¹Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

¹Mtu na atuone sisi kuwa ni watumishi wa Kristo tuliokabidhiwa siri za mungu.

²Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

²Kinachotakiwa kwa yeyote yule aliyekabidhiwa kazi ni kuwa mwaminifu.

³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

³Kwangu mimi si kitu nikihukumiwa na ninyi, au na mahakama ya kibinadamu; wala sijihukumu.

⁴For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

⁴Dhamiri yangu hainishtaki kwa jambo lolote, lakini hiyo haionyeshi kwamba sina lawama. Bwana ndiye anayenihukumu.

⁵Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

⁵Basi, msihukumu kabla ya wakati wake acheni mpaka Bwana atakapokuja. Yeye atayafichua mambo ya giza yaliyofichika, na kuonyesha wazi nia za mioyo ya watu. Ndipo kila mmoja atapata sifa anayostahili kutoka kwa Mungu.

⁶And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

⁶Ndugu, hayo yote niliyosema juu ya Apolo na juu yangu, ni kielelezo kwenu: kutokana na mfano wangu mimi na Apolo nataka mwelewe maana ya msemo huu: "Zingatieni yaliyoandikwa." Kati yenu pasiwe na mtu yeyote anayejivunia mtu mmoja na kumdharau mwingine.

⁷For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

⁷Nani amekupendelea wewe? Una kitu gani wewe ambacho hukupewa? Na ikiwa umepewa, ya nini kujivunia kana kwamba hukukipewa?

⁸Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

⁸Haya, mmekwisha shiba! Mmekwisha kuwa matajiri! Mmekuwa wafalme bila ya sisi! Naam, laiti mngekuwa kweli watawala, ili nasi pia tuweze kutawala pamoja nanyi.

⁹For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

⁹Nafikiri Mungu ametufanya sisi mitume tuwe watu wa mwisho kabisa, kama watu waliohukumiwa kuuawa, maana tumekuwa tamasha mbele ya ulimwengu wote, mbele ya malaika na watu.

¹⁰We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

¹⁰Sisi ni wapumbavu kwa ajili ya Kristo, lakini ninyi ni wenye busara katika kuungana na Kristo! Sisi ni dhaifu, ninyi ni wenye nguvu. Ninyi mnaheshimika, sisi tunadharauliwa.

¹¹Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

¹¹Mpaka dakika hii, sisi tuna njaa na kiu, hatuna nguo, twapigwa makofi, hatuna malazi.

¹²And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

¹²Tena twataabika na kufanya kazi kwa mikono yetu wenyewe. Tukitukanwa, tunawatakia baraka; tukidhulumiwa, tunavumilia;

¹³Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

¹³tukisingiziwa, tunajibu kwa adabu. Mpaka sasa tumetendewa kama uchafu wa dunia; na kwa kila mtu sisi ni takataka!

¹⁴I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

¹⁴Siandiki mambo haya kwa ajili ya kuwaaibisha ninyi, bali kwa ajili ya kuwafundisheni watoto wangu wapenzi.

¹⁵For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

¹⁵Maana hata kama mnao maelfu ya walezi katika maisha yenu ya Kikristo, baba yenu ni mmoja tu, kwani katika maisha ya Kikristo mimi ndiye niliyewazaeni kwa kuihubiri Habari Njema.

¹⁶Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

¹⁶Kwa hiyo, nawasihi: fuateni mfano wangu.

¹⁷For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

¹⁷Ndiyo maana nimemtuma Timetheo kwenu. Yeye ni mtoto wangu mpenzi na mwaminifu katika Bwana. Atawakumbusheni njia ninayofuata katika kuishi maisha ya Kikristo; njia ninayofundisha kila mahali katika makanisa yote.

¹⁸Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

¹⁸Baadhi yenu wameanza kuwa na majivuno wakidhani kwamba sitakuja tena kwenu.

¹⁹But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

¹⁹Lakini, Bwana akipenda, nitakuja kwenu upesi; na hapo ndipo nitakapojionea mwenyewe, sio tu kile wanachoweza kusema hao wenye majivuno, bali pia kila wanachoweza kufanya.

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

²⁰Maana Utawala wa Mungu si shauri la maneno matupu, bali ni nguvu.

²¹What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

²¹Mnapendelea lipi? Nije kwenu na fimbo, ama nije na moyo wa upendo na upole?