1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are you not 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 And if I am not an Apostle to others, yet still 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 with those who question me is this:
Esia koe nye nya si le asinye na ame siwo nɔa ɖi kem kplim la.
4 Do we not have the authority 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 Do we not have the authority to travel around with a woman who is a sister, just as do the other 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 is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the authority to act in this way?
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 Who has ever served as a soldier and paid his own stipend? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from its produce? Who pastures a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?
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 Am I saying these things according to man? Or does the law not also say these things?
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 bind the mouth of an ox, while it is treading out the grain.” Is God here concerned with the oxen?
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 is he saying this, indeed, for our sake? These things were written specifically for us, because he who plows, ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes, too, in hope of receiving the produce.
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 have sown spiritual things in you, is it important if we harvest from your worldly 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 are sharers in this authority over you, why are we not more entitled? And yet we have not used this authority. Instead, we bear all things, lest we give any hindrance to the Gospel 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 you not know that those who work in the holy place eat the things that are for the holy place, and that those who serve at the altar also share 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 So, too, has the Lord ordained that those who announce the Gospel should live by the Gospel.
Nenema ke Aƒetɔ ɖe gbe be ame siwo gblɔa nyanyui la fiana la, woakpɔ agbemenuwo tso nyanyui la me.
15 Yet I have used none of these things. And I have not written so that these things may be done for me. For it is better for me to die, rather than to let anyone empty out my glory.
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 Gospel, it is not glory for me. For an obligation has been laid upon me. And woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel.
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 willingly, I have a reward. But if I do this reluctantly, a dispensation is granted 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 And what, then, would be my reward? So, when preaching the Gospel, I should give the Gospel without taking, so that I may not misuse my authority in the Gospel.
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 when I was a free man to all, I made myself the servant of all, so that I might gain all 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 And so, to the Jews, I became like a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews.
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 under the law, I became as if I were under the law, (though I was not under the law) so that I might gain those who were under the law. To those who were without the law, I became as if I were without the law, (though I was not without the law of God, being in the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who were without the 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 weak, so that I might gain the weak. To all, I became all, so that I might save all.
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 And I do everything for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become its partner.
Mewɔ esia be makaka nyanyui la na amewo katã eye to esia me la, nye hã maxɔ yayra tɔxɛ.
24 Do you not know that, of those who run in a race, all of them, certainly, are runners, but only one achieves the prize. Similarly, you must run, so that you may achieve.
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 And one who competes in a contest abstains from all things. And they do this, of course, so that they may achieve a corruptible crown. But we do this, so that we may achieve what is 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 And so I run, but not with uncertainty. And so I fight, but not by flailing in 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 Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast.
ke boŋ meƒoa nye ŋutilã hewɔnɛ nye kluvie ale be nyemabu dziɖuɖufiakuku la o, le esime wònye nyee gblɔ agbenya la na amewo hafi.
