¹Mimi Paulo, mtume wa Yesu Kristo kwa amri ya Mungu Mwokozi wetu na Yesu Kristo tumaini letu,

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to a command of God our Saviour, and of the Lord Jesus Christ our hope,

²nakuandikia Timotheo mwanangu halisi katika imani. Nakutakia neema, huruma na amani kutoka kwa Mungu Baba yetu na Kristo Yesu Bwana wetu.

²to Timotheus — genuine child in faith: Grace, kindness, peace, from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord,

³Napenda ukae huko Efeso, kama nilivyokuomba nilipokuwa ninakwenda Makedonia. Wako watu fulani huko wanaofundisha mafundisho ya uongo. Wakomeshe watu hao.

³according as I did exhort thee to remain in Ephesus — I going on to Macedonia — that thou mightest charge certain not to teach any other thing,

⁴Waambie waachane na zile hadithi tupu na orodha ndefu za mababu, ambazo huleta tu ubishi, wala haviwajengi watu katika mpango ujulikanao kwa imani.

⁴nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that cause questions rather than the building up of God that is in faith: —

⁵Shabaha ya amri hii ni kuhimiza mapendo yatokayo katika moyo safi, dhamiri njema, na imani ya kweli.

⁵And the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned,

⁶Watu wengine wamepotoka na kugeukia majadiliano yasiyo na maana.

⁶from which certain, having swerved, did turn aside to vain discourse,

⁷Wanapenda kuwa walimu wa Sheria, lakini hawaelewi maneno yao wenyewe au mambo wanayosisitiza.

⁷willing to be teachers of law, not understanding either the things they say, nor concerning what they asseverate,

⁸Twajua kwamba Sheria ni njema, kama ikitumiwa ipasavyo.

⁸and we have known that the law [is] good, if any one may use it lawfully;

⁹Lakini tunapaswa kukumbuka kwamba sheria haziwekwi kwa ajili ya watu wema, bali kwa ajili ya wahalifu na wasiotii, wasiomcha Mungu na wenye dhambi, watu wasio na dini na wa kidunia. Watu wanaowaua baba na mama zao, au wauaji wowote wale;

⁹having known this, that for a righteous man law is not set, but for lawless and insubordinate persons, ungodly and sinners, impious and profane, parricides and matricides, men-slayers,

¹⁰sheria imewekwa kwa ajili ya waasherati, wafiraji, wanaowaiba watu, waongo, na wanaoapa uongo au wanaofanya chochote ambacho ni kinyume cha mafundisho ya kweli.

¹⁰whoremongers, sodomites, men-stealers, liars, perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that to sound doctrine is adverse,

¹¹Mafundisho hayo hupatikana katika Habari Njema ambayo mimi nimekabidhiwa niihubiri, Habari Njema ya Mungu mtukufu na mwenye heri.

¹¹according to the good news of the glory of the blessed God, with which I was entrusted.

¹²Namshukuru Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo aliyenipa nguvu kwa ajili ya kazi yangu. Namshukuru kwa kuniona mimi kuwa ni mwaminifu, akaniteua nimtumikie,

¹²And I give thanks to him who enabled me — Christ Jesus our Lord — that he did reckon me stedfast, having put [me] to the ministration,

¹³ingawa pale awali mimi nilimtukana na kumtesa na kumdhulumu. Lakini Mungu alinionea huruma, kwa sababu sikuwa na imani bado, na hivyo sikujua nilichokuwa ninafanya.

¹³who before was speaking evil, and persecuting, and insulting, but I found kindness, because, being ignorant, I did [it] in unbelief,

¹⁴Lakini Bwana wetu alinijalia neema yake kwa wingi, akanipa imani na upendo katika kuungana na Kristo Yesu.

¹⁴and exceedingly abound did the grace of our Lord, with faith and love that [is] in Christ Jesus:

¹⁵Usemi huu ni wa kuaminika, na tena unafaa kukubaliwa kabisa: Kristo Yesu alikuja ulimwenguni kuwaokoa wenye dhambi. Nami ni mkosefu zaidi kuliko hao wote,

¹⁵stedfast [is] the word, and of all acceptation worthy, that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners — first of whom I am;

¹⁶lakini Mungu alinionea huruma, ili Kristo aonyeshe uvumilivu wake wote kwangu mimi, kama mfano kwa wale wote ambao baadaye watamwamini na kupokea uzima wa milele.

¹⁶but because of this I found kindness, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern of those about to believe on him to life age-during:

¹⁷Kwake yeye aliye Mfalme wa milele na asiyekufa, yeye aliye Mungu pekee--kwake viwe heshima na utukufu milele na milele! Amina.

¹⁷and to the King of the ages, the incorruptible, invisible, only wise God, [is] honour and glory — to the ages of the ages! Amen.

¹⁸Mwanangu Timotheo, nakukabidhi amri hii kufuatana na maneno ya unabii yaliyosemwa zamani juu yako. Yatumie maneno hayo yawe silaha yako katika kupigana vita vizuri,

¹⁸This charge I commit to thee, child Timotheus, according to the prophesies that went before upon thee, that thou mayest war in them the good warfare,

¹⁹na ushike imani yako na dhamiri njema. Watu wengine hawakusikiliza dhamiri zao na hivyo wakaiharibu imani yao.

¹⁹having faith and a good conscience, which certain having thrust away, concerning the faith did make shipwreck,

²⁰Miongoni mwao ni Humenayo na Aleksanda ambao nimewakabidhi kwa Shetani, ili wafundishwe wasimtukane Mungu.

²⁰of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I did deliver to the Adversary, that they might be instructed not to speak evil.