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

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

²Kinachotakiwa kwa yeyote yule aliyekabidhiwa kazi ni kuwa mwaminifu.

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

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

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,

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

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:

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.

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.

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.

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,

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

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?

⁸Haya, mmekwisha shiba! Mmekwisha kuwa matajiri! Mmekuwa wafalme bila ya sisi! Naam, laiti mngekuwa kweli watawala, ili nasi pia tuweze kutawala pamoja nanyi.

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,

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.

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;

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.

¹⁰we [are] fools because of Christ, and ye wise in Christ; we [are] ailing, and ye strong; ye glorious, and we dishonoured;

¹¹Mpaka dakika hii, sisi tuna njaa na kiu, hatuna nguo, twapigwa makofi, hatuna malazi.

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

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

¹²and labour, working with [our] own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer;

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

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

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

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

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.

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;

¹⁶Kwa hiyo, nawasihi: fuateni mfano wangu.

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

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.

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.

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

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

¹⁹Lakini, Bwana akipenda, nitakuja kwenu upesi; na hapo ndipo nitakapojionea mwenyewe, sio tu kile wanachoweza kusema hao wenye majivuno, bali pia kila wanachoweza kufanya.

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;

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

²⁰for not in word is the reign of God, but in power?

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

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