¹Ndugu, tunapenda kuwapa habari juu ya neema ambazo Mungu ameyajalia makanisa ya Makedonia.

¹Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

²Waumini wa huko walijaribiwa sana kwa taabu; lakini furaha yao ilikuwa kubwa hivi hata wakawa wakarimu kupita kiasi, ingawaje walikuwa maskini sana.

²How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

³Naweza kushuhudia kwamba walikuwa wakarimu kadiri ya nguvu zao na hata zaidi. Kwa hiari yao wenyewe,

³For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

⁴walitusihi sana wapewe nafasi ya kushiriki katika huduma hii ya kuwasaidia watu wa Mungu.

⁴Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

⁵Hilo lilikuwa jambo ambalo hatukulitazamia kabisa! Kwanza walijitolea wao wenyewe kwa Bwana, kisha wakajitolea wenyewe kwetu pia, kufuatana na mapenzi ya Mungu.

⁵And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

⁶Kwa sababu hiyo, tulimsihi Tito aliyeianza kazi hiyo awasaidieni pia muitekeleze huduma hii ya upendo miongoni mwenu.

⁶Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

⁷Ninyi mna kila kitu: imani, uwezo wa kusema, elimu; bidii yote ya kutenda mema, na upendo wenu kwetu. Hivyo, tunatazamia muwe wakarimu katika huduma hii ya upendo.

⁷Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

⁸Siwapi ninyi amri, lakini nataka tu kuonyesha jinsi wengine walivyo na bidii ya kusaidia ili nipate kujua jinsi upendo wenu ulivyo wa kweli.

⁸I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

⁹Maana, ninyi mnajua neema ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo: yeye, ingawa alikuwa na kila kitu, alijifanya maskini kwa ajili yenu, ili kutokana na umaskini wake, awatajirishe.

⁹For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

¹⁰Kuhusu jambo hili, basi, nawapeni shauri hili: inafaa kwenu kutekeleza sasa yale mliyoanza mwaka jana. Ninyi mlikuwa wa kwanza kuchukua hatua na kuamua kufanya hivyo.

¹⁰And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

¹¹Basi, kamilisheni shughuli hiyo; na kama vile mlivyokuwa na hamu kubwa ya kusaidia, basi, fanyeni bidii vivyo hivyo, kadiri ya uwezo wenu, kuikamilisha.

¹¹Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

¹²Maana ikiwa mtu ana moyo wa kusaidia, Mungu hupokea kila anachoweza kutoa: hadai zaidi.

¹²For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

¹³Ninyi hampaswi kuongezewa taabu kusudi wengine wapunguziwe mzigo wao; sivyo, ila ni lazima tujali usawa na haki.

¹³For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

¹⁴Kila mlicho nacho sasa cha ziada kiwasaidie wale wanaohitaji, ili nao wakati watakapokuwa na ziada, wawasaidie ninyi katika mahitaji yenu, na hivyo kuwe na usawa.

¹⁴But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

¹⁵Kama Maandiko yasemavyo: "Aliyekusanya kwa wingi hakuwa na ziada, na yule aliyekusanya kidogo hakupungukiwa."

¹⁵As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

¹⁶Namshukuru Mungu aliyeweka ndani ya moyo wa Tito hamu hiyo niliyo nayo mimi ya kuwasaidia.

¹⁶But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

¹⁷Si tu kwamba alikubali ombi letu, ila pia alikuwa na hamu kubwa ya kusaidia, hata akaamua kwa hiari yake mwenyewe kuja kwenu.

¹⁷For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

¹⁸Pamoja naye, tunamtuma ndugu mmoja ambaye sifa zake katika kueneza Habari Njema zimeenea katika makanisa yote.

¹⁸And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

¹⁹Zaidi ya hayo, yeye amechaguliwa na makanisa awe mwenzetu safarini wakati tunapopeleka huduma hii yetu ya upendo, huduma tunayoifanya kwa ajili ya utukufu wa Bwana na uthibitisho wa nia yetu njema.

¹⁹And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

²⁰Tunataka kuepa lawama zinazoweza kutokea kuhusu usimamizi wetu juu ya zawadi hii karimu.

²⁰Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

²¹Nia yetu ni kufanya vema, si tu mbele ya Bwana, lakini pia mbele ya watu.

²¹Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²²Basi, pamoja na ndugu hao, tumemtuma ndugu yetu mwingine ambaye mara nyingi tumempa majaribio mbalimbali, tukamwona kuwa ni mwenye hamu kubwa ya kusaidia; hata sasa amekuwa na moyo zaidi kwa sababu ana imani sana nanyi.

²²And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

²³Tito ni mwenzangu; tunafanya kazi pamoja kwa ajili yenu; lakini kuhusu hawa ndugu zetu wengine, wanaokuja pamoja nao, hao ni wajumbe wa makanisa, na utukufu kwa Kristo.

²³Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

²⁴Basi, waonyesheni uthabiti wa upendo wenu, makanisa yapate kuona kweli kwamba fahari ninayoona juu yenu ni ya halali.

²⁴Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.