1 Corinthians 9

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

Ɖe nyemevo oa? Menye apostoloe menye oa? Ɖe nyemekpɔ Yesu, míaƒe Aƒetɔ la oa? Ɖe menye miawoe nye nye dɔ si mewɔ na Aƒetɔ la ƒe metsonu oa?

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

Ne ame bubuwo mebum ɖe apostolowo dome o hã la, miawo ya mienya be apostolo menye elabena dzinyee mieto le Aƒetɔ la me hafi zu kristotɔwo fifia.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

Esia koe nye nya si le asinye na ame siwo nɔa ɖi kem kplim la.

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Aleke bum miele le ŋutinye? Ɖe mɔɖeɖe meli be mava dze mia gbɔ abe apostolo bubuawo ene le nye mɔzɔzɔwo me oa?

5 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?

Ɖe mɔɖeɖe meli be makplɔ srɔ̃nyɔnu si nye xɔsetɔ ɖe asi ava dze mia gbɔ abe ale si apostolo bubuawo, Yesu nɔviwo kple Kefa hã wɔna ene oa?

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

Alo miesusu be nye kple Barnabas koe anɔ fu kpem, anɔ dɔ wɔm be míakpɔ mía ɖokuiwo dzi, le esime miawo miele ame bubuwo dzi kpɔm nyuie ɣe sia ɣia?

7 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?

Miese kpɔ be asrafo si le aʋagbedzi la kpɔ eya ŋutɔ ɖokui dzi le aʋagbedzi kpɔ oa? Alo miese kpɔ be agbledela mekpɔ mɔ aɖu eya ŋutɔ ƒe agblemenukuwo oa? Alo lãnyila kae mekpɔ mɔ ano notsi si wòfia tso eƒe lã ƒe nowo me la ƒe ɖe o?

8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or does not the law also say the same thing?

Menye amegbetɔwo ƒe susu ko gblɔm mele o; Mawu ƒe se gɔ̃ hã ɖo kpe nu siawo dzi pɛpɛpɛ

9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,

elabena woŋlɔe ɖe Mose ƒe segbalẽ la me be, “Megabla nu na nyitsu ne ele mɔlu tugum o.” Nyitsuwo ŋue Mawu tsi dzi ɖoa?

10 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 hope should partake of his hope.

Ɖe menye míawo tae wògblɔ nya sia ɖo oa? Ɛ̃, míawo tae, elabena Mawu di be yeaɖee afia be ame si ŋlɔa nu la, naŋlɔe le mɔkpɔkpɔ me, eye ame si tugua mɔlu la natugui le mɔkpɔkpɔ me, be wòakpɔ gome le eme.

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

Míedo gbɔgbɔmenuku nyuiwo ɖe miaƒe dziwo me, eya ta ne míebia nuɖuɖu kple avɔtata tso mia gbɔ la, megblẽ kura o.

12 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.

Miewɔnɛ abe ale si wòdze ene na nyagblɔla bubuawo. Ke míawo la, togbɔ be ele be miakpɔ mía dzi hã la, míebia naneke mi kpɔ gbeɖe o. Ke boŋ míawo ŋutɔ míekpɔa mía ɖokuiwo dzi ɣe sia ɣi. Míelĩ fe ame aɖeke kpɔ o, elabena míele vɔvɔ̃m be ne míewɔ esia la, dzi aɖe le mia ƒo eye miagbɔdzɔ le Kristo ƒe nyanyui si míetsɔ vɛ na mi la ŋuti.

13 Do not you 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?

Nɔviwo, ɖe mienya be Mawu ŋutɔ ɖe mɔ na ame siwo nɔ dɔ wɔm le gbedoxɔ la me be woatsɔ nunana siwo amewo tsɔ vɛ na Mawu la ƒe ɖe awɔ wo ŋu dɔ faa oa? Ame siwo hã wɔa dɔ le Mawu ƒe vɔsamlekpui la ŋu la ɖua nu siwo amewo tsɔ vɛ be yewoatsɔ sa vɔe na Mawu la ƒe ɖe faa.

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

Nenema ke Aƒetɔ ɖe gbe be ame siwo gblɔa nyanyui la fiana la, woakpɔ agbemenuwo tso nyanyui la me.

