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 kujisifu wenyewe? Au tunahitaji kupata barua za 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 ndio barua yetu iliyoandikwa katika mioyo yetu, inayojulikana na kusomwa na kila mtu.
3 being revealed that you are a letter of Messiah, 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.
Nanyi mwadhihirisha wazi kwamba ninyi ni barua itokayo kwa Kristo, matokeo ya huduma yetu, ambayo haikuandikwa kwa wino bali kwa Roho wa Mungu aliye hai, si katika vibao vya mawe, bali katika vibao ambavyo ni mioyo ya wanadamu.
4 Such confidence we have through Messiah towards God,
Hili ndilo tumaini tulilo nalo mbele za 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 tunafikiri kuwa tunaweza kufanya jambo lolote wenyewe, lakini nguvu yetu inatoka 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.
Ndiye alituwezesha sisi kuwa wahudumu wa Agano Jipya: si wa andiko, bali wa Roho; kwa kuwa andiko huua bali Roho hutia 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,
Basi ikiwa ile huduma iliyoleta mauti, iliyoandikwa kwa herufi juu ya jiwe ilikuja kwa utukufu, hata Waisraeli wakawa hawawezi kuutazama uso wa Mose kwa sababu ya ule utukufu wake ingawa ulikuwa ni wa kufifia,
8 won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
je, huduma ya Roho haitakuwa na utukufu zaidi?
9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
Ikiwa huduma ile inayowahukumu wanadamu ina utukufu, je, ile huduma iletayo haki haitakuwa ya utukufu 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.
Kwa maana kile kilichokuwa na utukufu sasa hakina utukufu ukilinganisha na huu utukufu unaozidi wa Agano Jipya.
11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
Ikiwa kile kilichokuwa kinafifia kilikuja kwa utukufu, je, si zaidi utukufu wa kile kinachodumu?
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
Kwa hiyo, kwa kuwa tunalo tumaini hili, tuna ujasiri sana.
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 si kama Mose, ambaye ilimpasa kuweka utaji ili kufunika uso wake ili Waisraeli wasiuone ule mngʼao uliokuwa juu yake hadi ulipofifia na hatimaye kutoweka.
14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Messiah it passes away.
Lakini akili zao zilipumbazwa, kwa maana mpaka leo utaji ule ule hufunika wakati Agano la Kale linasomwa. Huo utaji haujaondolewa, kwa maana ni katika Kristo peke yake unaondolewa.
15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
Hata leo Sheria ya Mose inaposomwa, utaji hufunika mioyo yao.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Lakini wakati wowote mtu anapomgeukia Bwana, utaji unaondolewa.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Basi Bwana ndiye Roho. Mahali alipo Roho wa Bwana hapo pana 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.
Nasi sote, tukiwa na nyuso zisizotiwa utaji tunadhihirisha utukufu wa Bwana, kama kwenye kioo. Nasi tunabadilishwa ili tufanane naye, toka utukufu hadi utukufu mkuu zaidi, utokao kwa Bwana, ambaye ndiye Roho.
