¹Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will, and the brother Timotheus, to the assembly of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.

¹Mimi Paulo, mtume wa Kristo Yesu kwa mapenzi ya Mungu, na ndugu Timotheo, tunawaandikia ninyi mlio kanisa la Mungu huko Korintho, na watu wote wa Mungu kila mahali katika Akaya.

²Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.

²Tunawatakieni neema na amani kutoka kwa Mungu Baba yetu na Bwana Yesu Kristo.

³Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions, and God of all encouragement;

³Atukuzwe Mungu na Baba wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, Baba mwenye huruma na Mungu mwenye kuleta faraja yote.

⁴who encourages us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to encourage those who are in any tribulation whatever, through the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged of God.

⁴Yeye hutufariji sisi katika taabu zetu zote, ili nasi tupate kuwafariji wengine katika kila taabu kwa faraja hiyohiyo tunayopokea kutoka kwa Mungu.

⁵Because, even as the sufferings of the Christ abound towards us, so through the Christ does our encouragement also abound.

⁵Naam, kadiri mateso ya Kristo yanavyozidi ndani yetu, ni kadiri hiyohiyo tunazidi kufarijiwa naye.

⁶But whether we are in tribulation, [it is] for your encouragement and salvation, wrought in the endurance of the same sufferings which *we* also suffer,

⁶Ikiwa tunapata taabu, basi ni kwa ajili ya faraja na wokovu wenu. Tukifarijika, ni kwa ajili ya kuwafariji ninyi na kuwaunga mkono mpate nguvu ya kustahimili mateso yaleyale tunayoteseka sisi.

⁷(and our hope for you [is] sure;) or whether we are encouraged, [it is] for your encouragement and salvation: knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the encouragement.

⁷Tena, matumaini tuliyo nayo kwa ajili yenu ni imara; tunajua kwamba mkishiriki mateso yetu, mtashiriki pia faraja yetu.

⁸For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as to our tribulation which happened [to us] in Asia, that we were excessively pressed beyond [our] power, so as to despair even of living.

⁸Ndugu, tunataka kuwajulisheni taabu zilizotupata kule Asia; taabu hizo zilitulemea kupita kiasi, hata tukakata matumaini yote ya kuendelea kuishi.

⁹But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not have our trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

⁹Naam, tulikuwa kama watu waliohukumiwa kuuawa, ili tufundishwe kumtegemea Mungu mwenye kuwafufua wafu, badala ya kutegemea nguvu zetu sisi wenyewe.

¹⁰who has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver; in whom we confide that he will also yet deliver;

¹⁰Yeye alituokoa katika hatari kubwa ya kifo, na anaendelea kutuokoa; sisi tumemwekea tumaini letu kwamba atatuokoa tena,

¹¹ye also labouring together by supplication for us that the gift towards us, through means of many persons, may be the subject of the thanksgiving of many for us.

¹¹ninyi mkiwa mnatuunga mkono kwa kutuombea. Hivyo neema tutakazokuwa tumepata kutokana na maombi ya watu wengi hivyo, ziwe sababu ya watu wengi zaidi kumshukuru Mungu kwa ajili yetu.

¹²For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity before God, (not in fleshly wisdom but in God's grace,) we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly towards you.

¹²Sisi tunajivunia kitu kimoja: dhamiri yetu inatuhakikishia kwamba tumeishi ulimwenguni hapa, na hasa kati yenu, kwa unyenyekevu na unyofu tuliojaliwa na Mungu; hatukuongozwa na hekima ya kibinadamu bali neema ya Mungu.

¹³For we do not write other things to you but what ye well know and recognise; and I hope that ye will recognise to the end,

¹³Tunawaandikia ninyi mambo mnayoweza kuyasoma na kuyaelewa. Ninatumaini kwamba mtaelewa vizuri kabisa,

¹⁴even as also ye have recognised us in part, that we are your boast, even as *ye* [are] ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴maana mpaka sasa mmenielewa kiasi fulani tu. Tunajua kwamba katika ile Siku ya Bwana Yesu mtaweza kutuonea sisi fahari kama nasi tunavyowaonea ninyi fahari.

¹⁵And with this confidence I purposed to come to you previously, that ye might have a second favour;

¹⁵Nikiwa na matumaini hayo, nilikusudia kuja kwenu hapo awali ili mpate baraka maradufu.

¹⁶and to pass through to Macedonia by you, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be set forward by you to Judaea.

¹⁶Nilikusudia kupita kwenu nikiwa safarini kwenda Makedonia, na wakati wa kurudi pia, ili nipate msaada wenu kwa safari yangu kwenda Yudea.

¹⁷Having therefore this purpose, did I then use lightness? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to flesh, that there should be with me yea yea, and nay nay?

¹⁷Je, mnadhani nilipopanga hivyo nimekuwa kama mtu asiye na msimamo? Je, mnadhani kwamba ninafanya uamuzi wangu kwa fikira za kibinadamu na kwamba nasema "Ndiyo" na "Siyo" papo hapo?

¹⁸Now God [is] faithful, that our word to you is not yea and nay.

¹⁸Mungu ni ukweli mtupu; basi, kile tulichowaambia ninyi si jambo la "Ndiyo" na "Siyo".

¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), did not become yea and nay, but yea *is* in him.

¹⁹Maana Kristo Yesu, Mwana wa Mungu, ambaye mimi, Silwano na Timotheo, tulimhubiri kwenu, hakuwa mtu wa "Ndiyo" na "Siyo"; bali yeye daima ni "Ndiyo" ya Mungu.

²⁰For whatever promises of God [there are], in him is the yea, and in him the amen, for glory to God by us.

²⁰Maana ndani yake ahadi zote za Mungu zimekuwa "Ndiyo". Kwa sababu hiyo, "Amina" yetu husemwa kwa njia ya Kristo kwa ajili ya kumtukuza Mungu.

²¹Now he that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, [is] God,

²¹Mungu mwenyewe ndiye mwenye kutuimarisha sisi na ninyi pia katika Kristo, na ndiye anayetuweka wakfu;

²²who also has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

²²ndiye aliyetutia mhuri wa kuwa mali yake yeye na kutujalia Roho mioyoni mwetu kama dhamana ya mambo yote ambayo ametuwekea.

²³But I call God to witness upon my soul that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth.

²³Mungu ndiye shahidi wangu--yeye anajua moyo wangu! Mimi sikuja tena Korintho, kwa sababu tu ya kuwahurumieni.

²⁴Not that we rule over your faith, but are fellow-workmen of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

²⁴Hatutaki kutumia mabavu juu ya imani yenu; ninyi mko imara katika imani yenu. Wajibu wetu ni kufanya kazi pamoja kwa ajili ya furaha yenu.