2 Wakorintho 10
1 Mimi Paulo mwenyewe ambaye naonekana kuwa mpole nikiwa pamoja nanyi, lakini mkali wakati nikiwa mbali nanyi, nawasihini kwa huruma na wema wake Kristo.
Now I, Paul, beseech you, by the mildness and gentleness of the Messiah, although I am mild towards you when present, but bold towards you when absent!
2 Nawaombeni msinisababishe kuwa mkali wakati nitakapokuja, maana nina hakika naweza kuwa mkali kwa wote wale wanaotudhania kwamba tunaishi kidunia.
yet I beseech of you that, when I come, I may not be compelled by the boldness that is in me to be daring, as I estimate it, towards the persons who think we walk according to the flesh.
3 Kweli tunaishi duniani, lakini hatupigani vita kidunia.
For, although we walk in the flesh, our warfare is not after the flesh.
4 Maana, silaha tunazotumia katika vita vyetu si silaha za kidunia, ila ni nguvu za Mungu zenye kuharibu ngome zote. Tunaharibu hoja zote za uongo,
For the arms of our warfare are not those of the flesh, but those of the power of God; by which we subdue rebellious castles.
5 na kubomoa kila kizuizi cha majivuno kilichowekwa kuipinga elimu ya Mungu; tunaziteka fikira zote na kuzifanya zimtii Kristo.
And we demolish imaginations, and every lofty thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and subjugate all reasonings to obedience to the Messiah.
6 Mkisha kuwa wakamilifu katika kutii, sisi tuko tayari kuadhibu kila namna ya kutotii.
And we are prepared, when your obedience shall be complete, to execute judgment on all the disobeying.
7 Ninyi hutazama mambo kwa nje tu. Je, yupo mtu yeyote anayedhani kwamba yeye ni wa Kristo? Sawa! Basi, afikirie vilevile kwamba sisi pia ni wa Kristo kama yeye alivyo wa Kristo.
Do ye look on outward appearances? If any one is confident in himself that he is of the Messiah, let him know, from himself, that as he is of the Messiah, so also are we.
8 Hata kama nimezidi katika kujivuna kwangu juu ya ule uwezo aliotupa—uwezo wa kuwajenga na sio wa kubomoa—hata hivyo sijutii hata kidogo.
For if I should glory somewhat more, in the authority which our Lord hath given me, I should not be ashamed; for he gave it to us for your edification, and not for your destruction.
9 Sipendi mfikiri kwamba nataka kuwatisha ninyi kwa barua zangu.
But I forbear, lest I should be thought to terrify you terribly, by my epistles.
10 Mtu anaweza kusema: “Barua za Paulo ni kali na zenye maneno mazito, lakini yeye mwenyewe anapokuwa pamoja nasi ni mtu dhaifu, na hata anapoongea maneno yake ni kama si kitu.”
For there are some who say, His epistles are weighty and forcible, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
11 Mtu asemaye hivyo heri akumbuke kwamba hakuna tofauti ya yale tunayoandika katika barua wakati tuko mbali, na yale tutakayofanya wakati tutakapokuwa nanyi.
But let him who saith so, consider this, that such as we are in our epistolary discourse, when absent, such also are we in action, when present.
12 Kwa vyovyote hatungethubutu kujiweka au kujilinganisha na wale watu wanaojisifia wenyewe. Watu wenye kujifanya wao kuwa kipimo cha kujipimia, na watu wanaojilinganisha wenyewe kwa wenyewe, ni wapumbavu.
For we dare not value, or compare ourselves, with those who vaunt: but they, because they compare themselves with themselves, are not wise.
13 Lakini sisi hatutajivuna kupita kiasi; kujivuna huko kutabaki katika kile kipimo cha kazi aliyotukabidhi Mungu, kazi ambayo tunaifanya pia kwenu.
But we will not glory beyond our measure, but within the measure of the limits which God hath imparted to us, that we should reach as far as you.
14 Na kwa vile ninyi mu katika mipaka hiyo, hatukuipita tulipokuja kwenu, tukiwaleteeni Habari Njema juu ya Kristo.
For we do not stretch ourselves, as if not reaching to you; for we do reach as far as you in the annunciation of the Messiah.
15 Basi, hatujivunii kazi waliyofanya wengine zaidi ya kipimo tulichopewa; ila tunatumaini kwamba imani yenu itazidi miongoni mwenu kufuatana na kipimo alichotuwekea Mungu.
And we do not glory beyond our measure, in the toil of others: but we have the hope, that when your faith shall mature, we shall be magnified by you, as being within our measure;
16 Hapo tutaweza kuihubiri Habari Njema katika nchi nyingine, mbali nanyi; na haitakuwa shauri la kujivunia kazi waliyofanya watu wengine mahali pengine.
and that we shall so abound also, as to make announcements beyond you. It is not in the measure of others, and in things ready prepared, that we will glory.
17 Lakini kama yasemavyo Maandiko: “Mwenye kuona fahari na aone fahari juu ya alichofanya Bwana.”
But let him that will glory, glory in the Lord.
18 Anayekubaliwa si yule anayejisifu mwenyewe, bali yule anayesifiwa na Bwana.
For not he who praiseth himself, is approved; but he whom the Lord praiseth.
