< Wafilipi 1 >
1 Paulo na Timotheo, watumishi wa Kristo Yesu, Kwa wale walitengwa katika Kristo wanaoishi Filipi, pamoja na waangalizi na mashemasi.
[I], Paul, and Timothy, [who is with me, are] men who serve Christ Jesus. I [am writing this letter] to all [of you who are] pastors and deacons in Philippi [city] and to the rest of God’s people [there who have a close relationship] with Christ Jesus.
2 Neema na iwe kwenu na amani itokayo kwa Mungu Baba yetu na Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo.
[We both] (OR, [I]) [pray that] God, [who is] our Father, and Jesus Christ, [who is our] Lord, [will continue to] be kind to you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.
3 Namshukuru Mungu wangu kila ninapowakumbuka ninyi nyote.
I thank my God whenever I think about you.
4 Mara zote katika kila ombi langu kwa ajili yenu ninyi nyote, huwa na furahi ninapowaombea.
Every time [DOU] I pray [for you], I joyfully pray [DOU] for all of you.
5 Nina shukrani nyingi kwa sababu ya ushirika wenu katika injili tangu siku ya kwanza mpaka leo.
I [thank God and rejoice] because you have been [working] together with me in order to [make known] the good message about Christ. [You started doing that] when you first [MTY] [believed it, and you have continued doing it] until now.
6 Nina hakika kuwa yeye aliyeanzisha kazi njema ndani yenu ataendelea kuikamilisha mpaka siku ya Bwana Yesu Kristo.
I am completely confident that [God], who has begun to do in you what is good, (OR, that since [God] has begun to do in you what is good, he) will continue to do that until he finishes doing it on the day Christ Jesus [MTY] [returns].
7 Ni sawa kwangu kujisikia hivi juu yenu ninyi nyote kwa sababu nimewaweka moyoni wangu. Maana ninyi mmekuwa washirika wenza katika neema katika kifungo changu na katika utetezi na uthibitishaji wangu wa injili.
During this time that I have been a prisoner [MTY] and during the times I was previously able to defend the good message about Christ and proved/confirmed [to others] that it is true, all of you have been sharing with me (OR, have helped me) in this work [that God] kindly gave [to me to do. So] indeed it is right that I feel joyful about you all, because you are very dear [IDM] to me.
8 Mungu ni shahidi wangu, jinsi nilivyo na shauku juu ya yenu nyote katika undani wa pendo la Kristo Yesu.
God [can] verify that Christ Jesus causes me to [love and] long for all of you very much, [just like] Christ loves [you].
9 Na ninaomba kwamba: upendo wenu uongezeke zaidi na zaidi katika maarifa na ufahamu wote.
And what I pray [for you] is that [God will enable] you to truly know and learn how to love [one another] more and more in every situation.
10 Ninaomba kwa ajili ya hili ili muwe na uwezo wa kupima na kuchagua mambo yaliyo bora sana. Pia ninawaombea ili muwe safi pasipokuwa na hatia yoyote katika siku ya Kristo.
[And I pray that he will enable] you to completely understand [how you should believe and act]. I [pray this] in order that you might be [spiritually] pure and faultless (OR, completely faultless [DOU]) on the day that Christ [returns] [MTY],
11 Na pia ili mjazwe na tunda la haki lipatikanalo katika Yesu Kristo, kwa utukufu na sifa ya Mungu.
[and in order that] you might conduct your lives [IDM] completely righteously as a result of Jesus Christ [enabling you to do so], in order that [people will] honor God and praise him (OR, [people will] praise God very much [DOU]).
12 Sasa ndugu zangu, nataka mjue kuwa, mambo yaliyotokea kwangu yameifanya injili iendelee sana.
My fellow believers, I want you to know that the [troubles] I have experienced [have not prevented me from proclaiming the good message to people. Instead], [these things that I have experienced] have enabled even more people to hear the good message [about Christ].
13 Ndiyo maana vifungo vyangu katika Kristo, vimejulikana kwa walinzi wa ikulu yote na kwa kila mtu pia.
[Specifically], all the military guards who are stationed [here in Rome] and many other [HYP] [people in this city] [HYP] now know that I am a prisoner [MTY] because I [proclaim the good news] about Christ.
14 Na ndugu wengi katika Bwana, kwa sababu ya vifungo vyangu, wameshawishika na kuthubutu kulihubiri Neno pasipo hofu.
Also, most of the believers [here now] proclaim the message from God more courageously and fearlessly [because] they trust the Lord [more firmly to help them. They trust the Lord more] because [they have seen how the Lord has helped me] while I have been a prisoner [MTY] [here].
15 Baadhi kweli hata humtangaza Kristo kwa fitina na ugomvi, na pia wengine kwa nia njema.
Some people proclaim [the message about Christ as I do] because they are happy [with my work]. They proclaim [the message about] Christ because they love [me and because] they know that [God] has placed me [here] to defend the message about Christ [CHI].
16 Wale wanaomtangaza Kristo kwa upendo wanajua kuwa nimewekwa hapa kwa ajili ya utetezi wa injili.
17 Bali wengine wanamtangaza Kristo kwa ubinafsi na nia mbaya. Hudhani kuwa wanasababisha matatizo kwangu katika minyororo yangu.
