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?
Menne me ho ana? Menyɛ ɔsomafo ana? Minhuu Yesu yɛn Awurade ana? Na monyɛ me nsa ano adwuma wɔ Awurade mu ana?
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.
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.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this:
Sɛ nnipa ka me ho asɛm a, saa ɔkwan yi so na mefa yi me ho ano.
4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?
Minni ho kwan sɛ mʼadwuma nti wɔma me aduan di ma me nsu nom ana?
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?
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?
6 Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?
Anaasɛ Barnaba ne me nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ adwuma de bɔ yɛn ho akɔnhama?
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?
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?
8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or does not the law also say the same thing?
Ɛnsɛ sɛ miti nhwɛso a ɛwɔ yɛn abrabɔ dedaw no mu, efisɛ Mmara no ka asɛm koro no ara.
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,
Yɛkenkan wɔ Mose Mmara no mu se, “Sɛ wode nantwi retiatia aburow so a, nkyekyere nʼano.” Nantwi ho asɛm na ehia Onyankopɔn ana?
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.
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.
11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?
Yɛadua honhom aba wɔ mo mu na sɛ yenya wiase nnepa fi mo nkyɛn a, ɛdɔɔso dodo ana?
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.
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.
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?
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.
14 Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
Saa ara nso na Awurade ahyɛ sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wɔka asɛmpa no nya wɔn asetena fi mu.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ɛno de, na akatua bɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ minya? Ɛyɛ ahohoahoade sɛ wobɛka asɛmpa no na wunnye hwee na wummisa kyɛfa biara nso.
19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
Mede me ho; menyɛ obi akoa. Nanso meyɛ me ho obiara akoa sɛnea mɛsakra akra dodow biara a metumi.
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;
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
23 Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
Asɛmpa no nti na meyɛɛ eyinom nyinaa na manya mu nhyira bi.
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.
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.
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.
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.
26 I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,
Ɛno nti na meretu mmirika kɔ mʼanim tee akowie no. Ɛno nti na mete sɛ okuturukuboni a ne kuturuku mfom no.
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.
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.
