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 I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work 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 at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

³Hoja yangu kwa wale wanaonipinga ndiyo hii:

³My defence to them that examine me is this.

⁴Je, hatuna haki ya kula na kunywa?

⁴Have we no right 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 no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

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

⁶Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?

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

⁷What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

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

⁸Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same?

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

⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth,

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 saith he it assuredly for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was written: because he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, [to thresh] in hope of partaking.

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

¹¹If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?

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 partake of [this] right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

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

¹³Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat [of] the things of the temple, [and] they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?

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

¹⁴Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

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.

¹⁵But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorifying void.

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

¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.

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 I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.

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, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel.

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

¹⁹For though I was free from all [men,] I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

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 to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

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 them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are 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.

²²To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

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

²³And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

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

²⁴Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.

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

²⁵And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they [do it] to receive a corruptible crown; 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 so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air:

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

²⁷but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.