Others proclaim [the message about] Christ because they envy [me] and oppose [me]. They proclaim the message about Christ because they have wrong motives. They [wrongly] assume [that because they are causing many people to follow them, I will be jealous, and as a result], I will feel more miserable while I am a prisoner [MTY] [here].
18 Kwa hiyo? Sijali, aidha njia ikiwa ni kwa hila au kwa kweli, Kristo anatangazwa, na katika hili ninafurahia! Ndiyo, nitafurahia.
But it does not matter whether [people proclaim the message about Christ] because they have wrong motives, or whether [people proclaim the message about Christ] because they have right motives. The important thing in either case is that [the message about] Christ is being proclaimed {people are proclaiming [the message about] Christ}. And because of that I rejoice! Philippians 1:18b-26 Furthermore, I will continue to rejoice,
19 kwa kuwa ninajua ya kuwa hili litaleta kufunguliwa kwangu. Jambo hili litatokea kwa sababu ya maombi yenu na kwa msaada wa Roho wa Yesu Kristo.
because when I experience troubles, I know that some day God will say that he approves [of what I have done] (OR, that [the Roman authorities] will set me free). [This will happen] as a result of your praying for me, and [as a result] of [God’s] Spirit, whom Jesus Christ gave me, helping me.
20 Kulingana na matarajio yangu ya uhakika na kweli ni kwamba, sitaona aibu. Badala yake, kwa ujasiri wote, kama ambavyo siku zote na sasa, natarajia kuwa Kristo atainuliwa katika mwili wangu, ikiwa katika uzima au katika kifo.
I [know that this will happen] because I very confidently expect [DOU] that I will faithfully honor Christ. I expect that like I always [have done], Christ will be greatly honored {I will continue now also to very boldly honor Christ} by means of all that I do [SYN, MTY], whether by [the way I] live or [by the way I] die.
21 Kwa maana kwangu mimi, kuishi ni Kristo na kufa ni faida.
As for me, I live [in order to honor] Christ. But if I die, it will be better [for me than if I continue to live, because then I will be with him].
22 Lakini, kama kuishi katika mwili huzaa tunda katika kazi yangu, kwa hiyo sijui ni lipi la kuchagua.
On the other hand, if I continue to live, that will enable me to continue to serve [Christ] effectively. As a result, I do not know which to choose.
23 Maana ninasukumwa sana na mawazo haya mawili. Nina hamu ya kuuacha mwili na kuwa pamoja na Kristo, kitu ambacho ni cha thamani sana sana.
That is, I am not sure which of those two I [prefer]. I long to leave [this world] and [go to] be with Christ, because that will be very much better [for me].
24 Ingawa, kubaki katika mwili huu ni jambo la muhimu sana kwa ajili yenu.
Nevertheless, it is more important that I remain alive [than that I go to be with Christ because] you still need [me to help you].
25 Kwa kuwa nina uhakika juu ya hili, ninajua nitabaki na kuendelea kuwa pamoja nanyi nyote, kwa ajili ya maendeleo na furaha ya imani yenu.
Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain [alive] and that I will [go/come to] be with you all. [As a result], you will believe [in Christ] more firmly, and [as a result of that], you will rejoice.
26 Na hii italeta furaha yenu kubwa katika Kristo Yesu, kwasababu yangu itaongezeka, kwa sababu ya uwepo wangu tena pamoja nanyi.
[That is], you will be able to rejoice very greatly because of Christ Jesus [bringing] me [to be with you again].
27 Mnatakiwa kuishi maisha yenu katika mwenendo mzuri uipasayo injili ya Kristo. fanyeni hivyo ili nikija kuwaona au nisipokuja, nisikie kuwa mmesimama imara katika roho moja. natamani kusikia kuwa mna roho moja, mkiishindania imani ya injili kwa pamoja.
Most importantly, as fellow [believers in Christ], conduct yourselves just like [you learned you should do when you heard] the message about Christ. Do that in order that whether I come and see you, or whether [I am away from you and] people tell me about you, [what I hear or see will make me happy]. They will tell me that you are unitedly and cooperatively resisting [those who oppose the message about Christ] (OR, [oppose you]). I [will know] that you are not allowing others to influence you to believe a message that is different from the gospel [about Christ].
28 na msitishwe na kitu chochote kinachofanywa na maadui zenu. Hii kwao ni ishara ya uharibifu. Bali kwenu ni ishara ya wokovu kutoka kwa Mungu.
And I [will know] that you are not at all frightened by {afraid of} the people who oppose you. This will show/prove to those people that [God] will destroy them, but this will show/prove to you that [God] will save you eternally. It is God who is doing [all] this.
29 kwa maana ninyi mmepewa kwa ajili ya Kristo, si kumwamini tu, bali na kuteswa pia katika Yeye.
Remember that he has not only kindly enabled you to believe in Christ, [he] has also kindly allowed you to suffer for the sake of Christ.
30 kwa maana mna mgogoro uleule kama mliouona kwangu na mnasikia kwamba ninao hata sasa.
[As a result], you are [having to] resist [those who oppose the good message], just like you saw that I [had to] resist [such people there in Philippi], and just like you hear that I [still have to resist such people here] now.