1 Wakorintho 9
1 Je, mimi si mtu huru? Je, mimi si mtume? Je, mimi sikumwona Yesu Bwana wetu? Je, ninyi si matokeo ya kazi yangu kwa ajili ya Bwana?
Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord?
2 Hata kama kwa watu wengine mimi si mtume, lakini walau kwenu ninyi mimi ni mtume. Ninyi ni uthibitisho wa mtume wangu kwa sababu ya kuungana kwenu na Bwana.
If I am not an apostle to others, yet at least I am to you, for ye are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 Hoja yangu kwa wale wanaonipinga ndiyo hii:
My defense to those who examine me is this.
4 Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?
Have we no, not a right to eat and to drink?
5 Je, hatuna ruhusa kumchukua mke Mkristo katika ziara zetu, kama vile wafanyavyo mitume wengine, ndugu zake Bwana, na pia Kefa?
Have we no, not a right to lead about a sister wife, as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Au ni mimi tu na Barnaba ambao tunapaswa kujipatia maslahi yetu kwa kufanya kazi?
Or have only I and Barnabas no right not to be occupied earning a living?
7 Je, mwanajeshi gani anayelipia utumishi wake jeshini? Mkulima gani asiyekula matunda ya shamba lake la mizabibu? Mchungaji gani asiyekunywa maziwa ya mifugo yake?
Who ever enlists in an army at his own wage? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from the fruit of it? Or who feeds a flock and does not eat from the milk of the flock?
8 Je, nasema mambo haya kibinadamu tu? Je, Sheria nayo haisemi hivyo?
Do I say these things according to man, or does not the law also say these things?
9 Imeandikwa katika Sheria ya Mose: “Usimfunge kinywa ng'ombe anapoliwata nafaka.” Je, ndio kusema Mungu anajishughulisha na ng'ombe?
For it is written in the law of Moses thou shall not muzzle an ox threshing grain. Is God concerned about oxen,
10 Je, hakuwa anatufikiria sisi aliposema hivyo? Naam, haya yaliandikwa kwa ajili yetu; kwani yule anayelima na yule anayevuna, wote wawili wana haki ya kutumaini kupata sehemu ya mavuno.
or does he speak altogether for our sake? For our sake, for it was written, He who plows ought to plow with hope, and he who threshes with his hope, with hope to share.
11 Ikiwa sisi tumepanda mbegu ya kiroho kati yenu, je, ni jambo kubwa tukichuma kwenu faida ya kidunia?
If we sowed spiritual things to you, is it a great thing if we will reap your carnal things?
12 Ikiwa wengine wanayo haki ya kutazamia hayo kutoka kwenu, je, sisi hatuna haki zaidi kuliko hao? Lakini, sisi hatukuitumia haki hiyo, Badala yake, tumestahimili kila kitu ili tusiiwekee kizuizi chochote Habari Njema ya Kristo.
If others are partakers of the right from you, are not we more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we cover all things, so that we may not give any hindrance to the good news of the Christ.
13 Je, hamjui kwamba wanaotumikia Hekaluni hupata chakula chao Hekaluni, na kwamba wanaotolea sadaka madhabahuni hupata sehemu ya hiyo sadaka?
Know ye not that those being employed at the sacred things eat from the temple, and those who serve at the altar are partakers at the altar?
14 Bwana aliagiza vivyo hivyo; wahubiri wa Habari Njema wapate riziki zao kutokana nayo.
And so the Lord commanded those who proclaim the good news to live from the good news.
15 Lakini, mimi sikutumia hata mojawapo ya haki hizo. Na wala siandiki nijipatie haki hizo; kwangu mimi ni afadhali kufa kuliko kumfanya yeyote aone kwamba najisifu bure.
But I have used none of these things, and I did not write these things so that it should be done to me this way. For it is good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my boasting empty.
16 Ikiwa ninaihubiri Habari Njema, hilo si jambo la kujivunia; hilo ni jukumu nililopewa. Na, ole wangu kama sitaihubiri Habari Njema!
For if I preach the good news, it is not a source of pride for me, for an obligation is laid upon me. And woe is to me if I do not preach the good news.
17 Ningekuwa nimeichagua kazi hii kwa hiari, basi, ningetazamia malipo; lakini maadam naifanya ikiwa ni wajibu, hiyo ina maana kwamba ni jukumu nililopewa nitekeleze.
For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if involuntarily, I have been entrusted with a commission.
18 Mshahara wangu ni kitu gani, basi? Mshahara wangu ni fursa ya kuihubiri Habari Njema bure, bila kudai haki ninazostahili kwa kuihubiri.
What then is my reward? That, while preaching the good news, I may make the good news of the Christ without charge, in order not to make full use of my right in the good news.
19 Kwa hiyo, ingawa mimi si mtumwa wa mtu yeyote, nimejifanya mtumwa wa kila mtu ili nimpatie Kristo watu wengi iwezekanavyo.
For although being free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that I might gain the more.
20 Kwa Wayahudi nimeishi kama Myahudi ili niwapate Wayahudi; yaani, ingawa mimi siko chini ya Sheria, nimejiweka chini ya Sheria kwao, ili niwapate hao walio chini ya Sheria.
And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews, to those under law, as under law, so that I might gain those under law,
21 Na kwa wale walio nje ya Sheria, naishi kama wao, nje ya Sheria, ili niwapate hao walio nje ya Sheria. Hii haimaanishi kwamba mimi niko nje ya sheria ya Mungu, maana nabanwa na sheria ya Kristo.
to those without law, as without law (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ), so that I might gain men without law.
22 Kwao walio dhaifu nimejifanya dhaifu ili niwapate hao walio dhaifu. Nimejifanya kila kitu kwa wote ili nipate kuwaokoa baadhi yao kwa kila njia.
To the weak I became as weak, so that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that by all means I might save some.
23 Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Habari Njema, nipate kushiriki baraka zake.
And I do this for sake of the good news, so that I might become a fellow participant of it.
24 Je, hamjui kwamba katika uwanja wa michezo, ingawa wapiga mbio wote hukimbia, ni mmoja tu anayejinyakulia zawadi?
Know ye not that those who run in an arena, indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run that ye may seize it.
25 Wanariadha hujipa mazoezi na nidhamu kali; hufanya hivyo ili wajipatie taji iharibikayo! Lakini sisi twafanya hivyo tupate taji ya kudumu daima.
And every man who strives for mastery exercises self-control in all things. Indeed therefore those men do it so that they might obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable.
26 Ndivyo basi, ninavyopiga mbio nikiwa na nia ya kushinda; ndivyo ninavyopigana, na si kama bondia anayetupa ngumi zake hewani.
I therefore run this way, not as aimlessly. I fight this way, not as flaying air.
27 Naupa mwili wangu mazoezi magumu na kuutia katika nidhamu kamili, nisije mimi mwenyewe nikakataliwa baada ya kuwahubiria wengine.
But I give my body a black eye and subdue it, lest somehow having preached to others, I myself might become disqualified.
