1 Korintofo 9

1 Menne me ho ana? Menyɛ ɔsomafo ana? Minhuu Yesu yɛn Awurade ana? Na monyɛ me nsa ano adwuma wɔ Awurade mu ana?

Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?

2 Na sɛ afoforo mpo nnye me nto mu sɛ ɔsomafo a, mo de, mugye me to mu saa. Sɛnea mo ankasa mo abrabɔ te wɔ Awurade mu no di ho adanse sɛ meyɛ ɔsomafo.

If I am not an apostle to others, yet surely I am to you; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.

3 Sɛ nnipa ka me ho asɛm a, saa ɔkwan yi so na mefa yi me ho ano.

This is my answer to those who question my authority.

4 Minni ho kwan sɛ mʼadwuma nti wɔma me aduan di ma me nsu nom ana?

Have we not a right to eat and drink?

5 Minni ho kwan sɛ meyɛ nea asomafo a aka no yɛe no bi, sɛnea Awurade nuanom ne Petro yɛe, na meware Okristonibea de no ka me ho tu mʼakwan yi?

Have we not a right to carry about with us a sister as a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

6 Anaasɛ Barnaba ne me nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ adwuma de bɔ yɛn ho akɔnhama?

Or am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?

7 Ɔsraani bɛn na otua ɔno ankasa ne ho ka? Okuafo bɛn na onni nʼafuw mu nnɔbae bi? Oguanhwɛfo bɛn na ɔnnom ne nguan a ɔyɛn wɔn no nufusu bi?

Who ever serveth as a soldier at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard without eating its fruit? Or who tendeth a flock and doth not eat of the milk of the flock?

8 Ɛnsɛ sɛ miti nhwɛso a ɛwɔ yɛn abrabɔ dedaw no mu, efisɛ Mmara no ka asɛm koro no ara.

Is it on man's authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too say the same?

9 Yɛkenkan wɔ Mose Mmara no mu se, “Sɛ wode nantwi retiatia aburow so a, nkyekyere nʼano.” Nantwi ho asɛm na ehia Onyankopɔn ana?

For it is written in the law of Moses: “Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain.” Is it for oxen that God careth?

10 Anaasɛ na asɛm a ɔreka no fa yɛn ho ana? Nokware, wɔkyerɛw eyi de maa yɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ onipa a ofuntum ne nea otwa aba no nyinaa yɛ wɔn adwuma sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, wobenya wɔn kyɛfa wɔ wɔn dwumadi no mu.

Or doth he say it altogether on our account? On our account, no doubt, it was written, that he who plougheth ought to plough in hope, and that he who thrasheth should do it in the hope of partaking.

11 Yɛadua honhom aba wɔ mo mu na sɛ yenya wiase nnepa fi mo nkyɛn a, ɛdɔɔso dodo ana?

If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap from you things for the body?

12 Na sɛ afoforo wɔ tumi sɛ wɔhwɛ eyinom anim fi mo nkyɛn a, so yɛn de, yenni tumi a ɛboro saa ana? Nanso yɛamfa saa tumi yi anni dwuma biara. Mmom yɛpenee biribiara so sɛnea yɛrensiw Kristo asɛmpa no ho kwan.

If others possess this right in relation to you, do not we still more? But we have not used this right; but we submit to all things, that we may occasion no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

13 Munim sɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan mu no nya wɔn aduan fi asɔredan mu, na wɔn nso a wɔbɔ afɔre wɔ afɔremuka so no nso nya wɔn afɔrebɔde.

Do ye not know, that they who minister in the offerings of the temple live from the temple? that they who serve at the altar share with the altar?

14 Saa ara nso na Awurade ahyɛ sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wɔka asɛmpa no nya wɔn asetena fi mu.

In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

15 Nanso memfaa saa kyɛfa yi mu biara nnii dwuma ɛ. Ɛnyɛ sɛ merekyerɛw mprempren sɛ mobɛyɛ saa nneɛma no ama me. Ɛno de, anka medi kan awu sen sɛ mɛma obi asiw me eyi ho kwan.

