1 Wathesalonike 2
1 Ndugu zangu, kwa kuwa ninyi wenyewe mnajua ya kwamba kuja kwetu kwenu hakukuwa bure,
For you yourselves, brethren, know that our visit to you did not fail of its purpose.
2 kama vile mjuavyo, tulikuwa tumeteswa na kutukanwa huko Filipi, lakini hata hivyo, kwa msaada wa Mungu wetu, tulikuwa na ujasiri wa kuwaambia Injili ya Mungu ingawa kulikuwa na upinzani mkubwa.
But, as you will remember, after we had already met with suffering and outrage at Philippi, we summoned up boldness, by the help of our God, to tell you God's Good News amid much opposition.
3 Kwa maana himizo letu halikutokana na hila wala nia mbaya au udanganyifu.
For our preaching was not grounded on a delusion, nor prompted by mingled motives, nor was there fraud in it.
4 Kinyume chake, tulinena kama watu tuliokubaliwa na Mungu tukakabidhiwa Injili. Sisi hatujaribu kuwapendeza wanadamu bali kumpendeza Mungu, yeye ayachunguzaye mawazo ya ndani sana ya mioyo yetu.
But as God tested and approved us before entrusting us with His Good News, so in what we say we are seeking not to please men but to please God, who tests and approves our motives.
5 Kama mjuavyo, hatukuja kwenu kwa maneno ya kujipendekeza au maneno yasiyo ya kweli ili kuficha tamaa mbaya: Mungu ndiye shahidi yetu.
For, as you are well aware, we have never used the language of flattery nor have we found pretexts for enriching ourselves--God is our witness;
6 Wala hatukuwa tunatafuta sifa kutoka kwa wanadamu, wala kutoka kwenu au kwa mtu mwingine awaye yote. Kama mitume wa Kristo tungaliweza kuwa mzigo kwenu,
nor did we seek glory either from you or from any other mere men, although we might have stood on our dignity as Christ's Apostles.
7 lakini tulikuwa wapole katikati yenu, kama mama anayewatunza watoto wake wadogo.
On the contrary, in our relations to you we showed ourselves as gentle as a mother is when she tenderly nurses her own children.
8 Tuliwapenda sana kiasi kwamba tulifurahia kushirikiana nanyi, si Injili ya Mungu tu, bali hata maisha yetu, kwa sababu mlikuwa wa thamani mno kwetu.
Seeing that we were thus drawn affectionately towards you, it would have been a joy to us to have imparted to you not only God's Good News, but to have given our very lives also, because you had become very dear to us.
9 Ndugu zetu, mnakumbuka juhudi yetu na taabu yetu. Tulifanya kazi usiku na mchana, ili tusimlemee mtu yeyote wa kwenu wakati tulipokuwa tunawahubiria Injili ya Mungu.
For you remember, brethren, our labour and toil: how, working night and day so as not to become a burden to any one of you, we came and proclaimed among you God's Good News.
10 Ninyi wenyewe ni mashahidi na Mungu pia, jinsi tulivyokuwa watakatifu, wenye haki na wasio na lawama miongoni mwenu ninyi mlioamini.
You yourselves are witnesses--and God is witness--how holy and upright and blameless our dealings with you believers were.
11 Maana mnajua kwamba tuliwatendea kila mmoja wenu kama vile baba awatendeavyo watoto wake.
For you know that we acted towards every one of you as a father does towards his own children, encouraging and cheering you,
12 Tuliwatia moyo, tuliwafariji na kuwahimiza kuishi maisha yampendezayo Mungu, anayewaita katika Ufalme na utukufu wake.
and imploring you to live lives worthy of fellowship with God who is inviting you to share His own Kingship and glory.
13 Nasi pia tunamshukuru Mungu bila kukoma kwa sababu mlipolipokea neno la Mungu mlilosikia kutoka kwetu, hamkulipokea kama neno la wanadamu, bali mlilipokea kama lilivyo hasa, neno la Mungu, litendalo kazi ndani yenu ninyi mnaoamini.
And for this further reason we render unceasing thanks to God, that when you received God's Message from our lips, it was as no mere message from men that you embraced it, but as--what it really is--God's Message, which also does its work in the hearts of you who believe.
14 Kwa maana ninyi ndugu zetu, mlifanyika wafuasi wa makanisa ya Mungu yaliyoko ndani ya Kristo Yesu katika Uyahudi. Mlipata mateso yale yale kutoka kwa watu wenu wenyewe kama vile makanisa hayo yalivyoteswa na Wayahudi,
For you, brethren, followed the example of the Churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judaea; seeing that you endured the same ill-treatment at the hands of your countrymen, as they did at the hands of the Jews.
15 wale waliomuua Bwana Yesu na manabii, nasi wakatufukuza pia. Watu hao walimchukiza Mungu na tena ni adui wa watu wote,
Those Jewish persecutors killed both the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and drove us out of their midst. They are displeasing to God, and are the enemies of all mankind;
16 wakijitahidi kutuzuia tusizungumze na watu wa Mataifa ili kwamba wapate kuokolewa. Kwa njia hii wanazidi kujilundikia dhambi zao hadi kikomo. Lakini hatimaye ghadhabu ya Mungu imewafikia.
for they still try to prevent our preaching to the Gentiles so that they may find salvation. They thus continually fill up the measure of their own sins, and God's anger in its severest form has overtaken them.
17 Lakini ndugu zetu, tulipotenganishwa nanyi kwa kitambo kidogo (ingawa kutengana huko kulikuwa kwa mwili tu, si kwa moyo), tulizidi kuwa na shauku kubwa kuwaona uso kwa uso.
But we, brethren, having been for a short time separated from you in bodily presence, though not in heart, endeavoured all the more earnestly, with intense longing, to see you face to face.
18 Maana tulitaka kuja kwenu, hasa mimi Paulo, nilitaka kuja tena na tena, lakini Shetani akatuzuia.
On this account we wanted to come to you--at least I Paul wanted again and again to do so--but Satan hindered us.
19 Kwa maana tumaini letu ni nini, au furaha yetu au taji yetu ya kujisifia mbele za Bwana Yesu Kristo wakati wa kuja kwake? Je, si ni ninyi?
For what is our hope or joy, or the crown of which we boast? Is it not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His Coming?
20 Naam, ninyi ndio fahari yetu na furaha yetu.
Yes, you are our glory and our joy.
