1Laiti mngenivumilia kidogo, hata kama mimi ni mjinga kiasi fulani! Naam, nivumilieni kidogo.
1Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2Ninawaoneeni wivu lakini ni wivu wa Mungu; maana ninyi ni kama bikira safi niliyemposa kwa mwanamume mmoja tu ambaye ndiye Kristo.
2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3Lakini naogopa kwamba, kama vile yule nyoka kwa hila zake za uongo alimdanganya Hawa, fikira zenu zaweza kupotoshwa, mkauacha uaminifu wenu wa kweli kwa Kristo.
3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4Maana mtu yeyote ajaye na kumhubiri Yesu aliye tofauti na yule tuliyemhubiri, ninyi mwampokea kwa mikono miwili; au mnakubali roho au habari njema tofauti kabisa na ile mliyopokea kutoka kwetu!
4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
5Sidhani kwamba mimi ni mdogo kuliko hao "mitume wakuu."
5For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6Labda sina ufasaha wa lugha, lakini elimu ninayo; jambo hili tumelionyesha wazi kwenu, kila mahali na kila wakati.
6But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7Mimi niliihubiri kwenu Habari Njema ya Mungu bila kudai mshahara; nilijinyenyekeza ili nipate kuwakweza ninyi. Je, nilifanya vibaya?
7Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8Nilipofanya kazi kati yenu, mahitaji yangu yaligharimiwa na makanisa mengine. Kwa namna moja au nyingine niliwapokonya wao mali yao nipate kuwatumikia ninyi.
8I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9Nilipokuwa nanyi sikumsumbua mtu yeyote nilipohitaji fedha; ndugu waliotoka Makedonia waliniletea kila kitu nilichohitaji. Nilikuwa mwangalifu sana nisiwe mzigo kwa namna yoyote ile, na nitaendelea kufanya hivyo.
9And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10Naahidi kwa ule ukweli wa Kristo ulio ndani yangu, kwamba hakuna kitakachoweza kunizuia kujivunia jambo hilo popote katika Akaya.
10As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11Kwa nini nasema hivyo? Kwa sababu eti siwapendi ninyi? Mungu anajua kwamba nawapenda!
11Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12Nitaendelea kufanya kama ninavyofanya sasa, ili nisiwape nafasi wale wanaotafuta nafasi, nafasi ya kujivuna kwamba eti wanafanya kazi kama sisi.
12But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13Maana, hao ni mitume wa uongo, wafanyakazi wadanganyifu wanojisingizia kuwa mitume wa Kristo.
13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14Wala si ajabu, maana hata Shetani mwenyewe hujisingizia kuwa malaika wa mwanga!
14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15Kwa hiyo si jambo la kushangaza ikiwa na hao watumishi wake wanajisingizia kuwa watumishi wa haki. Mwisho wao watapata kile wanachostahili kufuatana na matendo yao.
15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16Tena nasema: Mtu asinifikirie kuwa mpumbavu. Lakini kama mkifikiri hivyo, basi, nichukueni kama mpumbavu ili nami nipate kuwa na cha kujivunia angaa kidogo.
16I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
17Ninachosema sasa si kile alichoniagiza Bwana; kuhusu jambo hili la kujivuna, nasema tu kama mtu mpumbavu.
17That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18Maadam wengi hujivuna kwa sababu za kidunia, nami pia nitajivuna.
18Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19Ninyi ni wenye busara, ndiyo maana hata mnawavumilia wapumbavu!
19For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20Mnamvumilia hata mtu anayewafanya ninyi watumwa, mtu mwenye kuwanyonya, mwenye kuwakandamiza, mwenye kuwadharau na kuwapiga usoni!
20For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21Kwa aibu nakubali kwamba sisi tulikuwa dhaifu. Iwe iwavyo, lakini kama kuna mtu yeyote anayethubutu kujivunia kitu--nasema kama mtu mpumbavu--mimi nathubutu pia.
21I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22Je, wao ni Waebrania? Hata mimi. Je, wao ni Waisraeli? Hata mimi. Wao ni wazawa wa Abrahamu? Hata mimi.
22Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23Wao ni watumishi wa Kristo? Hata mimi--nanena hayo kiwazimu--ni mtumishi wa Kristo zaidi kuliko wao. Mimi nimefanya kazi ngumu zaidi, nimekaa gerezani mara nyingi zaidi, nimepigwa mara nyingi zaidi na nimekaribia kifo mara nyingi.
23Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24Mara tano nilichapwa vile viboko thelathini na tisa vya Wayahudi.
24Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25Nilipigwa viboko mara tatu, nilipigwa mawe mara moja; mara tatu nilivunjikiwa meli baharini, na humo nikakesha usiku kucha na kushinda mchana kutwa.
25Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26Kila mara safarini nimekabiliwa na hatari za mafuriko ya mito, na hatari za wanyama; hatari kutoka kwa wananchi wenzangu na kutoka kwa watu wa mataifa mengine; hatari za mjini, hatari za porini, hatari za baharini, hatari kutoka kwa ndugu wa uongo
26In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27Nimefanya kazi na kutaabika, nimekesha bila usingizi mara nyingi; nimekuwa na njaa na kiu; mara nyingi nimefunga na kukaa katika baridi bila nguo.
27In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28Na, licha ya mengine mengi, kila siku nakabiliwa na shughuli za makanisa yote.
28Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29Kama mtu yeyote ni dhaifu, nami pia ni dhaifu; mtu yeyote akikwazwa, nami pia huwa na wasiwasi.
29Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30Ikinilazimu kujivuna, basi, nitajivunia udhaifu wangu.
30If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31Mungu na Baba wa Bwana Yesu--jina lake litukuzwe milele--yeye anajua kwamba sisemi uongo.
31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32Nilipokuwa Damasko, mkuu wa mkoa, aliyekuwa chini ya mfalme Areta, alikuwa akiulinda mji wa Damasko ili apate kunikamata.
32In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33Lakini, ndani ya kapu kubwa, niliteremshwa nje kupitia katika nafasi ukutani, nikachopoka mikononi mwake.
33And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.