¹Let a man so reckon us as officers of Christ, and stewards of the secrets of God,

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

²and as to the rest, it is required in the stewards that one may be found faithful,

²Kinachotakiwa kwa yeyote yule aliyekabidhiwa kazi ni kuwa mwaminifu.

³and to me it is for a very little thing that by you I may be judged, or by man`s day, but not even myself do I judge,

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

⁴for of nothing to myself have I been conscious, but not in this have I been declared right — and he who is discerning me is the Lord:

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

⁵so, then, nothing before the time judge ye, till the Lord may come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of the darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then the praise shall come to each from 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 did transfer to myself and to Apollos because of you, that in us ye may learn not to think above that which hath been written, that ye may not be puffed up one for one against the other,

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 doth make thee to differ? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? and if thou didst also receive, why dost thou glory as not having received?

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

⁸Already ye are having been filled, already ye were rich, apart from us ye did reign, and I would also ye did reign, that we also with you may reign together,

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 did set forth us the apostles last — as appointed to death, because a spectacle we became to the world, and messengers, and 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 because of Christ, and ye wise in Christ; we [are] ailing, and ye strong; ye glorious, and we dishonoured;

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.

¹¹unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about,

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;

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

¹³being spoken evil of, we entreat; as filth of the world we did become — of all things an offscouring — till now.

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

¹⁴Not [as] putting you to shame do I write these things, but as my beloved children I do admonish,

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

¹⁵for if a myriad of child-conductors ye may have in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus, through the good news, I — I did beget you;

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.

¹⁶I call upon you, therefore, become ye followers of me;

¹⁶Kwa hiyo, nawasihi: fuateni mfano wangu.

¹⁷because of this I sent to you Timotheus, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who shall remind you of my ways in Christ, according as everywhere in every assembly I teach.

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.

¹⁸And as if I were not coming unto you certain were puffed up;

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

¹⁹but I will come quickly unto you, if the Lord may will, and I will know not the word of those 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 not in word is the reign of God, but in power?

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

²¹what do ye wish? with a rod shall I come unto you, or in love, with a spirit also of meekness?

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