¹Mimi Paulo mwenyewe ambaye naonekana kuwa mpole nikiwa pamoja nanyi, lakini mkali wakati nikiwa mbali nanyi, nawasihini kwa huruma na wema wake Kristo.

¹And I, Paul, myself, do call upon you — through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ — who in presence, indeed [am] humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you,

²Nawaombeni msinisababishe kuwa mkali wakati nitakapokuja, maana nina hakika naweza kuwa mkali kwa wote wale wanaotudhania kwamba tunaishi kidunia.

²and I beseech [you], that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh;

³Kweli tunaishi duniani, lakini hatupigani vita kidunia.

³for walking in the flesh, not according to the flesh do we war,

⁴Maana, silaha tunazotumia katika vita vyetu si silaha za kidunia, ila ni nguvu za Mungu zenye kuharibu ngome zote. Tunaharibu hoja zote za uongo,

⁴for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds,

⁵na kubomoa kila kizuizi cha majivuno kilichowekwa kuipinga elimu ya Mungu; tunaziteka fikira zote na kuzifanya zimtii Kristo.

⁵reasonings bringing down, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ,

⁶Mkisha kuwa wakamilifu katika kutii, sisi tuko tayari kuadhibu kila namna ya kutotii.

⁶and being in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience may be fulfilled.

⁷Ninyi hutazama mambo kwa nje tu. Je, yupo mtu yeyote anayedhani kwamba yeye ni wa Kristo? Sawa! Basi, afikirie vilevile kwamba sisi pia ni wa Kristo kama yeye alivyo wa Kristo.

⁷The things in presence do ye see? if any one hath trusted in himself to be Christ`s, this let him reckon again from himself, that according as he is Christ`s, so also we [are] Christ`s;

⁸Hata kama nimezidi katika kujivuna kwangu juu ya ule uwezo aliotupa--uwezo wa kuwajenga na sio wa kubomoa--hata hivyo sijutii hata kidogo.

⁸for even if also anything more abundantly I shall boast concerning our authority, that the Lord gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be ashamed;

⁹Sipendi mfikiri kwamba nataka kuwatisha ninyi kwa barua zangu.

⁹that I may not seem as if I would terrify you through the letters,

¹⁰Mtu anaweza kusema: "Barua za Paulo ni kali na zenye maneno mazito, lakini yeye mwenyewe anapokuwa pamoja nasi ni mtu dhaifu, na hata anapoongea maneno yake ni kama si kitu."

¹⁰`because the letters indeed — saith one — [are] weighty and strong, and the bodily presence weak, and the speech despicable.`

¹¹Mtu asemaye hivyo heri akumbuke kwamba hakuna tofauti ya yale tunayoandika katika barua wakati tuko mbali, na yale tutakayofanya wakati tutakapokuwa nanyi.

¹¹This one — let him reckon thus: that such as we are in word, through letters, being absent, such also, being present, [we are] in deed.

¹²Kwa vyovyote hatungethubutu kujiweka au kujilinganisha na wale watu wanaojisifia wenyewe. Watu wenye kujifanya wao kuwa kipimo cha kujipimia, na watu wanaojilinganisha wenyewe kwa wenyewe, ni wapumbavu.

¹²For we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, among themselves measuring themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise,

¹³Lakini sisi hatutajivuna kupita kiasi; kujivuna huko kutabaki katika kile kipimo cha kazi aliyotukabidhi Mungu, kazi ambayo tunaifanya pia kwenu.

¹³and we in regard to the unmeasured things will not boast ourselves, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure did appoint to us — to reach even unto you;

¹⁴Na kwa vile ninyi mu katika mipaka hiyo, hatukuipita tulipokuja kwenu, tukiwaleteeni Habari Njema juu ya Kristo.

¹⁴for not as not reaching to you do we stretch ourselves overmuch, for even unto you did we come in the good news of the Christ,

¹⁵Basi, hatujivunii kazi waliyofanya wengine zaidi ya kipimo tulichopewa; ila tunatumaini kwamba imani yenu itazidi miongoni mwenu kufuatana na kipimo alichotuwekea Mungu.

¹⁵not boasting of the things not measured, in other men`s labours, and having hope — your faith increasing — in you to be enlarged, according to our line — into abundance,

¹⁶Hapo tutaweza kuihubiri Habari Njema katika nchi nyingine, mbali nanyi; na haitakuwa shauri la kujivunia kazi waliyofanya watu wengine mahali pengine.

¹⁶in the [places] beyond you to proclaim good news, not in another`s line in regard to the things made ready, to boast;

¹⁷Lakini kama yasemavyo Maandiko: "Mwenye kuona fahari na aone fahari juu ya alichofanya Bwana."

¹⁷and he who is boasting — in the Lord let him boast;

¹⁸Anayekubaliwa si yule anayejisifu mwenyewe, bali yule anayesifiwa na Bwana.

¹⁸for not he who is commending himself is approved, but he whom the Lord doth commend.