nanena kama nilirukwa na akili zangu. ) Mimi ni zaidi. Nimekuwa hata katika kazi ngumu zaidi, mbali zaidi ya kuwa vifungoni, katika kupigwa kupita vipimo, katika kukabili hatari nyingi za kifo.
[Do they tell you how much] work they have done for Christ? Now I am talking like a crazy person talks [EUP]. Well, I work for Christ much more [than they do. I have been] in prison many more times [than they have. Many times I] have been beaten {[people] have beaten me} very severely [because I believe in and obey Christ]. Many times I almost died [because of serving Christ].
24 Kutoka kwa Wayahudi nimepokea mara tano “mapigo arobaini kutoa moja.”
On five occasions Jewish [religious leaders] beat me 39 times with a whip.
25 Mara tatu nilipigwa kwa fimbo. Mara moja nilipigwa mawe. Mara tatu nilinusurika melini. Nimetumia usiku na mchana katika bahari wazi.
On three occasions I was beaten {[Roman] officials beat me} with wooden sticks. On one occasion [a large crowd of people] threw stones at me [to kill me]. On three occasions the ship [that I was traveling on] was wrecked [and sank. On one of those occasions] I was [floating] in the water a night and a day [before I was rescued].
26 Nimekuwa katika safari za mara kwa mara, katika hatari za mito, katika hatari za majambazi, katika hatari kutoka kwa watu wangu mwenyewe, katika hatari kutoka kwa watu wa mataifa, katika hatari ya mji, katika hatari ya jangwa, katika hatari ya bahari, katika hatari kutoka kwa ndugu waongo.
As I have often traveled to other places, [I have often risked losing my life. For example], sometimes I have been in danger [crossing] rivers. [I have been] in danger [traveling in places] where there were bandits. [At times I have been in] danger among people of my own nation, [the Jews], and [at other times I been in] danger among those who are not Jews. [I have been] in danger in cities, and I have been in dangerous situations in barren areas. I have been in dangerous situations [when I was traveling in ships]. [I have been in] danger among people who falsely [claim to be] fellow believers.
27 Nimekuwa katika kazi ngumu na katika maisha magumu, katika usiku mwingi wa kutolala, katika njaa na kiu, mara nyingi katika kufunga, katika baridi na uchi.
I have worked very hard [DOU] [to earn] ([a living/what I need]), and often I did not sleep. At times I was hungry and thirsty, and at times I did not have enough time to eat. Sometimes I was cold [because] I did not have enough clothes [to wear].
28 Mbali na kila kitu kingine, kuna msukumo wa kila siku juu yangu wa wasiwasi wangu kwa ajili ya makanisa.
In addition to all that, I am constantly and deeply concerned about all the congregations [that I have helped to begin].
29 Nani ni dhaifu, na mimi siyo dhaifu? Nani amesababisha mwingine kuanguka dhambini, na mimi siungui ndani?
[Every time that I hear about fellow believers] [RHQ] who are not strong [spiritually], I sympathize with them [and try to help them. Every time that I learn about a fellow believer] [RHQ] who causes [another believer] to do something wrong, that makes me very angry.
30 Kama ni lazima nijivune, nitajivunia kuhusu kile kinachoonyesha udhaifu wangu.
Because [it seems that] it is necessary for me to [continue] boasting [about myself], I will boast about things that [caused some people to think of me] as being weak.
31 Mungu na Baba wa Bwana Yesu, yeye ambaye anatukuzwa milele, anajua kwamba mimi sidanganyi. (aiōn g165)
God, who is the Father of our [(inc)] Lord Jesus, and who is the one [whom we should] praise forever, knows that I am not lying [about this]. (aiōn g165)
32 Kule Dameski, mkuu wa mkoa chini ya mfalme Areta alikuwa akiulinda mji wa Dameski ili kunikamata.
[One time when I was] in Damascus [city], the governor whom King Aretas [had appointed] to rule [part of his area, told his soldiers] to guard [the gates of] the city so that they could seize me [if I tried to leave the city].
33 Lakini niliwekwa kikapuni, kupitia dirishani katika ukuta, na nikanusurika kutoka mikononi mwake.
But [my friends] helped me to escape [by] putting me in a large basket and lowering me [to the ground by a rope] through an opening in the [city] wall. [That was really humiliating]!
