1 Corinthians 9

1 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?

1 Je, mimi si huru? Je, mimi si mtume? Je, mimi sikumwona Yesu, Bwana wetu? Je, ninyi si matunda ya kazi yangu katika Bwana?

2 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.

2 Hata kama mimi si mtume kwa wengine, hakika mimi ni mtume kwenu, kwa maana ninyi ni mhuri wa utume wangu katika Bwana.

3 This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:

3 Huu ndio utetezi wangu kwa hao wanaokaa kunihukumu.

4 Have we no right to food and to drink?

4 Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?

5 Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

5 Je, hatuna haki ya kusafiri na mke anayeamini, kama wanavyofanya mitume wengine na ndugu zake Bwana na Kefa?

6 Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

6 Au ni mimi na Barnaba tu inatubidi kufanya kazi ili tuweze kupata mahitaji yetu?

7 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?

7 Ni askari yupi aendaye vitani kwa gharama zake mwenyewe? Ni nani apandaye shamba la mizabibu na asile matunda yake? Ni nani achungaye kundi na asipate maziwa yake.

8 Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?

8 Je, nasema mambo haya katika mtazamo wa kibinadamu tu? Je, sheria haisemi vivyo hivyo?

9 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?

9 Kwa maana imeandikwa katika Sheria ya Mose: “Usimfunge maksai kinywa apurapo nafaka.” Je, Mungu hapa anahusika na ngʼombe?

10 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.

10 Je, Mungu hasemi haya hasa kwa ajili yetu? Hakika yameandikwa kwa ajili yetu, kwa sababu mtu anapolima na mpuraji akapura nafaka, wote wanapaswa kufanya hivyo wakiwa na tumaini la kushiriki mavuno.

11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?

11 Je, ikiwa sisi tulipanda mbegu ya kiroho miongoni mwenu, itakuwa ni jambo kubwa iwapo tutavuna vitu vya mwili kutoka kwenu?

12 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.

12 Kama wengine wana haki ya kupata msaada kutoka kwenu, isingepasa tuwe na haki hiyo hata zaidi? Lakini sisi hatukutumia haki hii. Kinyume chake, tunavumilia kila kitu ili tusije tukazuia Injili ya Kristo.

13 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?

13 Je, hamjui kwamba, watu wafanyao kazi hekaluni hupata chakula chao kutoka hekaluni, nao wale wahudumiao madhabahuni hushiriki kile kitolewacho madhabahuni?

14 In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

14 Vivyo hivyo, Bwana ameamuru kwamba wale wanaohubiri Injili wapate riziki yao kutokana na Injili.

15 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.

15 Lakini sijatumia hata mojawapo ya haki hizi. Nami siandiki haya nikitumaini kwamba mtanifanyia mambo hayo. Heri nife kuliko mtu yeyote kuninyima huku kujisifu kwangu.

16 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!

16 Lakini ninapohubiri Injili siwezi kujisifu maana ninalazimika kuhubiri. Ole wangu nisipoihubiri Injili!

17 If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

17 Nikihubiri kwa hiari, ninayo thawabu. Lakini kama si kwa hiari, basi ninachofanya ni kutekeleza tu uwakili niliowekewa.

18 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.

18 Basi je, thawabu yangu ni nini? Thawabu yangu ni hii: Ya kwamba katika kuhubiri Injili niitoe bila gharama, bila kutumia kwa utimilifu uwezo wangu nilio nao katika Injili.

19 Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

19 Ingawa mimi ni huru, wala si mtumwa wa mtu yeyote, nimejifanya kuwa mtumwa wa kila mtu, ili niweze kuwavuta wengi kadri iwezekanavyo.

20 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.

20 Kwa Wayahudi, nilikuwa kama Myahudi, ili niwapate Wayahudi. Kwa watu wale walio chini ya sheria, nilikuwa kama aliye chini ya sheria (ingawa mimi siko chini ya sheria), ili niweze kuwapata wale walio chini ya sheria.

21 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.

21 Kwa watu wasio na sheria nilikuwa kama asiye na sheria (ingawa siko huru mbali na sheria ya Mungu, bali niko chini ya sheria ya Kristo), ili niweze kuwapata wale wasio na sheria.

22 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.

22 Kwa walio dhaifu nilikuwa dhaifu, ili niweze kuwapata walio dhaifu. Nimekuwa mtu wa hali zote kwa watu wote ili kwa njia yoyote niweze kuwaokoa baadhi yao.

23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

23 Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Injili, ili nipate kushiriki baraka zake.

24 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.

24 Je, hamjui kwamba katika mashindano ya mbio wote wanaoshindana hukimbia, lakini ni mmoja wao tu apewaye tuzo? Kwa hiyo kimbieni katika mashindano kwa jinsi ambavyo mtapata tuzo.

25 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.

25 Kila mmoja anayeshiriki katika mashindano hufanya mazoezi makali. Wao hufanya hivyo ili wapokee taji isiyodumu, lakini sisi tunafanya hivyo ili kupata taji idumuyo milele.

26 Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.

26 Kwa hiyo mimi sikimbii kama mtu akimbiaye bila lengo, sipigani kama mtu anayepiga hewa,

27 No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

27 la, bali nautesa mwili wangu na kuutumikisha ili nikiisha kuwahubiria wengine, mimi nisiwe mtu wa kukataliwa.