¹Ndugu, mimi sikuweza kusema nanyi kama watu mlio na huyo Roho. Nilipaswa kusema nanyi kama watu wa kidunia, kama watoto wachanga katika maisha ya Kikristo.

¹And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly — as to babes in Christ;

²Ilinibidi kuwalisheni kwa maziwa, na si kwa chakula kigumu, kwani hamkuwa tayari kukipokea. Hata sasa hamko tayari.

²with milk I fed you, and not with meat, for ye were not yet able, but not even yet are ye now able,

³Maana bado mu watu wa kidunia. Je, si kweli kwamba bado uko wivu na magombano kati yenu? Mambo hayo yanaonyesha wazi kwamba ninyi bado ni watu wa kidunia, mnaishi mtindo wa kidunia.

³for yet ye are fleshly, for where [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk?

⁴Mmoja wenu anaposema, "Mimi ni wa Paulo", na mwingine, "Mimi ni wa Apolo", je, hiyo haionyeshi kwamba mnaishi bado kama watu wa dunia hii tu?

⁴for when one may say, `I, indeed, am of Paul;` and another, `I — of Apollos;` are ye not fleshly?

⁵Apolo ni nani? na Paulo ni nani? Sisi ni watumishi tu ambao tuliwaleteeni ninyi imani. Kila mmoja wetu anafanya kazi aliyopewa na Bwana.

⁵Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave?

⁶Mimi nilipanda mbegu, Apolo akamwagilia maji; lakini aliyeiotesha mbegu ni Mungu.

⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth;

⁷Wa maana si yule aliyepanda mbegu, au yule aliyemwagilia maji; wa maana ni Mungu aliyeiwezesha mbegu kuota.

⁷so that neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is watering, but He who is giving growth — God;

⁸Yule aliyepanda na yule aliyemwagilia maji wote ni sawa, ingawa kila mmoja atapokea tuzo lake kufuatana na jitihada yake mwenyewe.

⁸and he who is planting and he who is watering are one, and each his own reward shall receive, according to his own labour,

⁹Maana sisi ni ndugu, wafanyakazi pamoja na Mungu; na ninyi ni shamba lake; ninyi ni jengo lake.

⁹for of God we are fellow-workmen; God`s tillage, God`s building ye are.

¹⁰Kwa msaada wa neema aliyonipa Mungu, nimefaulu, kama mwashi stadi mwenye busara, kuweka msingi ambao juu yake mtu mwingine anajenga. Basi, kila mmoja awe mwangalifu jinsi anavyojenga juu yake.

¹⁰According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on [it],

¹¹Hakuna mtu awezaye kuweka msingi mwingine badala ya ule uliokwisha wekwa, yaani Yesu Kristo.

¹¹for other foundation no one is able to lay except that which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ;

¹²Juu ya msingi huo mtu anaweza kujenga kwa dhahabu, fedha au mawe ya thamani; anaweza kutumia miti, majani au nyasi.

¹²and if any one doth build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw —

¹³Iwe iwavyo, ubora wa kazi ya kila mmoja utaonekana wakati Siku ile ya Kristo itakapoifichua. Maana, Siku hiyo itatokea na moto, na huo moto utaipima na kuonyesha ubora wake.

¹³of each the work shall become manifest, for the day shall declare [it], because in fire it is revealed, and the work of each, what kind it is, the fire shall prove;

¹⁴Ikiwa alichojenga mtu juu ya huo msingi kitaustahimili huo moto, atapokea tuzo;

¹⁴if of any one the work doth remain that he built on [it], a wage he shall receive;

¹⁵lakini kama alichojenga kitaunguzwa, basi, atapoteza tuzo lake; lakini yeye mwenyewe ataokolewa kana kwamba ameponyoka kutoka motoni.

¹⁵if of any the work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; and himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.

¹⁶Je, hamjui kwamba ninyi ni hekalu la Mungu, na kwamba Roho wa Mungu anakaa ndani yenu?

¹⁶have ye not known that ye are a sanctuary of God, and the Spirit of God doth dwell in you?

¹⁷Basi, mtu akiliharibu hekalu la Mungu, Mungu atamharibu; maana hekalu la Mungu ni takatifu, na hekalu hilo ni ninyi wenyewe.

¹⁷if any one the sanctuary of God doth waste, him shall God waste; for the sanctuary of God is holy, the which ye are.

¹⁸Msijidanganye! Mtu yeyote miongoni mwenu akijidhania mwenye hekima mtindo wa kidunia, heri awe mjinga kusudi apate kuwa na hekima ya kweli.

¹⁸Let no one deceive himself; if any one doth seem to be wise among you in this age — let him become a fool, that he may become wise,

¹⁹Maana, hekima ya kidunia ni upumbavu mbele ya Mungu. Kwani Maandiko Matakatifu yasema: "Mungu huwanasa wenye hekima katika ujanja wao."

¹⁹for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, `Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;`

²⁰Na tena: "Bwana ajua kwamba mawazo ya wenye hekima hayafai."

²⁰and again, `The Lord doth know the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.`

²¹Basi, mtu asijivunie watu. Maana kila kitu ni chenu.

²¹So then, let no one glory in men, for all things are yours,

²²Paulo, Apolo na Kefa, ulimwengu, maisha na kifo; mambo ya sasa na ya baadaye, yote ni yenu.

²²whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things about to be — all are yours,

²³Lakini ninyi ni wa Kristo naye Kristo ni wa Mungu.

²³and ye [are] Christ`s, and Christ [is] God`s.