1 Korintofoɔ 9

1 Menne me ho anaa? Menyɛ ɔsomafoɔ anaa? Menhunuu Yesu yɛn Awurade anaa? Na monyɛ me nsa ano adwuma wɔ Awurade mu anaa?

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

2 Na sɛ afoforɔ mpo nnye me ntom sɛ ɔsomafoɔ a, mo deɛ, mogye me tom saa. Sɛdeɛ mo ankasa mo abrabɔ te wɔ Awurade mu no di ho adanseɛ sɛ meyɛ ɔsomafoɔ.

If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my office of apostle in the Lord.

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

My defense to those who examine me is this.

4 Menni ho ɛkwan sɛ mʼadwuma enti, wɔma me aduane di ma me nsuo nom anaa?

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

5 Menni ho ɛkwan sɛ meyɛ deɛ asomafoɔ a aka no yɛeɛ no bi, sɛdeɛ Awurade nuanom ne Petro yɛeɛ, na meware Okristoni baa de no ka me ho tu mʼakwan yi?

Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the 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 akɔnhoma?

Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

7 Ɔsraani bɛn na ɔtua ɔno ankasa ne ho ka wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔdi sraa? Okuafoɔ bɛn na ɔnni nʼafuo mu nnɔbaeɛ bi? Odwanhwɛfoɔ bɛn na ɔnnom ne nnwan a ɔyɛn wɔn no nufosuo bi?

What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and does not drink from the flock's milk?

8 Ɛnsɛ sɛ meti nhwɛsoɔ a ɛwɔ yɛn abrabɔ dada no mu ɛfiri sɛ, Mmara no ka asɛm korɔ no ara.

Do I say these things according to human authority? Or does not the Law also say the same thing?

9 Yɛkan wɔ Mose Mmara no mu sɛ, “Sɛ wode nantwie retiatia aburoo so a, nkyekyere nʼano.” Nantwie ho asɛm na ɛhia Onyankopɔn anaa?

For it is written in the Law of Moses, "Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it for the oxen that God cares,

10 Anaasɛ na asɛm a ɔreka no fa yɛn ho? Nokorɛm wɔtwerɛɛ yei de maa yɛn. Onipa a ɔfuntum ne deɛ ɔtwa aba no nyinaa, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn adwuma sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔbɛnya wɔn kyɛfa wɔ wɔn dwumadie no mu.

or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in the hope of having a share.

11 Yɛadua honhom aba wɔ mo mu na sɛ yɛnya ewiase nnepa firi mo nkyɛn a, ɛdɔɔso dodo anaa?

If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

12 Na sɛ afoforɔ wɔ tumi sɛ wɔhwɛ yeinom anim firi mo nkyɛn a, yɛn deɛ, yɛnni tumi a ɛboro saa? Nanso, yɛnni saa tumi yi ho dwuma biara. Mmom, yɛatena ase saa ara sɛdeɛ yɛremfa suntidua biara nto asɛmpa a ɛfa Kristo ho no.

If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

13 Monim sɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan mu no nya wɔn aduane firi asɔredan mu, na wɔn nso a wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ afɔrebukyia so no nso nya wɔn afɔrebɔdeɛ.

Do you not know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

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

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

15 Nanso, menkaa saa asɛdeɛ yi ho hwee. Ɛnyɛ sɛ meretwerɛ seesei sɛ meregye saa asɛdeɛ no afa. Ɛnneɛ anka mɛdi ɛkan mawu. Obiara rentumi mfa mʼasɛdeɛ no nni agorɔ.

But I have used none of these things, and I do not write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

16 Menni tumi sɛ, ɛsiane sɛ meka asɛmpa no enti, mehoahoa me ho. Mehyɛ mmara ase na meka asɛmpa no. Na sɛ manka asɛmpa no a, mɛhunu amane.

For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the Good News.

17 Sɛ meyɛ adwuma no sɛdeɛ ɛfiri mʼankasa me pɛ mu a, na ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ akatua anim. Nanso meyɛ no sɛ mʼadwuma, ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn na ɔde ato me so.

For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

18 Ɛnneɛ, na akatua bɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ menya? Ɛyɛ ahohoahoadeɛ sɛ wobɛka asɛmpa no na wonnye hwee na wommisa asɛdeɛ biara nso.

What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

19 Mede me ho; menyɛ obi akoa. Nanso, meyɛ me ho obiara akoa sɛdeɛ mɛsesa akra dodoɔ biara a mɛtumi.

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

20 Ɛberɛ a me ne Yudafoɔ te no, meyɛɛ me ho sɛ Yudani sɛdeɛ mɛtwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Mʼankasa nso na menhyɛ Mose Mmara ase, nanso metenaa ase sɛdeɛ Mose Mmara di me so sɛdeɛ mɛtwetwe wɔn a wɔhyɛ saa Mmara no ase aba me nkyɛn.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

21 Saa ara na mekɔfraa amanamanmufoɔ mu no nso meyɛɛ me ho sɛ wɔn ara pɛ, sɛdeɛ mɛtumi matwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Yei nkyerɛ sɛ menni Onyankopɔn Mmara so; mehyɛ Kristo Mmara ase.

to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.

22 Wɔn a wɔn gyidie yɛ mmerɛ no, meyɛɛ sɛ wɔn ara sɛdeɛ mɛtwetwe wɔn aba me nkyɛn. Meyɛɛ me ho sɛdeɛ ɛfata biara maa nnipa nyinaa, sɛdeɛ mɛtumi afa ɛkwan biara a ɛbɛyɛ yie so magye wɔn mu bi nkwa.

To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I may by all means save some.

23 Asɛmpa no enti na meyɛɛ yeinom nyinaa na manya mu nhyira bi.

Now I do all things for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

24 Monim sɛ mmirika akansie mu, mmirikatufoɔ no nyinaa tu mmirika no bi, nanso wɔn mu baako pɛ na ɔnya akradeɛ no. Enti, tu mmirika no ɛkwan bi so na nya akradeɛ no.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

25 Obiara a ɔsi agodie mu akan no siesie ne ho di mmara so. Ɔyɛ saa sɛdeɛ ɔbɛnya ahenkyɛ a ɛrenkyɛre, nanso yɛn deɛ yi deɛ, ɛbɛkyɛ akɔsi daapem nyinaa.

Now everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

26 Ɛno enti na meretu mmirika kɔ mʼanim tee akɔwie no. Ɛno enti na mete sɛ okuturukubɔni a ne kuturuku mfom no.

I therefore run like that, as not uncertainly. I fight like that, as not beating the air,

27 Mebɔ mmɔden hyɛ me onipadua so na medi no nya, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, sɛ meka Asɛmpa no kyerɛ afoforɔ a me nso merenyɛ deɛ ɛmfra.

but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.