1
Basi, mimi Paulo mwenyewe nawasihi kwa upole na utaratibu wa Kristo; mimi niliye mnyenyekevu nikiwapo pamoja nanyi, bali nisipokuwapo ni mwenye ujasiri kwenu;
Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.
2
naam, naomba kwamba nikiwapo, nisiwe na ujasiri kwa uthabiti ambao nahesabu kuwa nao juu ya wale wanaodhania ya kuwa sisi tunaenenda kwa jinsi ya mwili.
I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.
3
Maana ingawa tunaenenda katika mwili, hatufanyi vita kwa jinsi ya mwili;
For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
4
(maana silaha za vita vyetu si za mwili, bali zina uwezo katika Mungu hata kuangusha ngome;)
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5
tukiangusha mawazo na kila kitu kilichoinuka, kijiinuacho juu ya elimu ya Mungu; na tukiteka nyara kila fikira ipate kumtii Kristo;
We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6
tena tukiwa tayari kupatiliza maasi yote, kutii kwenu kutakapotimia.
And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.
7
Yaangalieni yaliyo mbele ya macho yenu. Mtu akijitumainia mwenyewe ya kuwa ni mtu wa Kristo, na afikiri hivi pia nafsini mwake, ya kwamba kama yeye alivyo mtu wa Kristo, vivyo hivyo na sisi.
You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.
8
Maana, nijapojisifu zaidi kidogo kwa ajili ya mamlaka yetu, (tuliyopewa na Bwana, tupate kuwajenga wala si kuwaangusha), sitatahayarika;
For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.
9
nisije nikaonekana kana kwamba nataka kuwaogofya kwa nyaraka zangu.
I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.
10
Maana wasema, Nyaraka zake ni nzito, hodari; bali akiwapo mwenyewe mwilini ni dhaifu, na maneno yake si kitu.
For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”
11
Mtu kama huyo na afikiri hivi, ya kwamba jinsi tulivyo kwa maneno katika nyaraka tusipokuwapo, ndivyo tulivyo kwa matendo tukiwapo.
Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.
12
Kwa kuwa hatuthubutu kujihesabu pamoja na baadhi yao wanaojisifu wenyewe, wala kujilinganisha nao; bali wao wenyewe wakijipima nafsi zao na nafsi zao, na wakijilinganisha nafsi zao na nafsi zao, hawana akili.
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.
13
Lakini sisi hatutajisifu zaidi ya kadiri yetu; bali kwa kadiri ya kipimo tulichopimiwa na Mungu, yaani, kadiri ya kufika hata kwenu.
We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.
14
Maana hatujitanui nafsi zetu kupita kadiri yetu, kana kwamba hatuwafikii ninyi; kwa sababu tulitangulia kufika mpaka kwenu katika injili ya Kristo;
We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.
15
wala hatujisifu zaidi ya kadiri yetu, yaani, katika taabu za watu wengine; bali tukiwa na tumaini ya kwamba, imani yenu ikuapo, tutakuzwa kwenu kwa kadiri ya kipimo chetu, na kupata ziada;
Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,
16
hata kuihubiri Injili katika nchi zilizo mbele kupita nchi zenu; tusijisifu katika kipimo cha mtu mwingine kwa mambo yaliyokwisha kutengenezwa.
so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.
17
Lakini, Yeye ajisifuye, na ajisifu katika Bwana.
Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
18
Maana mtu mwenye kukubaliwa si yeye ajisifuye, bali yeye asifiwaye na Bwana.
For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.