2 Corinthians 3
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Je, tunaanza tena kujipendekeza? Je, tunahitaji barua ya utambulisho kwenu, au kutoka kwenu, kama watu wengine?
2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
Ninyi wenyewe ni barua yetu; barua iliyoandikwa mioyoni mwetu kila mtu aione na kuisoma.
3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
Ni dhahiri kwamba ninyi ni barua ya Kristo aliyoipeleka kwa mikono yetu. Barua yenyewe imeandikwa si kwa wino, bali kwa Roho wa Mungu hai; imeandikwa si juu ya kipande cha jiwe, bali juu ya mioyo ya watu.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God,
Tunaweza kusema hayo kwa sababu ya tumaini letu tulilo nalo kwa Mungu kwa njia ya Kristo.
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,
Si kwamba sisi tunaweza kufanya chochote kwa nguvu zetu wenyewe, ila uwezo wetu wote hutoka kwa Mungu:
6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
maana yeye ndiye aliyetuwezesha kulihudumia Agano Jipya ambalo si agano la sheria iliyoandikwa, bali Agano la Roho. Maana sheria iliyoandikwa huleta kifo, lakini Roho huleta uzima.
7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away,
Sheria iliwekwa kwa kuandikwa juu ya vipande vya mawe. Ingawaje mwisho wake umekuwa kifo, utukufu wake ulikuwa mkuu mno hata wana wa Israeli wasiweze kuutazama uso wa Mose kwa sababu ya mng'ao wake. Tena mng'ao huo ulikuwa wa muda tu. Basi, ikiwa huduma ya kile ambacho kimesababisha kifo imefanyika kwa utukufu mwingi kiasi hicho,
8 won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
basi, huduma ya Roho ina utukufu mkuu zaidi.
9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
Ikiwa basi, kulikuwa na utukufu katika huduma ile iliyoleta hukumu, ni wazi kwamba huduma ile iletayo kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu itakuwa na utukufu mkuu zaidi.
10 For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.
Sasa utukufu mkuu zaidi umechukua nafasi ya ule utukufu uliokuja hapo awali, ambao fahari yake imekwisha toweka.
11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
Maana ikiwa kile kilichokuwa cha muda tu kilikuwa na utukufu wake, bila shaka kile chenye kudumu milele kitakuwa na utukufu mkuu zaidi.
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
Kwa vile hili ndilo tumaini letu, sisi twasema kwa uhodari mkuu.
13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.
Sisi hatufanyi kama Mose ambaye alilazimika kuufunika uso wake kwa kitambaa ili watu wa Israeli wasiuone ule mwisho wa mng'ao uliokuwa unafifia.
14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.
Lakini akili zao zilipumbazwa. Mpaka leo hii lisomwapo Agano la Kale, kifuniko hicho bado kipo. Kifuniko hicho kitaondolewa tu mtu anapoungana na Kristo.
15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
Naam, mpaka hivi leo kila isomwapo Sheria ya Mose akili zao huwa zimefunikwa.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Lakini, wakati mtu amgeukiapo Bwana, kifuniko hicho huondolewa.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Hapa “Bwana” ni Roho; na pale alipo Roho wa Bwana ndipo ulipo uhuru.
18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Basi, sisi sote ambao nyuso zetu hazikufunikwa, twaonyesha kama katika kioo, utukufu wa Bwana; tunabadilishwa tufanane zaidi na huo mfano wake kwa utukufu mwingi zaidi. Hiyo ni kazi yake Roho wa Bwana.