But I have used no right of this kind; nor have I written thus that anything of this kind should be done for me; for it were better for me to die, than that any one should take from me what I glory in.

16 Minni tumi sɛ mɛhoahoa me ho bere a meka asɛmpa no, efisɛ ɛyɛ ɔhyɛ ma me sɛ menka. Na sɛ manka asɛmpa no a, mehu amane.

For in preaching the gospel, I have nothing to glory in; for I am under a necessity to do so; yea, woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel!

17 Sɛ mifi me pɛ mu yɛ adwuma no a, na ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ akatua anim. Nanso meyɛ no sɛ mʼadwuma, efisɛ, Onyankopɔn na ɔde ato me so.

For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, still I have been intrusted with a stewardship.

18 Ɛno de, na akatua bɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ minya? Ɛyɛ ahohoahoade sɛ wobɛka asɛmpa no na wunnye hwee na wummisa kyɛfa biara nso.

What then is my reward? It is that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel free of charge, that I use not to the full my right as a preacher of the gospel.

19 Mede me ho; menyɛ obi akoa. Nanso meyɛ me ho obiara akoa sɛnea mɛsakra akra dodow biara a metumi.

For being free from all men, yet I made myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more;

20 Bere a me ne Yudafo te no, meyɛɛ me ho sɛ Yudani, sɛnea mɛtwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Metenaa ase sɛnea Mose Mmara di me so, mmom na mankasa nhyɛ mmara no ase de, sɛnea mɛtwetwe wɔn a wɔhyɛ saa Mmara no ase aba me nkyɛn.

and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law, not being myself under the Law, that I might gain those under the Law;

21 Saa ara na mekɔfraa amanamanmufo mu no nso meyɛɛ me ho sɛ wɔn ara pɛ, sɛnea metumi atwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Eyi nkyerɛ sɛ minni Onyankopɔn mmara so; mehyɛ Kristo mmara ase.

to those without the Law, as without the Law, being not without a law before God, but under the law of Christ, that I might gain those without the Law;

22 Wɔn a wɔn gyidi yɛ mmerɛw no, meyɛɛ sɛ wɔn ara, sɛnea mɛtwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Meyɛɛ me ho sɛnea ɛfata biara maa nnipa nyinaa, sɛnea metumi afa ɔkwan biara a ɛbɛyɛ yiye so agye wɔn mu bi nkwa.

to the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all, that I might by all means save some.

23 Asɛmpa no nti na meyɛɛ eyinom nyinaa na manya mu nhyira bi.

And I do all for the sake of the gospel, that I may with others partake of it.

24 Munim sɛ mmirika akansi mu, mmirikatufo no nyinaa tu mmirika no bi, nanso wɔn mu baako pɛ na onya abasobɔde no. Enti tu mmirika no sɛnea ɛbɛma woanya abasobɔde no.

Know ye not, that of those who run in the race-course all run, but one receiveth the prize? Thus run, that ye may obtain.

25 Obiara a osi agodi mu akan no siesie ne ho yiye ma akansi no. Ɔyɛ saa sɛnea obenya ahenkyɛw a ɛrenkyɛ, nanso yɛn de yi de, ɛbɛkyɛ akosi daapem nyinaa.

And every one who contendeth in the games is temperate in all things; they, however, to obtain a perishable crown, but we, an imperishable.

26 Ɛno nti na meretu mmirika kɔ mʼanim tee akowie no. Ɛno nti na mete sɛ okuturukuboni a ne kuturuku mfom no.

I therefore so run, not as one uncertain; I so fight, not as one striking the air;

27 Mebɔ mmɔden hyɛ me nipadua so na midi no nya, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, sɛ meka asɛmpa no kyerɛ afoforo a me nso merenyɛ nea ɛmfra.

but I beat down my body, and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps, when I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected as unworthy.