¹Je, mimi si mtu huru? Je, mimi si mtume? Je, mimi sikumwona Yesu Bwana wetu? Je, ninyi si matokeo ya kazi yangu kwa ajili ya Bwana?

¹Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord?

²Hata kama kwa watu wengine mimi si mtume, lakini walau kwenu ninyi mimi ni mtume. Ninyi ni uthibitisho wa mtume wangu kwa sababu ya kuungana kwenu na Bwana.

²if to others I am not an apostle — yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.

³Hoja yangu kwa wale wanaonipinga ndiyo hii:

³My defence to those who examine me in this;

⁴Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?

⁴have we not authority to eat and to drink?

⁵Je, hatuna ruhusa kumchukua mke Mkristo katika ziara zetu, kama vile wafanyavyo mitume wengine, ndugu zake Bwana, na pia Kefa?

⁵have we not authority a sister — a wife — to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶Au ni mimi tu na Barnaba ambao tunapaswa kujipatia maslahi yetu kwa kufanya kazi?

⁶or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority — not to work?

⁷Je, mwanajeshi gani anayelipia utumishi wake jeshini? Mkulima gani asiyekula matunda ya shamba lake la mizabibu? Mchungaji gani asiyekunywa maziwa ya mifugo yake?

⁷who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?

⁸Je, nasema mambo haya kibinadamu tu? Je, Sheria nayo haisemi hivyo?

⁸According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?

⁹Imeandikwa katika Sheria ya Mose: "Usimfunge kinywa ng'ombe anapoliwata nafaka." Je, ndio kusema Mungu anajishughulisha na ng'ombe?

⁹for in the law of Moses it hath been written, `thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;` for the oxen doth God care?

¹⁰Je, hakuwa anatufikiria sisi aliposema hivyo? Naam, haya yaliandikwa kwa ajili yetu; kwani yule anayelima na yule anayevuna, wote wawili wana haki ya kutumaini kupata sehemu ya mavuno.

¹⁰or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.

¹¹Ikiwa sisi tumepanda mbegu ya kiroho kati yenu, je, ni jambo kubwa tukichuma kwenu faida ya kidunia?

¹¹If we to you the spiritual things did sow — great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap?

¹²Ikiwa wengine wanayo haki ya kutazamia hayo kutoka kwenu, je, sisi hatuna haki zaidi kuliko hao? Lakini, sisi hatukuitumia haki hiyo, Badala yake, tumestahimili kila kitu ili tusiiwekee kizuizi chochote Habari Njema ya Kristo.

¹²if others do partake of the authority over you — not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.

¹³Je, hamjui kwamba wanaotumikia Hekaluni hupata chakula chao Hekaluni, na kwamba wanaotolea sadaka madhabahuni hupata sehemu ya hiyo sadaka?

¹³Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple — of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar — with the altar are partakers?

¹⁴Bwana aliagiza vivyo hivyo; wahubiri wa Habari Njema wapate riziki zao kutokana nayo.

¹⁴so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.

¹⁵Lakini, mimi sikutumia hata mojawapo ya haki hizo. Na wala siandiki nijipatie haki hizo; kwangu mimi ni afadhali kufa kuliko kumfanya yeyote aone kwamba najisifu bure.

¹⁵And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void;

¹⁶Ikiwa ninaihubiri Habari Njema, hilo si jambo la kujivunia; hilo ni jukumu nililopewa. Na, ole wangu kama sitaihubiri Habari Njema!

¹⁶for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and wo is to me if I may not proclaim good news;

¹⁷Ningekuwa nimeichagua kazi hii kwa hiari, basi, ningetazamia malipo; lakini maadam naifanya ikiwa ni wajibu, hiyo ina maana kwamba ni jukumu nililopewa nitekeleze.

¹⁷for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly — with a stewardship I have been entrusted!

¹⁸Mshahara wangu ni kitu gani, basi? Mshahara wangu ni fursa ya kuihubiri Habari Njema bure, bila kudai haki ninazostahili kwa kuihubiri.

¹⁸What, then, is my reward? — that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;

¹⁹Kwa hiyo, ingawa mimi si mtumwa wa mtu yeyote, nimejifanya mtumwa wa kila mtu ili nimpatie Kristo watu wengi iwezekanavyo.

¹⁹for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;

²⁰Kwa Wayahudi nimeishi kama Myahudi ili niwapate Wayahudi; yaani, ingawa mimi siko chini ya Sheria, nimejiweka chini ya Sheria kwao, ili niwapate hao walio chini ya Sheria.

²⁰and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;

²¹Na kwa wale walio nje ya Sheria, naishi kama wao, nje ya Sheria, ili niwapate hao walio nje ya Sheria. Hii haimaanishi kwamba mimi niko nje ya sheria ya Mungu, maana nabanwa na sheria ya Kristo.

²¹to those without law, as without law — (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) — that I might gain those without law;

²²Kwao walio dhaifu nimejifanya dhaifu ili niwapate hao walio dhaifu. Nimejifanya kila kitu kwa wote ili nipate kuwaokoa baadhi yao kwa kila njia.

²²I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.

²³Nafanya haya yote kwa ajili ya Habari Njema, nipate kushiriki baraka zake.

²³And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;

²⁴Je, hamjui kwamba katika uwanja wa michezo, ingawa wapiga mbio wote hukimbia, ni mmoja tu anayejinyakulia zawadi?

²⁴have ye not known that those running in a race — all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;

²⁵Wanariadha hujipa mazoezi na nidhamu kali; hufanya hivyo ili wajipatie taji iharibikayo! Lakini sisi twafanya hivyo tupate taji ya kudumu daima.

²⁵and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;

²⁶Ndivyo basi, ninavyopiga mbio nikiwa na nia ya kushinda; ndivyo ninavyopigana, na si kama bondia anayetupa ngumi zake hewani.

²⁶I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;

²⁷Naupa mwili wangu mazoezi magumu na kuutia katika nidhamu kamili, nisije mimi mwenyewe nikakataliwa baada ya kuwahubiria wengine.

²⁷but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others — I myself may become disapproved.