1
Je! Mimi si huru? Mimi si mtume? Mimi sikumwona Yesu Bwana wetu? Ninyi si kazi yangu katika Bwana?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
2
Kwa maana ikiwa mimi si mtume kwa wengine, lakini ni mtume kwenu ninyi; kwa maana ninyi ndinyi muhuri ya utume wangu katika Bwana.
Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3
Hilo ndilo jawabu langu kwa wale wanaoniuliza.
This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
4
Je! Hatuna uwezo wa kula na kunywa?
Have we no right to food and to drink?
5
Hatuna uwezo kuchukua pamoja nasi mke aliye ndugu, kama wao mitume wengine, na ndugu wa Bwana, na Kefa?
Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
6
Au je! Ni mimi peke yangu na Barnaba tusio na uwezo wa kutokufanya kazi?
Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7
Ni askari gani aendaye vitani wakati wo wote kwa gharama zake mwenyewe? Ni nani apandaye mizabibu asiyekula katika matunda yake? Au ni nani achungaye kundi, asiyekunywa katika maziwa ya kundi?
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
8
Je! Ninanena hayo kwa kibinadamu? Au torati nayo haisemi yayo hayo?
Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9
Kwa maana katika torati ya Musa imeandikwa, Usimfunge kinywa ng'ombe apurapo nafaka. Je! Hapo Mungu aangalia mambo ya ng'ombe?
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10
Au yamkini anena hayo kwa ajili yetu? Naam, yaliandikwa kwa ajili yetu; kwa kuwa alimaye nafaka ni haki yake kulima kwa matumaini, naye apuraye nafaka ni haki yake kutumaini kupata sehemu yake.
Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
11
Ikiwa sisi tuliwapandia ninyi vitu vya rohoni, je! Ni neno kubwa tukivuna vitu vyenu vya mwilini?
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12
Ikiwa wengine wanashiriki uwezo huu juu yenu, sisi si zaidi? Lakini hatukuutumia uwezo huo; bali twayavumilia mambo yote tusije tukaizuia Habari Njema ya Kristo.
If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13
Hamjui ya kuwa wale wazifanyao kazi za hekaluni hula katika vitu vya hekalu, na wale waihudumiao madhabahu huwa na fungu lao katika vitu vya madhabahu?
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
14
Na Bwana vivyo hivyo ameamuru kwamba wale waihubirio Injili wapate riziki kwa hiyo Injili.
In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15
Lakini mimi sikutumia mambo hayo hata moja. Wala siyaandiki hayo ili iwe hivyo kwangu mimi; maana ni heri nife kuliko mtu awaye yote abatilishe huku kujisifu kwangu.
But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
16
Maana, ijapokuwa naihubiri Injili, sina la kujisifia; maana nimewekewa sharti; tena ole wangu nisipoihubiri Injili!
Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17
Maana nikiitenda kazi hii kwa hiari yangu nina thawabu; ila ikiwa si kwa hiari yangu, nimeaminiwa uwakili.
If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
18
Basi thawabu yangu ni nini? Ni hii, ya kuwa nihubiripo, nitaitoa Injili bila gharama, bila kutumia kwa utimilifu uwezo wangu nilio nao katika Injili.
What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
19
Maana, ingawa nimekuwa huru kwa watu wote, nalijifanya mtumwa wa wote, ili nipate watu wengi zaidi.
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20
Nalikuwa kama Myahudi kwa Wayahudi, ili niwapate Wayahudi; kwa wale walio chini ya sheria, nalikuwa kama chini ya sheria, (ingawa mimi mwenyewe si chini ya sheria), ili niwapate walio chini ya sheria.
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
21
Kwa wale wasio na sheria nalikuwa kama sina sheria, (si kwamba sina sheria mbele za Mungu, bali mwenye sheria mbele za Kristo), ili niwapate hao wasio na sheria.
To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
22
Kwa wanyonge nalikuwa mnyonge, ili niwapate wanyonge. Nimekuwa hali zote kwa watu wote, ili kwa njia zote nipate kuwaokoa watu.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23
Nami nafanya mambo yote kwa ajili ya Injili ili kuishiriki pamoja na wengine.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24
Je! Hamjui, ya kuwa wale washindanao kwa kupiga mbio, hupiga mbio wote, lakini apokeaye tuzo ni mmoja? Pigeni mbio namna hiyo, ili mpate.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
25
Na kila ashindanaye katika michezo hujizuia katika yote; basi hao hufanya hivyo kusudi wapokee taji iharibikayo; bali sisi tupokee taji isiyoharibika.
Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
26
Hata mimi napiga mbio vivyo hivyo, si kama asitaye; napigana ngumi vivyo hivyo, si kama apigaye hewa;
Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27
bali nautesa mwili wangu na kuutumikisha; isiwe, nikiisha kuwahubiri wengine, mwenyewe niwe mtu wa kukataliwa.
No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.