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

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope;

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

²unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the 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.

³As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

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

⁴neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; [so do I now].

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

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

⁶Watu wengine wamepotoka na kugeukia majadiliano yasiyo na maana.

⁶from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking;

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

⁷desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.

⁸Twajua kwamba Sheria ni njema, kama ikitumiwa ipasavyo.

⁸But we know that the law is good, if a man 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;

⁹as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

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

¹⁰for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

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

¹¹according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

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

¹²I thank him that enabled me, [even] Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to [his] service;

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

¹³though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;

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

¹⁴and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which 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,

¹⁵Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:

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.

¹⁶howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all his longsuffering, for an ensample of them that should thereafter believe on him unto eternal life.

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

¹⁷Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. 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 unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare;

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

¹⁹holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith:

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

²⁰of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.