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, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.

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

²I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able [to bear it]: nay, not even now are ye 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 ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?

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 saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men?

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

⁵What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.

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

⁶I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

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

⁷So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

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

⁸Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

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

⁹For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry, God's building.

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 which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon.

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

¹¹For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

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

¹²But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble;

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.

¹³each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is.

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

¹⁴If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward.

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

¹⁵If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.

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

¹⁶Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

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

¹⁷If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.

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

¹⁸Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, 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 is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:

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

²⁰and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.

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

²¹Wherefore 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 to come; all are yours;

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

²³and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.