15 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.

Gake nyemebia pesewa ɖeka hã tso mia gbɔ kpɔ o. Menye ɖe mele esia gblɔm na mi ne miabu be ɖe medi be miaɖo ga ɖem azɔ o. Le nyateƒe me, ne dɔ wum meku la, enyo wu be maxɔ ga le mia si, eye mabu dzidzedze gã si mekpɔna ne megblɔ mawunya na mi faa.

16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I do not preach the Good News.

Elabena nyemedze na kafukafu tɔxɛ aɖeke le nye mawunyagbɔgblɔ ta o. Ele nam kokoko be manɔ egbɔgblɔ dzi ɣe sia ɣi madzudzɔmadzudzɔe. Ne meke atse dzudzɔ la, baba nam!

17 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.

Nenye nye ŋutɔ nye lɔlɔ̃nue metsɔ le dɔa wɔm la, ekema maxɔ nunana tɔxɛ tso Aƒetɔ la gbɔ gake mele eme alea o, ke boŋ Mawu ŋutɔe tiam tsɔ dɔ xɔasi sia de asi nam eya ta nyemate ŋu agbe o.

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

Le esia ta la, nye fetu koe nye dzidzɔ tɔxɛ si yɔa menye ne megblɔ nyanyui na amewo faa, naneke maxɔmaxɔe, zi ale si wòle ɖoɖo nu be maxɔ fetu ɖe nye dɔwɔna ta hafi.

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

Viɖe tɔxɛ aɖe le esia me, eye eyae nye be ame aɖeke mate ŋu azi dzinye le mɔ aɖeke nu o, elabena ame aɖeke kura mele fe xem nam o. Gake melɔ̃ faa be mawɔ ɖokuinye kluvi na ame sia ame ƒomevi, ale be to esia me la, mate ŋu akplɔe va Yesu Kristo gbɔ.

20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

Ne mele Yudatɔwo dome la, mewɔa nu sia nu abe Yudatɔ ene, ale be woalɔ̃ aɖo to nyanyui si gblɔm mele na wo la. Ke mezu abe ame si le sea te ene hena ame siwo le sea te (evɔ la, nye ŋutɔ nyemele sea te hafi o), be asinye nasu ame siwo le sea te la dzi.

21 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.

Mezu abe semanɔsitɔ ene hena semanɔsitɔwo (gake nyemenye semanɔsitɔ na Mawu o, ke mele Kristo ƒe se la me boŋ), be asinye nasu semanɔsitɔwo dzi.

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

Ne mele ame siwo ƒe xɔse meli ke tututu haɖe o la dome la, megbɔa dzi ɖi na wo ale be woalɔ̃ be makpe ɖe yewo ŋu. Ɛ̃, medzea agbagba be masɔ kple ame sia ame le mɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzi, ale be makpɔ mɔnu aɖe kokoko aƒo nu nɛ tso Kristo ŋu be wòakpɔ ɖeɖe tso egbɔ.

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

Mewɔ esia be makaka nyanyui la na amewo katã eye to esia me la, nye hã maxɔ yayra tɔxɛ.

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

Ɖe mienyae be ne wole duɖime kem le dusiƒe la, dusilawo katãe kea duɖime, gake ame ɖeka koe xɔa dziɖuɖufetu la oa? Misi du la ale be miaxɔ dziɖuɖufetua.

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

Ame sia ame si di be yeakpɔ gome le hoʋiʋli aɖe me la toa hehexɔxɔ sesẽwo me. Wowɔa esia be woaxɔ dziɖuɖukuku si gblẽna; ke míawo la, míekea duɖime be míaxɔ dziɖuɖukuku magblẽmagblẽ.

26 I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,

Eya ta nyemele duɖime kem taɖodzinu manɔsitɔe o, eye nyemele kɔ dam abe ŋutsu si le kɔ dam ɖe yame la ene o,

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

ke boŋ meƒoa nye ŋutilã hewɔnɛ nye kluvie ale be nyemabu dziɖuɖufiakuku la o, le esime wònye nyee gblɔ agbenya la na amewo hafi.